french occupation stories

Saigon

From WWI Monument to Ancestor Temple: The Story of Saigon's Hùng King Temple

The Hùng King Temple at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm was originally built in 1927–1929 under the name Temple du Souvenir Annamite (Annamite Temple of remembrance), primarily to honor the memory of Vietnamese soldiers who died while fighting in World War I.

Saigon

From WWI Monument to Ancestor Temple: The Story of Saigon's Hùng King Temple

Vietnam

The Splendor of Hát Bội, as Depicted in Vintage Posters for the 1889 Paris World's Fair

From the end of the 19 th century to the beginning of the 20 th century, hát bội left a major mark on the hearts and minds of many viewers, including French colonizers. The French brought this form of folk performance art to the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, a world’s fair organized to showcase international cultures. Scenes of hát bội can be seen on promotional materials, souvenirs, and lithograph prints from back then.

Vietnam

Chợ Âm Phủ and the Embattled History Behind Hanoi's Book Street

19/12 Street was once a mass burial ground for those who died in the National Resistance against France in 1946. The event shaped the history of the city and the relationship that thrived for 71 years between locals, the street and chợ Âm phủ (Hell Market).