Tim Doling

in Saigon

The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 1

Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Boulevard (the former quai Gaudot) in central Chợ Lớn preserves several elegant old colonial shophouse buildings, but perhaps the most interesting of all is the one at No. 45, once the modest headquarters of Cantonese millionaire and philanthropist Quách Đàm. This is Part 1 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 2 here.

in Vietnam

Visit a Serene Đà Nẵng in 1991 During a Time Before the Tourism Boom

As a special municipality of Vietnam, Đà Nẵng is considered by many as one of the most livable cities in the country, with lower costs, delicious local cuisine, and a languid, wholesome pace of life. This, in conjunction with readily available modern services, has turned the coastal metropolis into a magnet luring young professionals away from the chaos of Saigon and Hanoi, and attracting snowbird tourists from Russia, China and South Korea seeking tropical warmth.

Linh Phạm

in Hanoi

A Personal History of Hồ Tây: Romance, Colonial Rule and Subsidy-Era Fishing Heists

My father-in-law has spent decades visiting Hồ Tây (West Lake). His personal story both contrasts and reflects Vietnam's history as a whole and, as a result, offers a profound insight into the importance of Hanoi's largest lake. 

Tim Doling

in Saigon

A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool

Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace ( Cung Văn hoá Lao động ) ...

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

6 Saigon Streets That Were Named After Lesser-Known Female Historical Figures

Any place is a great learning opportunity if you know where to look. A brisk walk in Saigon can be amazing fodder for history aficionados to exercise their brain muscles — just look at street titles and the amazing people they were named after.

in Vietnam

How Did Vietnam Start Celebrating International Women's Day on March 8?

In the hyper-commercialized world we now live in, it might be impossible to associate anything but overpriced flower bouquets and corporate sponsorships with International Women’s Day (IWD), but the widely celebrated occasion actually has a rich history of over 100 years of the women’s rights movement.

in Saigon

A Collection of Illusory Saigon Nightscapes From 1938 by Eli Lotar

A rare glimpse into colonial Saigon after sunset.

Back Heritage

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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 ...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Old Saigon Picture of the Day

When Saigon was the city of bikes.

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

[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...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

7 Old Pictures of Saigon Street Vendors

The buildings and streets of Saigon can change in the blink of an eye. Gone are the streetcars, French street names and ox-drawn carts. As the economy continues to develop, the old Saigon is being rep...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Can Saigon Preserve its Historical Architecture?

The Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee has launched a program aimed at preserving the city's architectural gems. Unfortunately, the focus is on the city's famous buildings rather than sites that ar...

in Saigon

Saigon’s Citadel - Part 1

Hue was neither the first nor only Vietnamese city to house a citadel. Built in the late 18th century, a few years before its counterpart in Hue, the citadel in Saigon proved to be the key to Vietname...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

The Remarkable Tale of Ben Thanh Market

Large markets have been the cornerstone of many Vietnamese neighborhoods for over a century. When Saigon was still a collection of small towns, central markets acted as vital commerce centers where lo...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Nifty Old Map of Saigon

For history nerds like us, there's little better than an old map of Saigon. So here's an old map of Saigon, French street names and all. We're guessing it's from the late 1940s. View the fu...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

A Look Back at Saigon's Streetcars

As Saigon eagerly awaits its first metro line, we look back at the city's original rail-based transportation - streetcars.

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Gangsters of Old Saigon: Binh Xuyen

In the final days of French occupation, the struggle for power in Vietnam, and Saigon in particular, was a free-for-all. As French control waned and the influence of Communism was identified as the “s...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Old Vietnamese Sports Center in District 5

Here’s another gem from the Tumblr blog, Old Saigon: "This house is located on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, District 5. It is used as a sports and gymnastics center in District 5 for all kinds of popul...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

District 8: Architectural Treasure Chest

Stumbling upon old buildings is one of the best things about living in Saigon. While many are in a state of disrepair, some have retained their original character. Photo blog, Old Saigon, highlights s...