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in Vietnam

A Flight Over Đà Lạt in 1968–1971 Before the Tourism Boom

If you’ve taken a trip to Lâm Đồng within the last few years, these scenes seem like a distant dream of a sparsely populated and verdant Đà Lạt that’s engulfed by nature.

in Music & Arts

The Sound of Revolution: How Socialist Realism Shaped Vietnam's Musical Identity

In the depths of my childhood memories lies a peculiar ritual: my grandfather feeding me baby powder while Vietnamese revolutionary songs, or “nhạc đỏ” (red music), played in the background. Without t...

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Saigon Post Office, Benjamin Franklin, and a Source of Unexpected Pride

It’s not hard to find snippets of America in Saigon.

in Vietnam

In 1965, Life in Cần Thơ Was Tightly Interwoven With the Mekong River

With more than 1.5 million citizens and many indicators of a modern metropolis, from the international airport to several Vincom malls, Cần Thơ is firmly established as the Mekong Delta's largest...

in Film & TV

Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted

In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.

in Music & Arts

On Grappling With the Problematic Legacy of 'Miss Saigon' in 2024

Having been abroad for more than a year, I was excited at the mere mention of Vietnam anywhere, so I was even more delighted when I learned of the popular musical Miss Saigon. Posters of it were plast...

in Culture

Inside the Bình Thạnh Depot Where Retro Military Knick-Knacks Live

“This furniture has been around for many decades, but you can use them normally without the fear of breaking them. Because they are industrial equipment made for the military or office buildings, they...

in Hanoi

Street Photos in 1973 Capture a Rebuilding Hanoi After Linebacker II

In this collection of black-and-white photos taken by German photographer Horst Faas, Hanoi's streets seem bursting with life, but lurking behind innocent smiling children and packed tram rides are th...

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Bảo Ninh's English-Language Return and the Magic of Mundane Moments

Of all 20th-century Vietnamese authors whose works were translated into English, none have received more high-profile attention than Bảo Ninh for his wartime novel Nỗi buồn chiến tranh (The ...

in Music & Arts

Vintage Music Compilation 'Saigon Supersound' Releases 3rd and Final Volume

Since Saigon Supersound presented its first volume back in 2017, the anthology of vintage Vietnamese music has become a household name for fans, both in and out of Vietnam, with a penchant for tunes f...

in Music & Arts

A Brief History of Paris by Night, the Anchor of Vietnamese Culture Abroad

If home cuisine could satiate exilic tongues that resist strange flavors, art might condole with nostalgic hearts. Paris by Night is one such therapeutic art, or the hallmark of performing arts for Vi...

in Music & Arts

'Đông Nam Bộ' Project Invites 14 Young Artists to Draw the History of Their Hometowns

“Đông Nam Bộ” is a collection of illustrations reflecting the culture, history and local charms of provinces in the Southeast Region of Vietnam. The artworks were all created by artists who live or gr...

Linh Phạm

in In Plain Sight

How a Plane Carcass Became a Museum and Community Hangout in Hanoi

The massive chunk of metal greeted me as soon as I stepped through the gate.

in Literature

Guilt, Mortality, and Hope in 'Khát Vọng Cho Con' by Poet Du Tử Lê

“We are like fruits forcefully ripened, a generation of premature adults, a generation of misery.”— Du Tử Lê.

in Saigon

[Photos] Amble in Downtown Saigon via These Street Photography Shots in 1962

In this collection of old film photos from 1962 taken by an unknown photographer, perhaps the most eye-catching feature is the fashion. Saigon men appear in simple attire of white shirts and pants, bu...

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

Retracing Biệt Động Sài Gòn Hideouts, Where Grenades Were Just Below Your Feet

Elements of Saigon’s wartime espionage efforts once relegated to secret basements, hidden crawl spaces and elaborate double lives lurk throughout downtown to this day.

in Vietnam

[Photos] On the Road in 1970s Vietnam

Old photos, like memories, fade over time — corners darken, horizons blur, and colors lose their saturation.

in Vietnam

[Photos] A Recuperating Vietnam in 1980, as Documented by Philip Jones Griffiths

Released in 1971, Vietnam Inc. by Philip Jones Griffiths was a career-defining work for the Welsh photographer, whose candid, sympathetic images of Vietnam during the American War showed a much differ...

