Sác-Lô in Hanoi: How a Pre-Industrial Vietnam Captivated Charlie Chaplin in 1936
About 90 years ago, Modern Times was released. Its title carried a warning. The film railed against the new industrial age and the misery it inflicted on workers amid the Great Depression. Yet a film about the dangers of modernity was being told through an almost-silent medium, nearly a decade into the era of sound. Charlie Chaplin, who wrote, directed, produced, and scored the film, in addition to starring in it, was deliberately resisting Hollywood's shift into the future.
The Story of Cà Mên, Vietnam’s Living Fossil From the Wartime and Subsidy Eras
During lunchtime at work, I spot a few aluminum cà mên that my coworkers bring from home to keep their lunch warm. Cà mên was once an indispensable item in my family too, but now it’s rarely used; it's limited to the few occasions when my grandparents or parents pack lunch for the kids.
In 1992 Vietnam, the Streets Were Brimming With Love and Life
How has your life been transformed in the past 30 years? Changes might materialize overnight, but some tend to creep up on you at a glacial pace. Through this collection of images from 1992, mull over how Vietnam as a country has grown with every 12-month cycle.
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Brief History of Saigon's Art Deco Eye Hospital, Formerly the Clinique Saint-Paul
For those condemned to a long daily commute along that busiest of city arteries, Điện Biên Phủ Street, the clean, elegant lines of the Hồ Chí Minh City Eye Hospital offer a refreshing contrast to the surrounding urban clutter. The compound was formerly known as Clinique Saint-Paul, so many older Saigoneers still refer to it by the name Bệnh viện Xanh-Pôn.
Tuyết Nhi in Saigon
Exploring Chợ Quán Asylum, Saigon’s Oldest Prisoner-of-War Camp
In a secluded corner of Saigon’s Bệnh viện Nhiệt đới, or Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a prison continues its century-long existence hidden from public memory and discourse.
An Early View of a Barely Developed Saigon in the 1860s
Dropping a modern Saigoneer into the 1860s version of the city would be a wildly disorienting experience.
Vietnam's 1969 Street Fashion Story as Told Through Honda Cubs
The very definition of cool was established decades ago in Vietnam, and it was badass women in áo dài dashing on the street in slick sunglasses.
From D4's Village Past to Now, History Keeps Wanting to Widen Nguyễn Tất Thành Street
A century before today's bulldozers, colonial planners were already wrestling with the same congested waterfront corridor — and the same promises of transformation.
[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.
[Photos] A Glimpse Into 1950s Cambodia and Laos
Over the past month or so, we’ve come to love the stunning 1950s photography of Frenchman Raymond Cauchetier.
[Photos] Take a Tour of Da Nang in 1954
A collection of pictures compiled on Flickr shows what life in Da Nang looked like way back in 1954.
[Photos] Saigon's Charm Through the Lens of an American Air Force Officer
Saigon has always been a muse for artists, musicians, poets and writers, inspiring some of their greatest works of art. However, the southern metropolis seems to be especially lively when seen through...
Khoi Pham in Vietnam
Street Cred: Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh, the Yin and Yang of Vietnam's Insurgency in the 1900s
In today’s Saigon, Ben Thanh Market’s eastern and western entrances are joined by Phan Chu Trinh and Phan Boi Chau Streets, respectively. While the two short, cozy roads never intersect, the fate of t...
[Photos] 1950s Ha Long Bay in Black and White
It will come as a surprise to no one that Ha Long Bay was much quieter in the 1950s than it is today.
[Photos] The Many Faces of 1950s Vietnam
In this collection of black-and-white snapshots, a famed French photographer finds beauty in tumultuous 1950s Vietnam.
[Photos] A Guide to Traveling 1910 French Indochina
In the days before every backpacker wandered the streets of Saigon with a guidebook in hand, one turn-of-the-century French travel firm advertised Indochina as an adventure destination for European tr...
[Photos] How Saigoneers Enjoyed Christmas in the 60s and 70s
With Christmas just around the corner, Saigoneer takes a look at how past city dwellers enjoyed the holiday season.
[Photos] Early 1980s Hanoi on the Brink of Doi Moi
The early 1980s were a complicated time for Vietnam. Still reeling from the end of a war within the country – not to mention border conflicts with Cambodia and China in the later 1970s – Vietnam was j...
[Photos] On the 1990s Tourist Trail in Hanoi
Packed with traffic, skyscrapers and a growing number of four-wheeled vehicles, today's Hanoi is a world apart from its 1990s incarnation.
Notre Dame Cathedral to Undergo Major Roof Renovation
With the recent approval of the municipal government, Saigon’s Notre Dame Cathedral will begin a major roof renovation project as early as next year.
[Photos] Saigon's 1955 Cityscapes From Above
Even without photographic evidence, it’s a safe bet that 1955 Saigon was a world apart from the frantic energy of today’s mammoth metropolis.
Khoi Pham in Vietnam
Street Cred: The Tragic Demise of Vietnam's Most Loyal Family
Through several eras of colonization and numerous wars against foreign powers, history has shaped Vietnamese culture in a huge way. In today’s Saigon, much of this rich history is retained in an ...
[Photos] Funky History: The Traditional Packaging of Nước Mắm
Fish sauce is a touchy subject these days, to say the least. From traditional factories to mass-market producers, makers of the prized Vietnamese elixir have strived to convince the public of their pr...
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Throwback to Saigon's Original Tramway Network
As ever-increasing levels of traffic congestion and air pollution turn many of Ho Chi Minh City’s road junctions into choking bottlenecks, many hopes are pinned on plans to construct a new urban railw...
The Legacy of Hui Bon Hoa
It’s fairly common knowledge that the city’s Fine Arts Museum was once home to old Saigon’s wealthiest family, however few people know that much of the sprawling Hui Bon Hoa complex was not actually b...
