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.
Hue Citadel’s 'Colosseum': Where Tigers and Elephants Battled to the Death
A unique, yet rarely visited monument in Huế’s ancient citadel is Hổ Quyền Arena, a stadium where tigers and elephants once fought till their last breath for the royal family’s entertainment.
38 Beautiful Illustrations Of Hanoi Street Vendors And Their Melodic Cries
These days, the melodic cries of Hanoi’s street vendors are drowned out by the city’s constant buzz of activity. But 85 years ago, these songs, which announced a seller’s goods or services, made up th...
[Video] A Walk Through The Streets Of 1975 Saigon
Earlier this week, we posted a video of 1975 Saigon filmed from a low-flying helicopter. This piece, made in the same year, takes you from the city’s skies to its streets.
[Photos] This Is What Vietnam Looked Like In 1880
By 1880, when photographers Hippolyte Arnoux and Emile Gsell traveled across Vietnam, the French had just begun to solidify control over their new colony.
[Video] Take A Helicopter Ride Through 1975 Saigon
In 1975, an American news crew boarded what was presumably a military chopper as part of their report on Saigon.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Old Saigon Building of the Week: St. Paul’s Convent
Occupying a large, leafy compound on Tôn Đức Thắng street in District 1, the Convent of Saint-Paul de Chartres is another rarely-visited haven of peace in busy Hồ Chí Minh City.
[Photos] Inside A 1960s Saigon TV Station
In the mid-1960s, Saigon was one of the most modern cities in Asia and part of this technological prowess was manifested in its telecommunications and TV equipment.
17 Old Photos Of Women In Saigon
Happy Vietnamese Women's Day! Chúc các bạn nữ một ngày 20/10 thật vui!
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
A Look at Vietnamese Currency Through History
Like Vietnamese history, the country's currency has undergone significant changes over the past century.
These 17 Old Photos Show Life in Vietnam 100 Years Ago With Vivid Color
The last century has been one of immense change for Vietnam. It has been one full of occupation, liberation, war and peace. This set of vivid color photos taken between 1914 and 1917 by Leon Busy is t...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Tạ Dương Minh – Thủ Đức’s Founding Father
Built in 1879-1880 by the French, the historic Thủ Đức Market has in recent years become an increasingly popular destination for Hồ Chí Minh City residents wishing to stock up with the delicious local...
[Photos] The Children Of 1990 Hanoi
Last month we posted a set of old pictures from 1990 Hanoi taken by Hans-Peter Grumpe. While that set focused on the city’s streets, the German photographer also snapped a number of photos showing the...
Tim Doling in Saigon
The Lost Inner-City Waterways of Saigon and Cho Lon: Part 2
When the French arrived in 1859, both Saigon and Chợ Lớn were criss-crossed by networks of canals and creeks, making it possible for boatmen to travel right through both city centres without stepping ...
20 Photos Of 1990 Hội An
Ancient houses, beautiful beaches, great restaurants and plenty of places to take long strolls have given Hội An a reputation for being one of Vietnam’s most charming destinations. But when these pict...
29 Photos of 1989 Vietnam by Magnum Photographer David Alan Harvey
Peaceful 1989 Vietnam is chronicled in the stunning photos of Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey. His images were some of the first to emerge from the country following the 1986 Đổi Mới&n...
Mel Schenck in Saigon
[Photos] The Amazing Evolution Of Phan Xích Long Street
When we think about the words “new urban area” applied to Ho Chi Minh City, we usually think about Phu My Hung at Saigon South in District 7. Many people do not realize that one of the most successful...
The Lost Inner-City Waterways of Saigon and Cho Lon: Part 1
When the French arrived in 1859, both Saigon and Chợ Lớn were criss-crossed by networks of canals and creeks, making it possible for boatmen to travel right through both city centres without stepping ...
The Story Of A Famous Photograph
At the end of the American War, two photographs became icons of the Fall Of Saigon. One was the photo of the North Vietnamese tank crashing through the gates of the Presidential Palace (now Independen...
Tim Doling in Heritage
Saigon’s Tour de l’Inspection - Part II
An essential feature of life in early colonial Saigon, the Tour de l'Inspection was not so much a sunset promenade as an event designed to showcase wealth and power.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon’s Tour de l’Inspection - Part 1
An essential feature of life in early colonial Saigon, the Tour de l'Inspection was not so much a sunset promenade as an event designed to showcase wealth and power.