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Touching the Infinite: An Interview With Vietnamese Canadian Novelist Kim Thúy

Why pencils are yellow; the connections between the aviation industry, a centuries-old Central American ballgame and sex; the “true” color of goldfish; the reason we never see Buddha peeing; and the g...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Old Film Photos Capture a Serene Huế in 1961

These colorful photos of Huế in the early 1960s provide outsiders an important view of the country at a pivotal time. 

in Saigon

[Photos] Landmarks of 1966-1967 Saigon in Black and White

Sometimes the backstory behind a photograph is key, while other times simply observing an image is better.

Michael Tatarski

in Music & Arts

What to Do When You Discover That Your Mom Was a Superstar Singer in 1960s Saigon

In early 1960s Saigon, Phương Tâm was a star singer, performing every day in the city’s busy nightclubs and music venues.

in Music & Arts

Liberation Radio: The Ultimate Message of Peace Through Audio Broadcast

An audio-visual installation at Manzi Exhibition Space followed in the footsteps of the American military deserters who opposed the war in Vietnam.

in Saigon

The Neo-Baroque Opulence of the Norodom Palace in the 1920s

Few people remember seeing with their own eyes the facade of the building at the site of the former Independence Palace, let alone its interior.

in Vietnam

[Photos] A Day Trip to 1968 Vung Tau

Time for a trip to the coast.

in Literature

Vietnamese Novel 'The Mountains Sing' Honored by Prestigious US Peace Prize

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai was named the runner-up for this year's Dayton Literary Peace Prize in the fiction category. 

in Film & TV

These 9 Vintage Vietnamese Films Are Now Available for Viewing on YouTube

The Việt Nam Film Institute (VFI) is providing free screenings of nine movies, available now on YouTube. 

in Film & TV

Q&A: In Conversation With 'The Future Cries Beneath Our Soil' Director Phạm Thu Hằng

Do communities inherit the sorrows of war? Is trauma re-experienced by the sons and daughters of those who suffered? How does life prevail amidst the normalization of loss? Pham Thu Hang’s debut film,...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Amble Around Downtown Tay Ninh in These Photos From 1965

Just a short car ride from Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh remains among the favorite spiritual destinations of worshipers in the region to visit for a weekend getaway.

in Saigon

[Photos] 10 Black-and-White Images of Saigon in 1970

A trip to Saigon in 1970 by photographer Jerry Bosworth yielded a small cache of black-and-white images that vividly depict a city in flux.

Linh Pham

in Culture

Bình Dân Học Vụ, Vietnam's Revolution Against the Enemy of Illiteracy

O tròn như quả trứng gà / ô thì đội mũ, ơ là thêm râu.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Immerse in the Small-Town Charm of 1960s Vinh Long

Thanks to its tangled snarl of canals, estuaries, streams and rivers, one associates the Mekong Delta with boats.

Michael Tatarski

in Film & TV

Review: 'Monsoon' Peruses the Chasm Between Past and Contemporary Vietnam

Monsoon is Vietnam-shot film directed by Hong Khaou that was released earlier this year. It is spoken by Lee (David Tran) to Kit (Henry Golding) as they have tea on a Saigon sidewalk and referenc...

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Small-Town Charm of Vung Tau in the 1960s

From remembering fond memories with loved ones to selling products and even gaining clues to a grisly crime, photos have many uses.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: 'Other Moons' Aims to Amplify Voices of Vietnam's Wartime Writers

Why must we continue talking about war?

