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.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
Vietnam Sound Library Races to Capture Saigon's Sounds Before They Disappear
Thwunk! Thwunk! Thwunk! Thwunk! The vendor’s cleaver struck the heavy wooden chopping board again and again after slicing through duck meat. Centimeters away, a microphone hovered, capturing each strike.
Vua Versus Volcano: How the 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa Upset the Nguyễn Dynasty
On September 9, 1883, ominous smoke hung over Huế. The sun was blue-green, and throughout the day, people on the streets had no shadows. As their legitimacy relied on maintaining the Mandate of Heaven, the Nguyễn royal court was alarmed. Three high-ranking mandarins rushed to advise the Emperor to change his ways to regain Heaven’s favor. While this strange incident can be easily dismissed as another case of outdated superstitions, a closer look reveals it as a rare conjunction of astrology, power, and — given the source of the smoke — volcanism, all set against the backdrop of France’s rapid incursion into Vietnam.
1992 Vietnam Through the Lens of French Photographer Raymond Depardon
After his Saigon trip in 1972 , famed French photographer Raymond Depardon returned in 1992 to traverse the length of Viet...
Tim Doling in Saigon
How Nhà Thờ Đức Bà Narrowly Escaped Being the 'Leaning Cathedral of Saigon'
Soon after its completion, Saigon’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral developed an embarrassing tilt.
Family-Friendly Summer Vacations Made Easy at Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay
The ripening of sweet jackfruit, mangosteen and mangos; hammocks swinging gently in patches of cool shade; and evenings that stretch on with the comfort of knowing there is no alarm clock waiting the next morning: summer arrives as opportunity. When school holidays begin, families scramble to adjust schedules and secure care and activities, creating the potential to carve out some time for a vacation to savor fresh air, explore thrills, and simply bond as a family in a beautiful destination.
Tim Doling 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.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Thái Văn Lung Street
One of the city's oldest thoroughfares, the street we know today as Thái Văn Lung bore the name Pasteur Street for over half a century.
[Photos] Here's What Hanoi Looked Like In 1905
During the French colonial period, Tonkin, or Đàng Ngoài, was the name given to northern Vietnam. Situated in and around the Red River Delta, the word 'Tonkin' is a corruption of Đông Kinh, the name o...
17 Photos That Capture the Lives of Indochina's Ethnic Minorities in 1944
While the vast majority of Vietnamese hail from one ethnic group – the Kinh – the country is home to 54 different ethnicities, each with their own culture, traditions, language and style of dress.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets And Squares: Trần Hưng Đạo Boulevard
One of Saigon’s youngest major boulevards, Trần Hưng Đạo was built in 1911-1913 over former swamp land to provide a more direct route between the cities of Saigon and Chợ Lớn.
[Photos] Old Photos Of Dalat’s Lost Railway
In the early 20th century, when Dalat was still a nascent town, the Swiss-built LangBian cog railway was its connection the coast. Joining the Central Highlands town with Ninh Thuan province's Thap Ch...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets And Squares: Hai Bà Trưng Street
One of Saigon’s longest and busiest streets, Hai Bà Trưng is a thoroughfare of great antiquity which dates back more than 200 years.
20 Photos Of 1960s Phu Nhuan
Everyone in Saigon knows the drill: what's a shoe store today might be a phở stall tomorrow. Hairdressers become restaurateurs, office buildings turn into hotels and your favourite bánh mì cart could ...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Icons Of Old Saigon: The Maison Centrale de Saigon
One of the most hated government buildings in colonial Saigon, the Maison Centrale de Saigon (Khám Lớn Sài Gòn), or Saigon Central Prison, was a truly grim institution where thousands of unfortunates ...
30 Old Pictures Of Thu Duc District: Former Weekend Getaway
Thu Duc isn't exactly a place you'd consider going on holiday. Today, the suburban district is home to industrial centers, dusty roads, busy residential neighborhoods and rumbling transport trucks, un...
Vintage Photos Capture Hanoi On The Brink Of A New Era
In 1986, Hanoi – much like the rest of Vietnam – was at the start of a new era. Thanks to the government's Doi Moi economic reforms, the country had moved from a centrally planned command economy...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Pasteur Street
Known for most of the colonial period as Rue Pellerin, Pasteur Street has grown from ancient inner-city waterway to one of the city’s most desirable streets.
[Photos] 20 Photos Of Southern Vietnam In 1974
These images offer a rare glimpse of Saigon and southern Vietnam in the months before the region was “liberated” by the North Vietnamese Army.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Old Saigon Building Of The Week: 86 Võ Văn Tần
The ornate mansion on the corner of the Bà Huyện Thanh Quan and Võ Văn Tần junction was once the private residence of celebrated photographer Fernand Nadal, whose old sepia postcard images of the city...
[Photos] This Is What Life In Saigon Looked Like In The Late 60s
While many of the old photos we post show sharp contrasts between past and present, those in this set depict scenes that could be found on Saigon’s streets today, with a few glaring exceptions.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Lê Duẩn Street
When it was first laid out in 1870, the broad avenue we know today as Lê Duản was christened boulevard Norodom, after the Cambodian monarch who in 1863 had entrusted his kingdom to the protection of t...
30 Retro Images Of 1967 Vung Tau
While we spend most of our time waxing poetic over old photos of Saigon, there are plenty of other places worthy of our nostalgic attention.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets And Squares: Tôn Thất Thiệp Street
One of the oldest streets in Saigon, Tôn Thất Thiệp street was known in the early French colonial period firstly as rue No 9 and then from 1863 as rue de l'Église, after Saigon's ill-fated first Roman...
[Photos] Xe Vélo Solex: A Forgotten Saigon Classic
Both bicycles and motorbikes have long played an important role in the lives of Vietnamese (and at times, its occupiers). Starting in the 1950s, French-made motorized bicycles known as Solex became in...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Quách Thị Trang Square
In this, the first of a new series about the history of the famous streets and squares of Saigon and Chợ Lớn, Tim Doling looks at the history of Quách Thị Trang square.
21 Beautiful Photos Of 1961 Cho Lon
Cho Lon has long been a center of commerce and culture, tracing its history back to 1778 when the Chinese population of Bien Hoa was forced to relocate after being targeted by Tay Son forces in retali...
