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 ) ...

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

In Bình Định, a Museum Retells Nguyễn Huệ's Glorious Life via Vivid Murals

About 45 kilometers from downtown Quy Nhơn stands the Quang Trung Museum (Bảo tàng Quang Trung), one of Vietnam’s finest museums.

in Vietnam

Quy Nhơn's Rustic Coastal Charms in the 1960s via Vintage Photos

Saigoneer makes no attempts to hide our love for Quy Nhơn.

in Hanoi

The Rich History Behind One of Hanoi's 2 Remaining Chinese Guild Halls

With the changing gears of history, at times even the oldest layers of a thousand-year-old town must evolve to house new meanings.

in Vietnam

The History of Hanoi's Lost Tramway Network

When they first drew up plans for a citywide tramway network in 1894, it seemed as though the Hanoi authorities would follow Saigon’s example by opting for steam traction. Yet, by the time government approval was forthcoming in 1899, advances in technology made it possible to construct the entire system as a state-of-the-art, one-meter gauge electric tramway.

in Vietnam

Wander Through the Streets of the Old Quarter in 1995 Hanoi

What do you miss most about the 1990s?

in Saigon

Tân Định Market, D1's Nearly 100-Year-Old Trading Hub

Originally known as the marché de Phu-Hoa, Tân Định Market at 1 Nguyễn Hữu Cầu in District 1 is one of the city’s most historic markets, but it was the opening of the stylish French market building of 1927 which brought it to worldwide attention.

Back Heritage

in Hanoi

[Photos] An Idiosyncratic Car Parade in 1920s Hanoi

Street festivals have come a long way since the endearing car parades of early 1900s Indochina. 

in Vietnam

[Photos] 30 Black-and-White Photos of 1947 Vietnam's Landscapes by Michel Huet

If you enjoyed our previous article on French photographer Michel Huet’s portraits of Vietnam series, then the second batch of his work from 1947 Vietnam will pique your interest as well.

in Vietnam

[Photos] An Exploration Into Vietnam's History Through Black-and-White Portraiture

From inside aristocratic mansions to the austere fields of rural Vietnam, black-and-white portraiture has never looked so filled with life and stories.

in Vietnam

[Photos] In 1995 Vietnam, a Paradise for Honda Cubs and Xích Lô

How heartening — or rather, disheartening — to discover that flooding isn’t a problem that is unique to 2010s Saigon.

in Vietnam

A Rare Look Inside the Hue Imperial Court in 1895 in Watercolor

'La cour de Hue' (The court of Hue) is a series of painting done by Nguyen Van Nhan in 1895, during the reign of Thanh Thai, emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty at the time.

in Vietnam

[Photos] 18 Rare Photos of Northern and Central Vietnam in the Late 19th Century

During the 19th century, postcards were one of the most popular forms of media that connected Vietnam with the rest of the world.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Street Cred: The Sins and Saving Grace of Dr. Albert Calmette

If you help save hundreds of thousands of lives via medical breakthroughs and establish one of the country’s first and most advanced research institutes, but also assist in the colonial regime’s bruta...

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Children of Southern Vietnam in 1967

To see old photos of children is profound because we know, in a way they couldn't when the photos were taken, how their lives have been shaped since. 

in Saigon

[Photos] 27 Snapshots of Saigon in 1970 by Carl Nielsen

Almost five decades ago, Saigon didn’t have much in terms of high-rise buildings; however, judging by the amount of people hanging about in public spaces, street life was as much a big part of metropo...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Enthralling Black-and-White Aerial Shots of 1950s Ha Long Bay

It will come as a surprise to no one that Ha Long Bay was much quieter in the 1950s than it is today.

in Vietnam

[Photos] A Visual Excursion to Past Bac Lieu, Home of Cải Lương Master Cao Van Lau

Tucked just below the Mekong's main aquiferous arteries, Bac Lieu Province serves as an interesting case study of how humans can thrive in swampy, steamy surroundings.

in Saigon

[Photos] On the Sidewalks of 1979 Saigon: Books, Knick-Knacks and a Multitude of Bicycles

Before the motorbikes invaded all aspects of modern Vietnam, Saigon streets were all bicycles, vintage cars and xích lô.

in Saigon

[Photos] 20 Black-and-White Snapshots of 1920 Saigon by Ludovic Crespin

In the early 1920s, central Saigon was an immaculate neighborhood with glamorous shops and clean streets.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Walk the Streets of 1965 Da Nang

Given how fast Vietnam's major cities change, and it can be hard to imagine what they looked like in decades past.

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Rue Catinat, Tu Do and Dong Khoi Street

While some of Saigon's most extreme changes over the years have occurred in suburban areas like District 7 or Binh Thanh, central District 1 is obviously no stranger to transformations either.

in Saigon

[Photos] 20 Snapshots of Saigon in 1969 by George Lane

With every uncovered archive of old photos, we come closer and closer to reconstructing a complete tapestry of life in past eras.

in Vietnam

[Photos] On the Road to Nha Trang in the 1960s, a Medley of Spartan Fields

If downtown Saigon was the epicenter of frenetic energy and urban chaos in the late 60s, you’d have been hard-pressed to find a crowd of more than five people or buildings with more than one floor onc...

in Saigon

[Photos] A Rare Aerial Perspective of Saigon in the 1920s

Thanks to the prevalence of photographic drones, nowadays it’s a cakewalk to source aerial photos of Vietnam with just a simple internet search.

in Saigon

[Photos] Rare Black-and-White Photos of Downtown Saigon in 1938–1939

A trip back to an era when the Saigon as we know today only consisted of central District 1 and Cho Lon.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Have a Glance at Saigon's Snacks Through These Photos of Street Vendors in 1966

Street food has long been the epitome of Saigon's daily culture.