Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
An Indie Archival Project Dreams of Time Travel. How? Lots and Lots of Vietnam Maps.
Its entrances flanked by ATMs and adverts for international airlines, the Sun Wah Tower on Nguyễn Huệ today appears to be another nondescript testament to the global economy and Vietnam’s enthusiastic place within it. However, on those same grounds only 150 years ago, a guillotine was set up to decapitate people on order of the colonial authorities at the Justice de paix.
Marc Dinh in Vietnam
A Brake Failure and 200 Victims: Remembering Vietnam's Deadliest Rail Accident
About 55 kilometers from Saigon, in the small commune of Tây Hoà rests the 17/03/1982 Railway Cemetery. It currently houses 85 unidentified graves of victims of the Train 183 Disaster, the deadliest railway accident in Vietnamese history.
Xuân Phương in Vietnam
A British Photographer's 30 Years of Forming a Kindred Connection With Vietnam
When he boarded a flight from Bangkok to Hanoi in 1992, Andy Soloman thought he would stay in Vietnam for just one month. Little did he know that what seemed like a brief trip would stretch into seven years — the beginning of a bond that has tied him to Vietnam for three decades and beyond.
Rare Film Photos by Andrew Holbrooke Showcase an Industrious Vietnam in 1991
Money cannot buy happiness, but it makes happiness easier to attain.
Tim Doling in Saigon
How Nhà Thờ Tân Định, Saigon's Iconic Pink Church, Came to Be
You just have to mention the “pink church” and everyone knows which one you mean. But few are aware that the building in question — Tân Định Church — is one of Saigon’s oldest and most important Roman Catholic institutions.
Slices of Life in Saigon, Huế, Hanoi in 1989 on Film
What is it about coming across old photos that tugs on our heartstrings so much, even when they depict a time when some of us weren’t alive yet?
Saigon Demolishes 3 Heritage Villas to Make Room for Covid-19 Memorial Park
As part of a plan to build a dedicated space to commemorate victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saigon authorities recently demolished several heritage buildings from the 1950s, sparking concerns about the city’s loss of architectural heritage.
What a Set of Art Homework From Long Xuyên Teaches Us About 1930s Vietnam
Much like their descendants today, schoolchildren of 1930s Vietnam also took art classes as part of their syllabus. In this rare collection of what was essentially our grandparents’ homework, we can surprisingly learn a lot about the daily life of Mekong Delta residents from nearly 100 years ago.
[Illustrations] This Set of Gouache Paintings Showcases Rural Life in 1890 Nam Dinh
Step into the life of a Nam Dinh resident in 1890 through this series of vintage paintings.
[Photos] What Vintage School Assignments Can Teach Us About 1933 Vietnam
Cultural artifacts like artwork can reveal fascinating insights into our ancestors’ past life, though the pieces below are far from the kind of artistic creations that get featured in museums.
[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of 1930 Hanoi
Now that the age of drones has dawned upon us, cityscapes are easily captured from above.
The City as Text: Chợ Trời and the Representation of an Invisible Hanoi
Despite being the largest marketplace in the city since the 1950s, and still the oldest temporary market in town, Troi Market (chợ Trời) doesn't appear in delightful pieces of literature or art like t...
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
Street Cred: The Fame and Shocking Death of Cải Lương Icon Thanh Nga
Fame, murder, sex and music — this story has it all.
A Brief Primer on Vice and Sex Trade in Colonial Vietnam
War loves sex. Sex loves war.
[Photos] Inside the Back-Breaking Mining Operations of Bac Kan Under French Rule
Bac Kan Province in northern Vietnam is the country’s least-populous locality, with just over 300,000 people, but it has an abundance of metal veins, the mining of which dominates the local economy.
[Photos] The Retro Artistry of Vietnam's Hand-Drawn Song Sheet Covers
Does a song have a color?
[Photos] 20 Rare Black-and-White Photos of 1948 Saigon by Jack Birns
"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still." — Dorothea Lange
[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.
[Photos] Rare Black-and-White Images Showcase Vung Tau's Calm in the 1960s
Towns are never settled, their characters forever suffering wanderlust.
[Photos] Over 100 Years of Hanoi's Historic Opera House
There are some among the population who remember, with rose-tinted glasses, the days before coronavirus began ravaging countries across the globe. Many also remember Hanoi’s Opera House, particularly ...
[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...
[Photos] Into the Wilderness of Saigon in 1867
Before “southern Vietnam,” there was Cochinchina; before Saigon, there wasn’t much of anything but vast stretches of tropical jungle and mosquito-infested swamps.
[Photos] Cho Lon's First-Ever Post Office, as Seen in the 1920s
Located at the junction of Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Chau Van Liem and Cha Va Bridge in today’s Saigon, the post office of District 5 is a well-known landmark in the mind of denizens living in the area. Not...
[Photos] Remarkable Color Photos Document Life in Japan Over 100 Years Ago
Even a century ago, Japan was a little weird.
[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.
Part of Historic Building, Meant to Be Preserved, Destroyed After Miscommunication
Part of a historic building, meant to be saved from demolition and recognized as a heritage site, has been bulldozed thanks to a miscommunication.
[Illustrations] Everyday Life in 1923 Northern Vietnam Through 10 Rare Sketches
It was a simpler time in Vietnam 100 years ago — just people going about their life without a single phone in sight.
Saigon to Preserve Part of Old Binh Loi Railway Bridge
The new Binh Loi railway bridge, built 12 meters away from the old one, has been open for public use since September last year.
