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The Story of Saigon's First Supermarket

Way back in 1967, Saigon opened the doors of its first-ever modern supermarket.

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30 Photos of 1980s-1990s Saigon

In full swing just after the country’s 1986 đổi mới economic reform, Saigon's lively, optimistic energy shines through in these images from Japanese photographer Doi Kuro, who visi...

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[Photos] A Day at the Races: Phu Tho Racetrack in the 1960s

During the heyday of old Saigon, District 11's Phu Tho Racetrack was packed on a daily basis.

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Date With the Wrecking Ball: The Catinat-Ciné Mosaics

Over the past 12 months, a great deal of attention has been paid to the fate of the 1924 Moroccan mosaic staircase in the lobby of the Tax Trade Center. Yet that great work of art is not the only mosa...

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[Photos] Kickin' It at the Country Club in Old Saigon

Plenty of people complain about how hard it is to get a good workout in today's Saigon, but a century ago it was equally challenging to get in a few good laps or work on your tennis game. Colonial Sai...

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Icons of Old Saigon: The First Governor's Palace

It’s often assumed that the Norodom Palace (1873) was the first colonial governor's palace to be built in Saigon, but it was in fact preceded by a much humbler structure, the Hôtel des Amiraux-Gouvern...

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Street Cred: Phu Dong Roundabout

According to legend, the reign of the sixth Hung Vuong king was an era of fear for Van Lang, the country then occupying northern Vietnam. Dogged by its enemies, the kingdom was often under threat...

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Icons of Old Saigon: The Belt Canal (Canal de Ceinture)

Commissioned in 1862 to facilitate French gunboat access around north and west Saigon, the Belt Canal was never completely navigable.

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Tax Center Developer Says Facade, Unique Interior to Be Preserved

Last year, Saigon said goodbye to its beloved Tax Center, as the shopping complex closed its doors to prepare for construction of the new 40-story tower to be built in its place.

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Travel Through Time With Saigon's Street Names

Before 1975, Saigon took its street-naming pretty seriously. The city went through a French phase, of course, during the early 20th century, when most of its roadways were dedicated to European histor...

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Icons of Old Saigon: The Pont Tournant (Swing Bridge)

Many people are familiar with Eiffel's Pont des Messageries Maritimes (Cầu Mống), yet few remember its neighbor, the Pont Tournant (Swing Bridge), which was built by Eiffel's successor company Levallo...

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The Lowdown on Chi Hoa, Saigon's Maximum-Security Prison

Chi Hoa Prison, located in the northern half of District 10, is one of Vietnam's most famous high-security facilities. Though it was built over a half-century ago, the seven-hectare prison remains in ...

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Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Ham Nghi Boulevard, Part 2

Home to a tramway terminus, a grand hotel and the first United States Embassy in Saigon, Hàm Nghi's 20th-century story mirrors Vietnam's tumultuous journey. This is the second installment of a two-par...

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Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Ham Nghi Boulevard, Part 1

Once a downtown canal, a breeding ground for crocodiles and the heart of Saigon’s own Chinatown, Hàm Nghi is one of the city’s three widest boulevards.

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Icons of Old Saigon: The Artists’ Pagoda and Cemetery in Gò Vấp

The Artists' Pagoda (Chùa Nghệ Sĩ, also known as Nhựt Quang Tự or Phật Quang Tự) and Cemetery in Gò Vấp is the last resting place for practitioners of cải lương ("Reformed Opera"), a popular form of t...

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Icons of Old Saigon: The Lost Paris Foreign Missions Society Chapel

Hidden behind the Department of Foreign Affairs building at 4-6 Alexandre de Rhodes is the last surviving relic of that neighbourhood’s long association with the Roman Catholic Church – an abandoned c...

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Old Saigon Building of the Week: Phương Nam Mansion at 110-112 Võ Văn Tần

After being sold at the astronomical price of US$35 million, it’s beginning to look like one of the city's most exquisite works of colonial architecture has been saved for future generations.

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Officials Approve Demolition of French Mansion at 606 Tran Hung Dao

Permission has now been given to demolish another of the city’s old French buildings, the former SAMIPIC mansion at 606 Trần Hưng Đạo.

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Old Saigon Building of the Week: Former Saigon Adventist Hospital

The Phú Nhuận Red Cross Association building at 2 Hoàng Văn Thụ originated in 1960-1961 as the Saigon Adventist Hospital.

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Architects Lament the Demolition of Saigon's Old Buildings

With limited space in downtown Saigon, it's pretty well-known that the city's heritage buildings are often in danger of being lost to newer, flashier development projects. More than a few historical s...