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.
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.
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Check Out This Badass
In the time before Ducatis and Yamaha FZ16s were the hottest things on two wheels in Saigon, the Honda Cub 67 reigned supreme with local cool kids. Even though many of the old 67's are still around, ...
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Saigon Railroad Building
Not too long ago, the park across from Ben Thanh Market was the location of the city's main train station. Even though the station moved to District 3 following the American War, remnants of the old ...
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Nước Mía
This old school nước mía cart looks pretty sleek...
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Majestic Hotel (1920s)
The Majestic Hotel has occupied its current location along the Saigon river since 1925. Commissioned by Chinese businessman Hui Bon Hoa, the hotel has undergone a number of major renovations over the...
Street Signs: Trần Hưng Đạo, Warrior Poet (Part 1)
Trần Hưng Đạo Street is a major thoroughfare, stretching from District 1 to District 5. Let’s take a closer look at the street’s namesake and see why he is one of Vietnam’s most famous historical...
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: 33 Export
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Go Vap (1930)
There's little to be found in English about the development of Saigon's outer districts. Like much of the city's colonial urban history, if records do exist, they're likely buried in some Parisian arc...
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Standard Radio (1970)
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Crossroads
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Art Deco
When the French occupied Vietnam, they brought many elements of their home country with them. Even today, from architecture to food, the colonial footprint can still be seen. At the height of French ...
Old Saigon Picture of the Day
When Saigon was the city of bikes.
12 Old Pictures of Saigon Canals
Canals used to serve as the Saigon's main commercial highway, connecting the city to the Saigon river and in turn the web of rivers that traverse Vietnam. Before the construction of large urban marke...
Slideshow: Saigon Past and Present in a Single Image
As we've seen in our slideshows of old pictures, while Saigon is rapidly changing, some things and places stay the same. And what better way to illustrate this change than by overlaying the old with t...
Slideshow: 12 Old Pictures of Advertisements in Saigon
Before 1975, large advertisements were commonplace in Saigon. But after the American War and the fall of capitalism in the South, ads were considered a vestige of the old order and were heavily regula...
[Video] What Saigon's Streets Looked Like in 1993
Last week we saw some pictures of Hanoi from the mid-90s. Today, we're treated with a video which shows Saigon street life in 1993 captured by Dung Hua. As with all the old Saigon pictures and videos...
Street Signs - Ton Duc Thang
In our last addition of “Street Signs,” we took a look at Nguyen Thi Minh Khia. Today, we’ll tackle the name of one of Saigon’s oldest streets, Ton Duc Thang. Ton Duc Thang was born in 1888 in An Gia...
11 Old Pictures of People in Saigon
We spend a lot of time writing about old buildings and changes to Saigon's skyline, but today, we take a closer look at the people of past Saigon. The clothing and hair styles may seem a bit antiquat...
The Oldest House in Saigon
While Saigon houses many wonderful examples of colonial architecture, there are few buildings standing that predate the 1880s. After all, the city isn’t particularly old, having been a fishing village...
8 Old Pictures of Saigon's Canals
Saigon has long been a city of canals; even Nguyen Hue Street used to be one. But today, as the city's infrastructure continues to prioritize roads, many canals have ceased to function as comme...
8 Old Pictures of Cars in Saigon
Bentleys, BMWs and Mercedes are all over Saigon these days. Though cars have been present in the country since the turn of the 20th century, decades of war (1941 – 1975) and an economic stagnation (19...