EU: Saigon, Cochin China [Vietnam]. Photograph by John Thomson, (1866) A

1866 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This 1866 photograph of Saigon is part of a series John Thomson made while touring French Cochinchina, one of the first Western photographers to work extensively in Southeast Asia. At the time, Saigon was developing rapidly as the seat of French colonial administration on the Saigon River.

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Ben Thanh Market through time — all 17 photos taken here (1866–2023) →