Tâm Lê in Saigon
Street Cred: Phan Đình Phùng, My Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
An unassuming street named Phan Đình Phùng runs through Saigon’s Phú Nhuận District. It is named after a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in the 1880s and 1890s. He is also my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
Lycée Marie Curie: The High School That Has Stood the Test of Time
Marie Curie High School, also called Lycée Marie Curie in French or Trường Trung Học Phổ Thông Marie Curie in Vietnamese, is a public high school located in Saigon’s District 3.
Khôi Phạm in Saigon
Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Glitz and Glam of Tự Do Nightclub
While today’s Đồng Khởi 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.
Revisit the Colorful, Diverse Universe of Multinational Xe Đò in 1990s Saigon
Saigoneers who spent their formative years in the 1990s will remember an era of secondhand products of mixed origins. This unique feature of daily life also extended into the transportation realm.
The Double-Edged Allure of Indochic in Postcolonial Vietnam
Bordering the Temple of Literature in Hanoi is Nguyễn Thái Học Boulevard, where a number of art shops sit side by side. Among them, tourists and visitors can find an endless supply of varying iterations of socialist iconography, gold-plated replicas of Đông Sơn drums, and faux-impressionist paintings of colonial Indochina. In Mũi Né, a 127-room resort unironically called The Anam Mui Ne boasts its Indochine allure with “Indochine Charm. Modern Luxury” on its home page. Throughout the resort are paintings depicting women in traditional áo dài and scenes of tranquil fishing villages, gesturing toward the bucolic past of Vietnam. In Saigon, numerous cafes and eateries are decorated in encaustic cement tiles with intricate floral, pastel designs, while brandishing French names and wrought iron railings on their balconies.
Uyên Đỗ in Hanoi
A Slice of Life in Coupon-Era Hanoi via Colorful Vintage Lottery Tickets
What can tiny sheets of paper reveal about a whole time period?
Brian Letwin in Heritage
Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils
Not long ago, hulking “creatures” glided atop the waters between Saigon and Vũng Tàu. Like the dinosaurs that came before them, they slowly disappeared, until all that was left were their skeletons.
Tim Doling in Saigon
The Surprisingly Recent History Behind Bình Thạnh's Lonely 'Gia-Đinh' Gate
It’s claimed by several tourism websites that a gateway from one of the ancient Gia Định citadels has survived and may be viewed on the Lê Văn Duyệt-Phan Đăng Lưu intersection in Bình Thạnh District, close to the Lê Văn Duyệt Mausoleum. However, a little research into the history of that area reveals that the gateway in question has more recent origins.
A 100-Year-Old French Villa Was Recently Bulldozed in Hue
You might want to sit down for this: a 100-year-old building in Hue has been bulldozed due to poor maintenance.
[Photos] The Sleepy, Small Town Vibes of Central Vietnam in the Early 1960s
Before it became the modern metropolis it is today, Da Nang used to be a sleepy fishing village.
[Photos] 1972 Saigon, a City of Style
Based on this collection of black-and-white snapshots, there’s no doubt that Saigon was – and still is – a city of style.
Khoi Pham in Saigon
Street Cred: Thich Quang Duc, the Monk Who Set Himself on Fire
Despite his peaceful nature, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc is known today as “the monk who set himself on fire”, serving as a symbol of protest against religious discrimination. In today’s ...
Nick Ut, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist, Retires This Month
After 51 years as a photojournalist, Nick Ut is retiring this month.
[Photos] 1970s Vietnam: Lambrettas, Spartan Fields and Renaults Galore
In the 1970s, urban Vietnam was a Lambretta paradise.
Khoi Pham in Saigon
Street Cred: Alexandre de Rhodes and the Birth of Chữ Quốc Ngữ
Among Saigon's many streets, there are only four roads named after foreigners: Yersin, Pasteur, Calmette and Alexandre de Rhodes.
[Photos] A 1973 Trip to the Market
There are few experiences quite like wandering through a Saigon market.
[Photos] The Calm Austerity of Vung Tau in the Late 1960s
Whether it's 2017 or the late 1960s, Vung Tau is a sleepy coastal town that exudes charm.
[Photos] Stroll Through 1966 Downtown Saigon
Saigon has come a long way in the last half-century. And yet, even as the city is transformed by major infrastructure projects and commercial developments, there are a few things that remain the same,...
Japanese Emperor, Empress to Meet With Vietnamese Families of WWII Japanese Soldiers
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will visit Vietnam this week, meeting with the Vietnamese wives and children of Japanese soldiers stationed in the country during World War II.
The End of Ton That Dam's Chợ Cũ
As Saigon quickly transforms into a modern metropolis, some of the city’s beloved old relics are fading away with the pressures of development.
The Ongoing Evolution of Quach Thi Trang Square
Over the weekend, Saigon’s iconic Quach Thi Trang Square disappeared behind a wall of blue fencing in preparation for further metro construction.
[Video] A Tour of Saigon in the 1900s
Saigon has always been a source of inspiration for shutterbugs and artists to craft some of their most captivating work. However, while it’s easy to come across photographs of the city's past, video c...
[Photos] 1960s Saigon: Fruit Vendors, Honda Cubs and Bò Bía Galore
It's as true today as it was in the 1960s: to experience Saigon life, head to the streets.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Saigon
Street Cred: Nguyen Du, Father of Vietnamese Literature
Even if you’re in need of a refresher on Vietnamese history, chances are you know the name Nguyen Du. The 19th-century statesman and poet is often known as the father of Vietnamese literature, and his...
[Photos] Serviceman’s Photos Offer a Glimpse of Sleepy 1967 Phan Thiet
As we’ve seen before, photos taken by American military personnel during the war often help to paint a picture of mid-1960s to early 1970s Vietnam. Such is the case with Bob Kelly’s album of 1967 Phan...
[Photos] Saigon Xua: A Touch of Hat Tuong in the Land of Cinemas
There’s no doubt that Vietnamese in the past were avid patrons of the arts.
[Photos] From Fishing Village to Metropolis: Tracking the Evolution of Tokyo
The following images – dating from 12th century to the 1950s – show the evolution of Tokyo, which means Eastern Capital, from a provincial center to major city, particularly following Emperor Meiji’s ...
Hanoi Considers Getting Rid of Wartime Loudspeakers
Hanoi residents might have to say goodbye to the city’s wartime loudspeakers, or loa phường.
