Tim Doling in Saigon
The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 1
Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Boulevard (the former quai Gaudot) in central Chợ Lớn preserves several elegant old colonial shophouse buildings, but perhaps the most interesting of all is the one at No. 45, once the modest headquarters of Cantonese millionaire and philanthropist Quách Đàm. This is Part 1 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 2 here.
Charming Hosts Invite You to Experience Serene Beachside Stays at Danang Marriott Resort & Spa
What do you want from a hotel?
Visit a Serene Đà Nẵng in 1991 During a Time Before the Tourism Boom
As a special municipality of Vietnam, Đà Nẵng is considered by many as one of the most livable cities in the country, with lower costs, delicious local cuisine, and a languid, wholesome pace of life. This, in conjunction with readily available modern services, has turned the coastal metropolis into a magnet luring young professionals away from the chaos of Saigon and Hanoi, and attracting snowbird tourists from Russia, China and South Korea seeking tropical warmth.
Linh Phạm in Hanoi
A Personal History of Hồ Tây: Romance, Colonial Rule and Subsidy-Era Fishing Heists
My father-in-law has spent decades visiting Hồ Tây (West Lake). His personal story both contrasts and reflects Vietnam's history as a whole and, as a result, offers a profound insight into the importance of Hanoi's largest lake.
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool
Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace ( Cung Văn hoá Lao động ) ...
Khôi Phạm in Vietnam
6 Saigon Streets That Were Named After Lesser-Known Female Historical Figures
Any place is a great learning opportunity if you know where to look. A brisk walk in Saigon can be amazing fodder for history aficionados to exercise their brain muscles — just look at street titles and the amazing people they were named after.
How Did Vietnam Start Celebrating International Women's Day on March 8?
In the hyper-commercialized world we now live in, it might be impossible to associate anything but overpriced flower bouquets and corporate sponsorships with International Women’s Day (IWD), but the widely celebrated occasion actually has a rich history of over 100 years of the women’s rights movement.
A Collection of Illusory Saigon Nightscapes From 1938 by Eli Lotar
A rare glimpse into colonial Saigon after sunset.
[Photos] A French Photographer's Portrait of Saigon in 1866
It took millions of years for dinosaurs' ferocious claws to evolve into the soft wings of a hummingbird and even longer for simple algae to transform into towering pine trees; change has been much mor...
[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.
[Photos] A Stroll Along Saigon's Tet Flower Streets in the 1960s
Flowers never go out of fashion.
[Photos] An Artist's Sketches Capture the Charm of Indochina's Street Vendors
These illustrations of vendors working on Hanoi streets during French colonial rule are half-sketched, half-painted, which adds to the air of memories fading.
[Photos] A Brief Tribute to Saigon’s Old Electricity Substations and Their Iconic Logo
Have you ever spotted these substations peppered across downtown Saigon and wondered what the initials CEE stands for?
[Photos] An Aerial Perspective of Pleiku and Kon Tum in 1970
In today’s Vietnam, Pleiku in Gia Lai Province is the Central Highlands’ third-biggest city, after Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot.
Thu Thiem Church, Convent Classified as City-Level Heritage Sites by Saigon
After years of precarious existence in the face of constant development in the Thu Thiem Peninsula, the two Roman Catholic institutions have finally achieved protected status.
[Photos] A Walk Down Memory Lane: 1990 Saigon Caught on Camera
Once among the 1990s’ most recognizable icons, xích lô is now a rare species on Saigon streets that’s reserved only for tourists.
A Meandering Photographic History of the Red River and Long Bien Bridge
Upon its completion in 1902, Hanoi’s Long Bien Bridge was the second-longest of its kind in the world — it was only a few hundred meters shorter than Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
[Photos] The Wilderness of Suburban Saigon in 1904
In 1904, the entirety of Saigon was confined to the area we know as District 1 today. Apart from the neatly planned city center and Cho Lon’s bustling trade town, the city’s peripheral regions were ov...
[Photos] Daily Life in Northern Vietnam in the Early 1900s
Daily life in northern Vietnam was a little different over 100 years ago.
[Photos] Aerial Shots of a Past Saigon Without Towering High-Rises
Saigon represents constant transition.
[Photos] 21 Rare Old Photos Showcase Kuala Lumpur's Unique Architecture
If you’ve enjoyed our collections of old Saigon photos so far, this set of rare images of Kuala Lumpur taken throughout the 20th century might pique your interest.
[Photos] 21 Rare Old Photos of Kuala Lumpur Through the Decades
If you’ve enjoyed our collections of old Saigon photos so far, this set of rare images of Kuala Lumpur taken throughout the 20th century might pique your interest.
[Video] Travel Back in Time to Late 1970s Hanoi When Bicycles Ruled the Streets
The following footage of Hanoi from 1975 to 1980 reminds us that, less than 50 years ago, the capital was tranquil, slow-moving and unpolluted.
[Maps] A Brief Cartographic History of Hai Phong From 1898 to 1968
Known today by the moniker "City of Red Flamboyant Trees," Hai Phong has always been one of Vietnam’s most prominent port cities ever since its establishment in 1888.
[Maps] A Brief Cartographic History of Hai Phong 1898–1968
Known today by the moniker "City of Red Flamboyant Trees," Hai Phong has always been one of Vietnam’s most prominent port cities ever since its establishment in 1888.
[Photos] Cruising Across Vietnam on the North-South Train in 1920
It appears train travel in Vietnam has changed very little in the past 100 years.
[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of the Capital in the 1930s
Aerial photography has been around since the 19th century. During colonial rule in Vietnam, French photographers took to the air to show sights of Hanoi in ways previously only appreciated by birds.&n...
[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.
