Vietnam Old Photos: Where to See Them and Then-and-Now Walks

Vietnam old photos, from colonial postcards to wartime press images, show cities that have changed fast but kept many landmarks. This guide from our Vietnam travel blog explains where to see archive photos, which places in Hanoi, Saigon and Hue still match the old pictures, and how to plan a walk comparing then and now.

Looking at old photos before a trip makes the streets more interesting when you arrive. If you are planning that trip, apply for a Vietnam e-visa online before you book.

Where to see Vietnam old photos

The best collections of early Vietnamese photography are held by libraries, archives and museums in Vietnam and France, and many are shown in temporary exhibitions. Check what is on during your visit.

The National Library of Vietnam in Hanoi, formerly the archive of French Indochina, holds colonial-era photo collections and has shown them in exhibitions, as VietnamPlus reported. In Ho Chi Minh City, the National Archives Centre II has organized free exhibitions of old Saigon photos. Vietnam's tourism authority has also promoted photo exhibitions of old Hanoi. The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City displays some of the best-known war photography. In Paris, the Albert Kahn collection includes early colour photographs of Hanoi from the 1910s.

Old Hanoi photos and places that still match

Old Hanoi photos show a city of lakes, tile-roofed shophouses and French boulevards, much of which you can still find. The table lists landmarks that look close to their old pictures.

Our Hanoi guide shows how to walk between these spots in a morning.

Old Saigon photos and places that still match

Old Saigon photos show tree-lined boulevards, French villas and the riverfront, and several landmarks have survived the city's growth. Many images from the 1960s, published in international magazines, are widely shared online.

The Saigon Opera House, the Central Post Office and the red-brick cathedral still stand within a short walk of each other, and Ben Thanh Market's clock tower is instantly recognizable. Nguyen Hue, once a canal, is now a pedestrian boulevard. Our Ho Chi Minh City guide covers the colonial center.

Hue and the countryside

Hue's Imperial City appears in many old photos of court life and ceremonies, and parts were badly damaged in 1968. Restoration has rebuilt gates and halls, so some views now look closer to early 20th-century pictures than to post-war ones.

In the countryside, rice terraces, water buffalo and conical hats look much as they do in old images, though roads and concrete houses have spread. Our Hue travel guide covers the citadel. Two practical points help if you want to recreate old views: etiquette, and planning.

Planning a then-and-now trip

Recreating old photos is a fun way to explore Vietnam's cities. A little planning makes it easier and more respectful.

Photography etiquette

Ask before photographing people, especially vendors, worshippers and children. Avoid photographing military sites. In temples, follow signs about photography. Our guide to Vietnamese customs covers wider etiquette.

Combining with city guides

Save a few old pictures on your phone and match them on walking routes, early in the morning when streets are emptier. The old centers of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are compact enough to cover on foot in a few hours, which makes a Vietnam then and now walk easy to fit in.

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