Urbanist Hanoi in Hanoi
[Photos] A Hanoi in Transition, Over a Century Ago
Today, Hoan Kiem Lake has no lantern-lifting Statue of Liberty that people fish beside, Russian naval ships don't moor in the Red River, and nón lá hardly cover every head in the capital.
Urbanist Hanoi in Hanoi
[Photos] 1994 Hanoi in the Eyes of a Former Japan Ambassador to Vietnam
On a day like any other in November 1994, some Hanoians might have been curious about the fact that their shop front and daily routine were being photographed by a wandering Japanese man.
Saigoneer in Hanoi
[Photos] 18 Rare Black-and-White Photos of Northern Vietnam in the 1970s
What draws us towards the spectacle that is old photos?
Urbanist Hanoi in Hanoi
[Photos] Rare Black-and-White Shots Reflect Hanoi Street Life in 1950
No skim milk and saltine parties here.
Urbanist Hanoi in Hanoi
[Photos] Hanoi's Colonial Architecture in Postcards From 1916
The French aimed to remake Hanoi in Paris' image via elaborate architecture and infrastructure projects.
Urbanist Hanoi in Vietnam
[Illustrations] This Set of Gouache Paintings Showcases Rural Life in 1890 Nam Dinh
Step into the life of a Nam Dinh resident in 1890 through this series of vintage paintings.
Urbanist Hanoi in Hanoi
[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of 1930 Hanoi
Now that the age of drones has dawned upon us, cityscapes are easily captured from above.
Vu Hoang Long and Hoang Kim Son in Hanoi
The City as Text: Chợ Trời and the Representation of an Invisible Hanoi
Despite being the largest marketplace in the city since the 1950s, and still the oldest temporary market in town, Troi Market (chợ Trời) doesn't appear in delightful pieces of literature or art like the Old Quarter, West Lake and Ba Dinh Square.
Julie Vola in Vietnam
[Photos] A Final Family Journey Through Vietnamese Landscapes in the 1800s
This is the third and final collection from my family’s photography archives, and it is also the most important to me. Beyond my family’s colonial past, it is this last series of images that have infl...
Urbanist Hanoi in Hanoi
[Illustrations] Paintings of Hanoi’s Old Quarter in the Feudal Era
Depicting an age before the stress of modern life took hold, these illustrations are an endearing reminder of the Old Quarter’s former imperial life over 1,000 years ago.
Julie Vola in Vietnam
[Photos] Family Albums Depict the Everyday Lives of Vietnamese People in the Late 1800s
Following last week’s photo essay on railway construction, this week’s images focus on the everyday lives of people in northern Vietnam.
Julie Vola in Vietnam
An Ancestral History of Northern Vietnam’s Railway Construction
We often see archival images of old Hanoi, but these photos are different - they are personal. The following shots, which come from a collection of five photo albums, are the only surviving record of ...
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] 36 Photos of Life in Vietnam in 1956
There are many things to love about life in Vietnam in past decades, but over the years, Vietnamese nowadays might have gotten used to a certain standard of living, making it hard to picture a time wh...
Saigoneer in Hanoi
[Photos] The Serene, Laid-Back Vibe of Hanoi in the Mid-1990s
Hanoi in the mid-1990s was a city of rich traditions and a laid-back lifestyle.
Khoi Pham in Vietnam
Street Cred: Thich Quang Duc, the Monk Who Set Himself on Fire
Despite his peaceful nature, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc is known today as “the monk who set himself on fire,” serving as a symbol of protest against religious discrimination. In today’s ...
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] Emperor Bao Dai's 1942 Offering of Worship to Heaven and Earth
Throughout Vietnam’s imperial era, ceremonial rituals were an indispensable part of a local monarch’s reign. One such celebration was Nam Giao, an annual ceremony of utmost importance in the king’s ca...
Saigoneer in Hanoi
[Photos] Early 1980s Hanoi on the Brink of Doi Moi
The early 1980s were a complicated time for Vietnam. Still reeling from the end of a war within the country – not to mention border conflicts with Cambodia and China in the later 1970s – Vietnam was j...
Saigoneer in Hanoi
[Photos] Here's What Hanoi Looked Like In 1905
During the French colonial period, Tonkin, or Đàng Ngoài, was the name given to northern Vietnam. Situated in and around the Red River Delta, the word 'Tonkin' is a corruption of Đông Kinh, the name o...
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] The Bygone Days of 1920s Vinh Long
Across the internet, there is ample documentation of Vietnam’s cities in the days of French colonialism. Turn-of-the-century countryside snaps, however, are a little harder to come by.
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] Vintage Postcards Capture the Grand Landmarks of Old Saigon
Today, Saigon’s landmarks are the subject of many an Instagram snapshot – everyone, it seems, has photographed the Notre Dame Cathedral at least once – but in the days before smartphones, Saigon’s gra...
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] Vinh Phuc's Tam Dao Hill Station in Its Glory Days
Nestled in a cradle of hills about 85 kilometers northwest of Hanoi is the Tam Dao Hill Station, a former colonial village whose lakes, waterfalls and villas made it known during its heyday as “The Da...
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] A Black-and-White Look at Hoi An From 1930 to 1950
It appears that flooding in Hoi An is a common phenomenon that dates back to at least the 1930s.
Saigoneer in Vietnam
Street Cred: Trinh Cong Son, the Voice of a Generation
A few weeks ago, Hanoi officials announced the conversion of the capital’s narrow Trinh Cong Son Street into a pedestrian zone featuring artistic performances as well as snacks and souvenirs.
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] An Intimate Look Into Life in Can Tho in the 1990s
Belgian photographer Harry Gruyaert, known for his use of color and for his striking images of Morocco, India and Egypt, also took a series of photographs in Can Tho two decades ago.
Scott Sommerville in Vietnam
The Reunification Game: How a 1976 Football Match Brought North & South Together
In early 1976, shortly after the dust had started to settle in a now-unified Vietnam, Le Buu, general director of the country’s Sports Administration Department, was tasked with heading to Saigon to a...
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] The Hottest Beauty Trend in 1920s Vietnam Was Ridiculously Long Nails
In 2019 Vietnam, excessively long nails are usually considered a sign of evilness, thanks to the influence of foreign horror flicks. However, not many know that decades ago, this body feature was wide...
Saigoneer in Hanoi
[Maps] A Brief Cartographical History of Hanoi From 1873-1936
How was Hanoi in the late 19th century different from its current state?
Saigoneer in Vietnam
[Photos] The Pastoral Charm of Bac Ninh in the 1920s
Despite being one of Vietnam’s tiniest provinces, Bac Ninh was home to the earliest trace of ancient Vietnamese tribes.
