Tim Doling in Saigon
From WWI Monument to Ancestor Temple: The Story of Saigon's Hùng King Temple
The Hùng King Temple at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm was originally built in 1927–1929 under the name Temple du Souvenir Annamite (Annamite Temple of remembrance), primarily to honor the memory of Vietnamese soldiers who died while fighting in World War I.
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Brief History of the Saigon-Mỹ Tho Line, Indochina’s First Railway
Inaugurated on July 20, 1885, the Saigon–Mỹ Tho line was the first railway line in French Indochina.
Wilbur's Vietnam: 1960s Saigon Through the Lens of a Famed National Geographic Editor
The 1960s witnessed an unprecedented influx of foreigners into Saigon and Vietnam. From soldiers to teachers to just intrepid shutterbugs, the visits of these camera-clutching characters resulted in a wealth of old photos taken in the city from the early 60s all the way until 1975.
From North to South, a French Photographer's Glimpses of 1992 Vietnam
How much of Vietnam have you explored? For many of us with a busy life and working schedule, one or two trips a year might be as much as our time and money can afford, and even so, at times, visiting a location only involves staying at an all-inclusive resort to recuperate from work stress.
From Quảng Nam to Gwangju: Confronting the Bloody History of South Korea's 'Vietnam'
In her novel Human Acts, the renowned South Korean author and Nobel Prize recipient Han Kang writes about the May 18 Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. That month, student-led demonstrations broke out in the city of Gwangju following army general Chun Doo-hwan’s coup d'état, and his military government responded with a violent crackdown and an indiscriminate massacre of civilians.
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.
Life on the Streets of 1978 Hanoi in Black and White
In August 1978, I visited Hanoi as part of an educational tour organized by a professor from La Trobe University in Melbourne. I was a high school history teacher at the time and an avid photographer. I walked the streets of Hanoi and took many photographs of everyday life in the city, and until now, these photographs have remained unpublished.
A Rare Album by Photographer Bruno Barbey Brings Us Back to Tết in 1994 Hanoi
What do you remember most about the 1990s? Do you remember the fashion, the old-timey technology, or the lack of traffic? And if you were just a wee child, do these memories stay with you?
Tim Doling in Saigon
Icons of Old Saigon: The First Governor's Palace
It’s often assumed that the Norodom Palace (1873) was the first colonial governor's palace to be built in Saigon, but it was in fact preceded by a much humbler structure, the Hôtel des Amiraux-Gouvern...
[Photos] British Photographer Captures Life in Early 1900s Vietnam
At the turn of the 20th century, Englishwoman Gabrielle Maud Vassal lived in Vietnam with her husband, French military doctor Joseph Jean Vassal. During her three-year stay in the country, Mrs. Vassal...
Street Cred: Phu Dong Roundabout
According to legend, the reign of the sixth Hung Vuong king was an era of fear for Van Lang, the country then occupying northern Vietnam. Dogged by its enemies, the kingdom was often under threat...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Icons of Old Saigon: The Belt Canal (Canal de Ceinture)
Commissioned in 1862 to facilitate French gunboat access around north and west Saigon, the Belt Canal was never completely navigable.
The Story Behind Hai Phong's Opera House
During the early 20th century, the French were really into building opera houses in Vietnam. Any city with a sizable European population was all but guaranteed to have a theater in its town center, al...
Tax Center Developer Says Facade, Unique Interior to Be Preserved
Last year, Saigon said goodbye to its beloved Tax Center, as the shopping complex closed its doors to prepare for construction of the new 40-story tower to be built in its place.
Travel Through Time With Saigon's Street Names
Before 1975, Saigon took its street-naming pretty seriously. The city went through a French phase, of course, during the early 20th century, when most of its roadways were dedicated to European histor...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Icons of Old Saigon: The Pont Tournant (Swing Bridge)
Many people are familiar with Eiffel's Pont des Messageries Maritimes (Cầu Mống), yet few remember its neighbor, the Pont Tournant (Swing Bridge), which was built by Eiffel's successor company Levallo...
The Lowdown on Chi Hoa, Saigon's Maximum-Security Prison
Chi Hoa Prison, located in the northern half of District 10, is one of Vietnam's most famous high-security facilities. Though it was built over a half-century ago, the seven-hectare prison remains in ...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Ham Nghi Boulevard, Part 2
Home to a tramway terminus, a grand hotel and the first United States Embassy in Saigon, Hàm Nghi's 20th-century story mirrors Vietnam's tumultuous journey. This is the second installment of a two-par...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Ham Nghi Boulevard, Part 1
Once a downtown canal, a breeding ground for crocodiles and the heart of Saigon’s own Chinatown, Hàm Nghi is one of the city’s three widest boulevards.
20 Images of Hanoi's Old Quarter in 1896
Even as Hanoi charges into the future with flashy new skyscrapers and brand-new metro lines, the capital manages to hang on to its traditions. Particularly in busy downtown neighborhoods like the Old ...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Icons of Old Saigon: The Artists’ Pagoda and Cemetery in Gò Vấp
The Artists' Pagoda (Chùa Nghệ Sĩ, also known as Nhựt Quang Tự or Phật Quang Tự) and Cemetery in Gò Vấp is the last resting place for practitioners of cải lương ("Reformed Opera"), a popular form of t...
18 Old Postcards That Capture Da Lat’s Fading Charm
These 18 old postcards of Da Lat provide a flashback to the early twentieth century, a time when healthy pine trees shaded the town’s valleys and streets, while magnificent villas graced its hills.
[Photos] Northern Vietnam at the Turn of the 20th Century
Northern Vietnam has arguably the most charm of any region in a country graced with an abundance of natural beauty.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Icons of Old Saigon: The Lost Paris Foreign Missions Society Chapel
Hidden behind the Department of Foreign Affairs building at 4-6 Alexandre de Rhodes is the last surviving relic of that neighbourhood’s long association with the Roman Catholic Church – an abandoned c...
Vietnam's 19th-Century Boats, Courtesy of an Artsy French Lieutenant
With over 3,200 kilometers of coastline, it makes perfect sense that Vietnam has a long and complex relationship with the sea. Whether fishing, fighting or traveling, the country's boats are a reflect...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Old Saigon Building of the Week: Phương Nam Mansion at 110-112 Võ Văn Tần
After being sold at the astronomical price of US$35 million, it’s beginning to look like one of the city's most exquisite works of colonial architecture has been saved for future generations.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Officials Approve Demolition of French Mansion at 606 Tran Hung Dao
Permission has now been given to demolish another of the city’s old French buildings, the former SAMIPIC mansion at 606 Trần Hưng Đạo.
Long An Officials Will Proceed With Demolition of 1930s Bridge
A piece of Mekong Delta history is about to disappear, as officials in Long An province move ahead with the demolition of a decades-old bridge across the Bao Dinh River.