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Coastal Life in Nha Trang in a Timewarp

You can practically taste the salty sea breeze and hear the occasional wafting of rock music in these photos of Nha Trang from the late 60s, early 70s.

in Saigon

[Photos] Amble Along the Familiar Streets of District 1 in 1969

Was Saigon more colorful in the past?

in Saigon

Saigon to Apply for UNESCO World Heritage Status for Cu Chi Tunnels

The Ministry of Defense, which manages the area, needs to approve the plan first.

in Saigon

[Photos] 30 Film Photographs That Take You Back to 1965 Saigon

What draws viewers to the spectacle that is old photographs?

in Hanoi

[Photos] 18 Rare Black-and-White Photos of Northern Vietnam in the 1970s

What draws us towards the spectacle that is old photos?

in Hanoi

Hanoi Launches Night Tour at Hoa Lo Prison to Attract Domestic Tourists

History buffs from the rest of the country might find the night tour an opportunity to observe the storied historical site from a different perspective.

in Vietnam

[Photos] A Walk on the Streets of Quaint 1966-1967 Da Nang

Like its namesake river, the Han Market remains a bustling destination attracting visitors and casual shoppers to the area today, just as it did decades ago.

Michael Tatarski

in Film & TV

'Da 5 Bloods' Review: A Vital Message Lost in a Deeply Flawed Film

This article contains major spoilers for Da 5 Bloods.

in Film & TV

Spike Lee's New Netflix Film, Featuring Ngo Thanh Van, Premieres in June

The movie was filmed in Vietnam and Thailand last year, and will be released by Netflix on June 12.

in Saigon

[Photos] Amble Through Saigon’s Markets and Pagodas in 1965–1966

The photo series was taken by Thomas W. Johnson, a chaplain assistant working at the US 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon in the 1960s.

in Saigon

[Photos] Building the City: Snapshots of Saigon in the Late 1960s

Buildings play a significant role in shaping how we see and navigate Saigon — the Notre-Dame de Paris gives us a sense of belonging to history while modern high-rises can feed our dreams of grandeur a...

Thi Nguyen

in Saigon

Street Cred: Dauntless Antiwar Icon Nguyen Thai Binh and His Tragic Death

If one were to see the streets of Vietnam as a tangled network of people whose names they took, every city would resemble a messy collection of historical fragments.

in Saigon

[Photos] Views of 1954 Saigon-Cho Lon From a USS Rochester Sailor

The USS Rochester CA-124 was a heavy cruiser that was first launched after World War II.

in Vietnam

[Photos] A Record of the Past in Pre-1975 Nhạc Vàng Album Art

Modern album art doesn't hold a candle to the hand-drawn song sheets of pre-1975 Vietnam.

in Vietnam

Vietnam Still Has 800,000 Tons of Unexploded Ordnance, Labor Ministry Says

Explosive remnants from the Second Indochina War continue to haunt livelihoods.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

'The Mountains Sing,' a Quintessential Vietnamese Novel, Written in Memories

As American bombers roared over the horizon preparing to drop fire and misery, air raid sirens screeched and people throughout Hanoi scrambled to find safety.

in Saigon

[Photos] 17 Photos of Quiet Moments in 1963 Saigon by Pete Komada

In piecing together our collective memory of a Saigon past, old photos play an insurmountable role in providing visual evidence that the human mind might miss after decades.

in Hanoi

[Photos] On Hanoi’s Streets in 1979: Trams, Bicycles, Buffaloes and Peace

Postwar-era Vietnam was a time of moving forward, regeneration and establishing a new normalcy.

in Saigon

[Photos] 10 Remarkable Black-and-White Shots of Saigon in 1967

Lush bunches of fresh bananas at a market, a street-side merchant selling embroidered artworks to tourists, and Buddhist worshipers praying at a local temple — these Saigon scenes are rather mundane b...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Glitz and Glam of Tự Do Nightclub

While today’s Dong Khoi Street is peppered with tourist-centric shops and restaurants, just half a century ago, the downtown street was the nightlife hotspot for Saigon’s cool kids to congregate.

in Saigon

Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Quách Thị Trang Square

In this, the first of a new series about the history of the famous streets and squares of Saigon and Chợ Lớn, Tim Doling looks at the history of Quách Thị Trang square.