Portrait of a Jubilant Saigon on the Precipice of Tết in 1992
Tết in 1992 was an especially fortuitous time to be a foreign arrival to Saigon.
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.
Vintage French Book Illustrations Depict a Quaint Indochina in 1903
In this rare collection of images from 1903 Indochina, life in the peninsula appears as if in a dream, with rows of colonial-style houses in between heritage trees and natural landscapes that weren’t interrupted by concrete.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
Did You Know That There's a Mummy on Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Boulevard?
Why is there a mummy on display in Saigon?
Brian Letwin in Heritage
Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils
Not long ago, hulking “creatures” glided atop the waters between Saigon and Vũng Tàu. Like the dinosaurs that came before them, they slowly disappeared, until all that was left were their skeletons.
Relive Your Memories of Saigon Water Park via These Photos by One of Its Makers
Although water parks involve a combination of two of the most tedious human experiences, standing in lines and prolonged direct sun exposure, the now-demolished Saigon Water Park was an icon of 2000s Saigon that remains a crucial cornerstone of many city dwellers' memories.
The Vintage Charm of 1995 Vietnam on Kodachrome Film Slides
While editing a retrospective of my recent work from Vietnam in the summer of 2019, I discovered 50 yellow boxes of Kodachrome slides in my basement that were shot in 1995. The images were from my first trip to Vietnam.
The Tumultuous Tale of Three Ga Sài Gòn Locations, From 1885 Until Now
Travelers arriving by train in Hồ Chí Minh City sometimes express surprise that the main Saigon Railway Station is located in Hòa Hưng, some distance from the central business district. In fact, this is the third railway terminus in a city where each successive station has been built further away from the river.
[Photos] 20 Rare Black-and-White Photos of 1948 Saigon by Jack Birns
"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still." — Dorothea Lange
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 im...
[Photos] Amble Through Saigon’s Markets and Pagodas in 1965–1966
The photo series was taken by Thomas W. Johnson, a chaplain assistant working at the US 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon in the 1960s.
[Photos] Rare Black-and-White Images Showcase Vung Tau's Calm in the 1960s
Towns are never settled, their characters forever suffering wanderlust.
[Photos] Over 100 Years of Hanoi's Historic Opera House
There are some among the population who remember, with rose-tinted glasses, the days before coronavirus began ravaging countries across the globe. Many also remember Hanoi’s Opera House, particularly ...
[Photos] Building the City: Snapshots of Saigon in the Late 1960s
Buildings play a significant role in shaping how we see and navigate Saigon — the Notre-Dame de Paris gives us a sense of belonging to history while modern high-rises can feed our dreams of grandeur a...
[Photos] Into the Wilderness of Saigon in 1867
Before “southern Vietnam,” there was Cochinchina; before Saigon, there wasn’t much of anything but vast stretches of tropical jungle and mosquito-infested swamps.
Unearthed: Tracing the Past Citadels of Southern Vietnam
Although the forces of modernization encourage constant progress and leaving behind the pre-modern past, the trails of yesterday never fail to leave our presence.
[Photos] Cho Lon's First-Ever Post Office, as Seen in the 1920s
Located at the junction of Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Chau Van Liem and Cha Va Bridge in today’s Saigon, the post office of District 5 is a well-known landmark in the mind of denizens living in the area. Not...
[Photos] Remarkable Color Photos Document Life in Japan Over 100 Years Ago
Even a century ago, Japan was a little weird.
Thi Nguyen in Saigon
Street Cred: Dauntless Antiwar Icon Nguyen Thai Binh and His Tragic Death
If one were to see the streets of Vietnam as a tangled network of people whose names they took, every city would resemble a messy collection of historical fragments.
[Photos] Views of 1954 Saigon-Cho Lon From a USS Rochester Sailor
The USS Rochester CA-124 was a heavy cruiser that was first launched after World War II.
Part of Historic Building, Meant to Be Preserved, Destroyed After Miscommunication
Part of a historic building, meant to be saved from demolition and recognized as a heritage site, has been bulldozed thanks to a miscommunication.
[Illustrations] Everyday Life in 1923 Northern Vietnam Through 10 Rare Sketches
It was a simpler time in Vietnam 100 years ago — just people going about their life without a single phone in sight.
Saigon to Preserve Part of Old Binh Loi Railway Bridge
The new Binh Loi railway bridge, built 12 meters away from the old one, has been open for public use since September last year.
[Photos] A French Photographer's Portrait of Saigon in 1866
It took millions of years for dinosaurs' ferocious claws to evolve into the soft wings of a hummingbird and even longer for simple algae to transform into towering pine trees; change has been much mor...
[Photos] A Record of the Past in Pre-1975 Nhạc Vàng Album Art
Modern album art doesn't hold a candle to the hand-drawn song sheets of pre-1975 Vietnam.
[Photos] A Stroll Along Saigon's Tet Flower Streets in the 1960s
Flowers never go out of fashion.
[Photos] An Artist's Sketches Capture the Charm of Indochina's Street Vendors
These illustrations of vendors working on Hanoi streets during French colonial rule are half-sketched, half-painted, which adds to the air of memories fading.
[Photos] A Brief Tribute to Saigon’s Old Electricity Substations and Their Iconic Logo
Have you ever spotted these substations peppered across downtown Saigon and wondered what the initials CEE stands for?
