Saigon-Cho Lon in 1947 Through A French Photographer's lens
A series of Saigon's photos in 1947 through the lens of French photographer Michel Huet are ones of Notre Dame Cathedral seen from the upper floor of the City Hall (Hôtel de ville), the scene of the hall in Cho Lon or a drug store.
Let's bring our mind back to the year of 1947 through some photos of Sai Gon-Cho Lon, taken by a French photographer Michel Huet.
In the photo, there is the Notre Dame Cathedral, the large building to the right is the Palace of the Interior Minister. The tile-roofed house in the picture is the Palace of Internal Affairs during the French colonial period. It was located at the corner of Dong Khoi-Ly Tu Trong today (Rue Catinat & LaGrandière). Before 1975, it was the headquarter of the Ministry of Economy, corner of Tu Do-Gia Long.
The view from the floor of the City Hall. Photo: Michel Huet.
The headquarters of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City is one of the classical architectural works in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). It was built between 1898 and 1909. During the French colonial period, this building was named Hôtel de ville in French or Dinh Xa Tay in Vietnamese. It used to be called Saigon City Hall because it was the working and meeting place of the capital's authorities. Since the unification of Vietnam, the building has been the working place of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City, and a number of other agencies.
Notre Dame Cathedral was built in Saigon. The cathedral did not have two bell towers when built in 1880. They were added in 1985 to include a total of six large bronze bells and two crosses at the top, 60.5 m above ground. It used to the tallest building in the city for a long time.
The headquarters of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Michel Huet.
The current address of this building is on 86 Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1. It is located at the beginning of Nguyen Hue Street facing the Saigon River. In 2020, this building was ranked by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam as a national architectural and artistic monument. There is also a design plan for a new building of the City People's Committee Headquarters.
Prime Minister Nguyen Van Tan's wife (dark-colored ao dai) and his daughter on the grounds of Gia Long Palace (Ho Chi Minh City Museum now). Photo: Michel Huet.
Nguyen Van Tam (16 October 1895–23 November 1990) served as Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam, a political entity created by the French in an attempt to regain control of the country. He held that office from June 1952 to December 1953.
A view from the Opera House to the right is the famous Continental Palace Hotel. Photo: Michel Huet.
The village at the foot of Mong bridge. Photo: Michel Huet.
The village at the foot of Mong bridge. Photo: Michel Huet.
In a Chinese assembly hall in Cho Lon in 1947. Photo: Michel Huet.
Members at the assembly hall. Photo: Michel Huet.
Tuong actresses in Cho Lon. Photo: Michel Huet.
Tuong actors in Cho Lon. Photo: Michel Huet.
Lion dance scene. Photo: Michel Huet.
A woman praying in the assembly hall. Photo: Michel Huet.
A man smoking a cigarette. Photo: Michel Huet.
The image of a charming Saigon woman on the sidewalk stalls. Photo: Michel Huet.
Vietnamese couple Tung and Quynh recently went viral on the Internet sharing gorgeous photos of them wearing Ao Dai and traveling around the world together.
Responding to the important events between Vietnam and the United States, the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association held an exhibition hoping to bring to the audience some of the landscape and people of America.
On the morning of March 15, amid the solemn and vibrant atmosphere of the nationwide festival in which citizens participated in the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, touching scenes were witnessed in Yen Lang Commune (Hanoi) as elderly voters leaned on canes to make their way to polling stations, leaving a deep impression on election officials and local residents.
Brilliant red flags with yellow stars line many streets, campaign posters appear across residential areas, and a wide range of communication activities are being carried out on digital platforms - these are familiar images in the days leading up to the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term in Vietnam, as observed by many international friends.
The election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and to People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term is a major political event of the country. It demonstrates the people’s mastery, affirming the nature of the socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, and for the people.
That is the general assessment made by several inspection bodies and confirmed through our recent field observations in Yen Lang Commune (Hanoi). To further clarify this matter, VietnamTimes Magazine interviewed Lo Xuan Hoa, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of the commune.
On March 9 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), organized an awareness-raising event on human trafficking aimed at forcing victims to commit crimes in scam centers. The event also introduced UNODC’s campaign #TrappedInScamCrime (#Mắcbẫytộiphạmlừađảo) in Vietnam.
On March 4 in Dak Lak Province, CARE in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Center for Community Development (CDC), officially launched the MekongElevate project titled “Green and Sustainable Adaptation for Ethnic Minority Communities.”
On March 5 in Hai Phong City, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hai Phong City held a voter meeting with candidates for the 16th National Assembly (constituency No. 6). At the meeting, the candidates presented their action programs to voters, emphasizing a spirit of responsibility, innovation, and substantive commitments should they be elected to the National Assembly.
This figure was announced at a regular meeting held on March 4 by the Steering Committee of the project “Promoting Gender Equality through Enhancing the Economic Efficiency of Agricultural Production and Tourism Development in Lao Cai Province” (the Australia-funded GREAT 2 Lao Cai Project). The meeting aimed to review implementation progress, discuss the Year 3 activity plan, and propose budget allocations for several sub-projects.
Multimedia
Multimedia
Viet's Home
Viet's Home
Viet's Home
Viet's Home
Viet's Home
Viet's Home
Viet's Home
Viet's Home