Reminiscing About the Last Days of Downtown Saigon’s Pigeon Coop
The first time I pay a visit to the Pasteur pigeon coop, Lê Văn Âu assures me the place is probably not going anywhere.
A Visual Timeline of Hội An's Historic Chùa Cầu Through the Eras
With the recent makeover of Hội An's Chùa Cầu sparking divisive chatter , it's a great time to gaze at the iconi...
There's a Dark Context Behind These Seemingly Random 1930 French Sketches
Can visual representations of colonial activities produced with immoral intent become works of art?
Chùa Cầu's Makeover Draws Ire of Netizens for Looking 'Too New'
Hội An's 400-year-old bridge, best known as Chùa Cầu, was finally uncovered recently after more than a year and a half of renovations, leaving many unimpressed.
Journeying Through Đà Lạt and the Central Highlands in 1992
Đà Lạt has always been a highly sought-after traveling destination, like how it was originally designed as a resort town for French officials. These days, however, the hilly Lâm Đồng town has urbanized so quickly that at times it’s hard to believe that here once lived a tree-carpeted enclave.
Rare Film Shots Depict a Fast-Growing Saigon in 1996
Change was in the air in 1996, and the streets purred with development.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
Revisiting the Coats of Arms of Vietnam's Major Cities Under French Rule
Did you know that several Vietnamese cities have coats of arms?
Live Music, Sports, Art and Activities Fill District VUI with Summer Fun
Vietnam’s south-central coast is blessed with warm sunshine, cool waves, and relaxed vibes all year round, creating a perpetual vacation atmosphere. With school breaks and summer holidays, there is no better time to explore the tropical regions at the nexus of forest and sea.
Fun with Old Vietnamese Lottery Tickets (1942-1944)
Based on some old lottery tickets we stumbled upon, it seems as though the French may be responsible for the tens of thousands of people roaming Vietnam’s streets selling their pink and while slips of...
A Date with the Wrecking Ball: 2 Historic Saigon Buildings Slated for Demolition
The proposal to build a 14-storey City Administration Centre behind the Hồ Chí Minh City People’s Committee building promises yet again to transform the skyline of the city’s central business district...
[Slideshow] 17 Photos of Saigon from the Air (1930)
In 1930, a French plane took a series of photographs from Saigon to Cholon, capturing some of the city's most famous sites. So. Many. Trees.
[Slideshow] 13 Old Pictures of Women in Saigon
With International Women’s Day coming up, we’ve compiled a slideshow of old pictures of women in Saigon. Women have always played a powerful role in Vietnamese society and we hope that as the country ...
The Long Biên Bridge – “A Misshapen But Essential Component of Hà Nội’s Heritage”
Described by one writer as “a misshapen but essential component of Hà Nội’s heritage,” the Long Biên Bridge has clearly seen better days, but still commands such affection that recent government ...
The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Madame de la Souchère, Saigon's Rubber Baroness - Part 2
There can be few more fascinating figures in the history of colonial Saigon than Madame Janie-Marie Marguerite Bertin Rivière de la Souchère (1881-1963), the widow who defied the social conventions of...
The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Madame de la Souchère, Saigon's Rubber Baroness - Part 1
There can be few more fascinating figures in the history of colonial Saigon than Madame Janie-Marie Marguerite Bertin Rivière de la Souchère (1881-1963), the widow who defied the social conventions of...
10 Old Pictures of Cars in Saigon
Though cars have been present in the country since the turn of the 20th century, decades of war (1941 – 1975) and an economic stagnation (1975 – 1986) drastically reduced the number of automobiles in ...
[Slideshow] The Story of the Hanoi Defense Motorcycle Club
Before the American War was in full swing, the Hanoi Department of Defense founded the Hanoi Defense Motorcycle Club, a collection of young men and women who were trained to do various tricks and “fly...
The Saigon Monorail That Could Have Been (1966)
Saigon has been without an urban railway since the last streetcars were removed from its streets in 1957. With explosive population growth over the past 20 years, city planners commissioned a US$154 b...
Old Saigon Building of the Week: 14 Cách Mạng Tháng 8
The art deco style building at 14 Cách mạng Tháng 8 was inaugurated in 1937 as the headquarters of the Cercle Indochinois at 14 rue Verdun.
Slideshow: 15 Pictures of Vietnamese Children During Wartime
Vietnam Net recently published a set of photos from German photographer, Bill Thomas Hardt who documented the horrors of the American War.
Slideshow: How Saigon Changed From 1955 – 2005
In 2005, the French Consulate in Saigon commissioned a publication called Saigon 1955 – Ho Chi Minh City. As the title suggests, the book compares well-known Saigon locations from photo...
Old Saigon Building of the Week: Cercle des Officiers Building
The grand colonial old pile at 47 Lê Duẩn, right opposite the Diamond Plaza, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city.
Looking Back at Graham Greene's Saigon
Graham Greene’s The Quiet American is a must-read if one seeks to get a better picture of what Saigon was like in 50s or if you just enjoy a good novel (or both!). Saigoneer historian, Tim Doling rece...
Old Saigon Building of the Week: Liên Thành Fish Sauce Company HQ
Now one of the few surviving heritage buildings in District 4, the ornate colonial edifice at 243 Bến Vân Đồn was constructed in 1922 as the second Saigon office of the famous Phan Thiết-based fish sa...
Old Saigon Building of the Week: 141 Võ Văn Tần
The colonial villa at 141 Võ Văn Tần, next door to the Estar office building, is the house where acclaimed French writer Marguerite Duras (1914-1996) spent her last year in Sài Gòn.
10 Old Pictures of Art Deco Buildings in Saigon
Art deco is by far our favorite architectural style, one which luckily, Saigon has in spades. However, with each passing day, these buildings are being torn down to make way for modern structures whic...
10 Old Pictures of Workers in Saigon
As Vietnam's economy has become increasingly intertwined with the global free market over the past decade, some elements of Saigon's pre-war, western-oriented economy have reappeared - Factories aroun...
Old Saigon Building of the Week: French Masonic Lodge Le Réveil de L'orient
Saigon got its first French masonic lodge in the 1870s, when the Société civile le Réveil de l'Orient set up the Hôtel de la Loge Maçonnique Le Réveil de l'orient (Awakening of the East) at 17 rue d’E...
