Saigoneer: old Saigon in pictures
The history section of Saigoneer, an English-language magazine: archive photos, old buildings, street fashion and forgotten neighbourhoods of Saigon and Vietnam, with new pieces every week.
What it is
Saigoneer is an English-language online magazine about life in Ho Chi Minh City, still widely known as Saigon, and Vietnam more broadly. Our pick is its Old Saigon section, which gathers pieces on the history of the city and the country: archive photos, stories behind individual buildings, and accounts of how streets and neighbourhoods have changed.
The magazine publishes in English, Vietnamese and Korean, and this section is in English.
Why we picked it
Most reading about Vietnam is either a travel guide or military history. Old Saigon offers a third angle: everyday life. There is a set of images of a barely built-up Saigon in the 1860s. There are photos of Vietnam in 1992, streets full of bicycles and people. There is a piece on 1969 street style told through Honda Cub scooters and women in áo dài and sunglasses.
The building histories are a highlight. One traces an Art Deco eye hospital that older locals still call by the French name of the clinic it used to be. Another tells how Charlie Chaplin passed through Hanoi in 1936.
The section is active: several new pieces went up in September 2026 alone, and the magazine as a whole publishes almost daily.
Where to start
- Read the piece on Saigon in the 1860s to see the city before it filled in.
- Flip through the 1992 Vietnam photo set.
- Read the history of the Art Deco eye hospital.
- If you want more, drift into the magazine's food and culture sections.
Who it's for
Travellers heading to Vietnam who want to know what they are looking at. Fans of archive photography and urban history. Anyone studying Southeast Asia. And people who simply enjoy slow reading with good pictures.
Quick answers
What language is it in? English. The magazine also has Vietnamese and Korean editions.
Is it a news site? The magazine has a news section, but Old Saigon is about history and urban heritage.
Do I need a subscription? No, the articles are free to read.
