These 24 photos taken between 1880 and 1898 show Vietnam just as France was settling into their role as colonial occupier.
The French, having taken Saigon in 1859, consolidated their power over the entire country with their victory over the Chinese 25 years later and embarked on what would end up being nearly a century of domination.
Though colonialists had pacified most of the country, there were still plenty of resistance movements, especially in the countryside. Even so, these 24 images from the late 19th century portray Vietnam as a peaceful place, with scenes of a rapidly urbanizing Saigon juxtaposed with traditional rural culture.
[Manhhai]
