A Recuperating Vietnam in 1980, as Documented by Philip Jones Griffiths
Released in 1971, Vietnam Inc. by Philip Jones Griffiths was a career-defining work for the Welsh photographer, whose candid...
By Preserving Tradition, Honoring Creativity and Showcasing Sustainability, Young Vietnamese Chefs Excel at Ngon Challenge by Marriott International
The glossy menus, sleek decor, and iconic logos of international hotel restaurants often obscure the human stories behind each dish. While catering to global guests, these restaurants often serve meals with origins in family kitchens and regional culinary traditions. Young, local chefs balance nostalgic associations with contemporary techniques and creative expression to create these menus. Returning for its second year this past September, Ngon Challenge continued to celebrate and nurture Vietnamese culinary talent across Marriott International’s hotels and resorts in Vietnam.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Lycée Chasseloup-Laubat, the Saigon School That Taught Marguerite Duras, Norodom Sihanouk
Lê Quý Đôn High School (Trường Trung học Phổ thông Lê Quý Đôn) at 110 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street is the city’s oldest surviving educational establishment.
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.
Blasts From the Past: 10 Things That No Longer Exist in Saigon - Part 2
Due to the popularity of of our previous edition of "Blasts From the Past: 10 Things That No Longer Exist in Saigon," we've put together a fresh set of photos for your reflective pleasure.
Street Cred: Lac Long Quan and Au Co
Street Cred is the rearview mirror by which we’ll explore the meaning behind the signs. Look for it every Friday. Enjoy!
Street Cred: Nguyễn Văn Trỗi
Hey folks! Saigoneer is resurrecting its short-lived series on the street signs of Saigon with a weekly column called Street Cred. Saigon is filled with history and we see signs of it everywhere. Stre...
Saigon’s Hung Vuong Temple
Every year on the 10th day of the Hung Vuong Celebration (which just happens to be today), thousands of Vietnamese gather at the Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province to honor the country’s ancient and...
Tim Doling in Saigon
“Củ Chi Lite” – The Secret Tunnels of Phú Thọ Hòa
Very few foreign tourists ever set foot there and it seems that only those living in the area know of their existence. But the pioneering Phú Thọ Hòa Tunnels in Hồ Chí Minh City’s Tân Phú District pla...
Blasts From the Past: 10 Things That No Longer Exist in Saigon
Saigon is a city of turnover; colonial buildings have given way to skyscrapers, canals to streets and train stations to parks. As the city enters a period of modernization, on it’s way to becoming an...
Street Cred: Phạm Ngũ Lão
Hey folks! Saigoneer is resurrecting its short-lived series on the street signs of Saigon with a weekly column called Street Cred. Saigon is filled with history and we see signs of it everywhere. Stre...
[Slideshow] 15 Old Photos of Markets in Saigon
Supermarkets are becoming increasingly popular in Saigon but traditional markets still reign supreme. They act as the lifeblood of neighborhoods, where farmers from all over Southern Vietnam bring the...
Tim Doling in Asia
Full Steam Ahead on Cambodia’s Toll Royal Railway
Việt Nam railway historian Tim Doling recently joined a group of British steam enthusiasts visiting Phnom Penh as part of a PTG rail tour http://www.ptg.co.uk/ to travel behind Toll Royal Railway’s pr...
Tim Doling in Saigon
Old Saigon Building of the Week: 48 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu
As demolition of 213 Đồng Khởi gets underway in earnest this week, we take a look at the crumling old Đa Kao headquarters of the company which built it.
[Slideshow] 13 Old Pictures of Cholon
Cholon is one of Saigon’s oldest and most interesting neighborhoods. Spanning much of Districts 5 and 6, this predominantly ethnic Chinese area has been an integral part of Saigon’s economy since its ...
[Slideshow] 14 Old Pictures of Taxis in Saigon
In Saigon, taxis have long played an important role in getting people where they need to go. They first took the form of rickshaws and then cyclos before giving way to the 4-wheeled motorized variety ...
The Story of Saigon's Last Citadel
You’ve probably passed the pair of colonial buildings at intersection of Dien Tien Hoang and Le Duan hundreds of times. What you may not be aware of, however, is that these two buildings are the last ...
[Slideshow] 12 Old Pictures of the Notre Dame Cathedral
The Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of Saigon’s oldest and most iconic buildings. Built with imported materials from France, it was constructed between 1863 and 1880 in an effort to promote Catholicism in...
[Video] Saigon Street Scenes (1940-1950)
This is one of the harder old Saigon videos to make sense of since it’s a compilation of clips filmed between 1940 and 1950, starkly different times in the country's history (World War 2 will do that)...
[Slideshow] 12 Colorized Pictures of Old Saigon
While old Saigon looked beautiful in black and white, adding a little color goes a long way to adding life to a photo (though photography purists would probably disagree). We've collected 12 colorized...
[Slideshow] 14 Images of Saigon in 1895
By 1895, Saigon had been occupied by the French for 36 years. When looking at photos from this period, it’s clear that the French placed great value on urbanizing the sleepy fishing outpost, formerly ...
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...
Tim Doling in Saigon
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.
