Vietnam 100 years ago through French photographer’s lens

	Precious photos of Vietnam’s iconic Ao Dai in the old time
	A glimpse of idyllic life in Hue amid summer days
	Impressive "Ao Dai - Vietnamese Cultural Heritage" at the Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy

Vietnamese women later 19th century were fond of wearing five-paneled aristocratic gowns and string of beads. Designer Si Hoang, the founder of theAo Dai Museum said that during the period, Vietnamese noblewomen used to wear the gown, which comprises two gauges sewn together to form the front of the gown in a discreet style.

These photos were taken by Pierre from 1885 that depicting the lifestyle and living habits of Vietnamese people, which has became the precious documents.

A meal of some Southern women. Females in urban who had fewer household chores preferred to wear Ao Dai to distinguish them from the ones in the poor class. The fashion trend of five-paneled aristocratic gowns was lasted until the early 20th century before being gradually replaced by Le Mur Ao Dai with more western details such as bulging arms, and a heart-shaped collar that was attached with a bow.

An official in Sai Gon wore long fingernails. The custom originated from the conception that of status symbol, showing that the person literally didn’t have to lift a finger to do any work. Otherwise, Confucian scholars thought the body was basically given by parents, as a result, they have to preserve the origins.

The group of Chinese people making duck meat in Cho Lon, Saigon.

Cho Lon was established from the 17th to 19th centuries when the Chinese people community settled and built a bustling urban area. During the French colonial, Cho Lon is a city that was separated from Sai Gon before the merge in 1956. Nowadays, the Cho Lon area belongs to District 5 and 6 in Sai Gon.

Funerals of the rich in the South of Vietnam.

Dad and son in a Northern family. Vietnamese males during this period fond of Ao Dai with straight collars and wore a turban in some significant events.

Family of an official in the North of Vietnam.

Officials in the north of Vietnam used to travel on horseback with parasols and escorts.

Emperor Duy Tan stood among his guards at Hue Citadel. Emperor Duy Tan, born Nguyen Phuc Vinh San ascended to the throne at age 7.

Lo Lo ethnic teenage girls and women in the north of Vietnam. Lo Lo women often use turban wrapped in layers on their heads. Turban was usually decorated with floral motifs and colorful fabric tassels.

A group of Tho ethnic people in Dong Dang, Lang Son.

Vietnamese amateur photographer launches a gallery of thousands photo about Ben Tre due to love Because of his stressful life and work, Nguyen Quoc Thi (in Ben Tre) started to take pictures of his hometown since 2014. Up to now, ...

Photos of Vietnam in the 1880s under French photographer's lens The traditional values in the life and culture of Vietnamese people some 100 years ago were captured in the old photo series taken by photographer ...

Spellbinding sunset in Da Nang under the lens of a foreign photographer Da Nang, a coastal city in central Vietnam boasts great natural beauty, exemplified by its spellbinding sunset panorama which becomes a boundless inspiration for photography ...