in Places & People

Fascinating Vintage Photos Show Life in the 1960s Vietnam

2.7k Views 2 Comments

During the 1960s, Vietnam was a battleground for the war between capitalism and communism. The National Liberation Front of Southern Vietnam (Viet Cong) was becoming stronger and stronger. They took control of villages, rural areas and assassinated local officials. In August 1964, the US government launched full-scale military operations. President Lyndon Johnson authorized a series of bombing campaigns and sent thousands of US troops to fight. He concealed the extent of the military escalation from the American public.

Here below are some fascinating color photos that will take you back to 1960s Vietnam. They offer a glimpse into the everyday life of Vietnamese people.

#1 Rhade tribe children in one of the remote mountain villages, 1961.

Rhade tribe children in one of the remote mountain villages, 1961.

6 Points
Upvote Downvote

#2 Peasants in the Rice Fields of North Vietnam, 1960.

Peasants in the Rice Fields of North Vietnam, 1960.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#4 Children of Buen Enac line up outside their new school, 1960.

Children of Buen Enac line up outside their new school, 1960.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#5 A group of young men bear a portrait of Ho Chi Minh, 1960.

A group of young men bear a portrait of Ho Chi Minh, 1960.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#6 A market-place in South Vietnam, at the junction between a small railroad track going from the South to the frontier, 1960.

A market-place in South Vietnam, at the junction between a small railroad track going from the South to the frontier, 1960.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#7 Boat girl rowing passenger-carrying sampan across Perfume River, 1961.

Boat girl rowing passenger-carrying sampan across Perfume River, 1961.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#8 Traditional dancers performing in the once Imperial city, 1961.

Traditional dancers performing in the once Imperial city, 1961.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#11 The harbour of Nah-Trang, not far from Saigon, 1960.

The harbour of Nah-Trang, not far from Saigon, 1960.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#12 Rhade tribesmen in mt. village putting roof on new ‘long house’, 1961.

Rhade tribesmen in mt. village putting roof on new 'long house', 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#14 Musicians of a Chinese burial in Cholon, Saigon, 1961.

Musicians of a Chinese burial in Cholon, Saigon, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#20 Volunteer Verle Lanier (center R) buying bananas at market, 1961.

Volunteer Verle Lanier (center R) buying bananas at market, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#21 Viet Cong prisoners captured in southern territory, 1961.

Viet Cong prisoners captured in southern territory, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#25 Chief of Kien Hoa province Col. Ngoc Thao Pham visting temple, 1961.

Chief of Kien Hoa province Col. Ngoc Thao Pham visting temple, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#26 Self-defense post in territory infiltrated by Viet Cong near Truc Giang, 1961.

Self-defense post in territory infiltrated by Viet Cong near Truc Giang, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#28 South Vietnamese farmer using flock of ducks to eat inscets infesting his rice fields, 1961.

South Vietnamese farmer using flock of ducks to eat inscets infesting his rice fields, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#29 Rice farmers struggling to build dam to contain flood waters, 1961.

Rice farmers struggling to build dam to contain flood waters, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#30 Saigon main street, formerly Rue Catinat, renamed Tu Do, 1961.

Saigon main street, formerly Rue Catinat, renamed Tu Do, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#31 Traditional dancers performing in the one-time Imperial city of Hue, 1961.

Traditional dancers performing in the one-time Imperial city of Hue, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#34 Rice farmers building improvised dam to keep floodwater from their rice fields, 1961.

Rice farmers building improvised dam to keep floodwater from their rice fields, 1961.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#38 A woman carrying stools home on a bicycle rickshaw in Saigon, 1962.

A woman carrying stools home on a bicycle rickshaw in Saigon, 1962.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#39 Mrs. Dinh Nhu Ngo surveying ruins of Palace bombed by Vietnamese insurrectionists, 1962.

Mrs. Dinh Nhu Ngo surveying ruins of Palace bombed by Vietnamese insurrectionists, 1962.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#40 Locals at the market of Ban Me Thout in the province of Dak Lak in the highlands of South Vietnam, 1963

Locals at the market of Ban Me Thout in the province of Dak Lak in the highlands of South Vietnam, 1963

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#41 People gathering in the street to watch a film, Vietnam, August 1963

People gathering in the street to watch a film, Vietnam, August 1963

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#42 People praying for Vietnamese Buddhist monk Guang Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1963

People praying for Vietnamese Buddhist monk Guang Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1963

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#43 Students at the School of Sciences and Pedagogy holding a protest demonstration against the repressive measures of the Diem government, 1963.

Students at the School of Sciences and Pedagogy holding a protest demonstration against the repressive measures of the Diem government, 1963.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#44 Mrs. Henry Cabot Lodge, wife of US Amb., giving money to a boy, 1963.

Mrs. Henry Cabot Lodge, wife of US Amb., giving money to a boy, 1963.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#45 Demonstration by high school students against the Diem government, 1963.

Demonstration by high school students against the Diem government, 1963.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#46 Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu waving from the stairs of an airplane, 1963.

Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu waving from the stairs of an airplane, 1963.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#47 Students from Saigon’s Gia Long College vist soilders wounded in Cong Hoa Military Hospital, 1963.

Students from Saigon's Gia Long College vist soilders wounded in Cong Hoa Military Hospital, 1963.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#48 People during the deposing of President Ngo Dinh Diem in Ho Chi Minh City, 1963.

People during the deposing of President Ngo Dinh Diem in Ho Chi Minh City, 1963.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#49 A Vietnamese soldier with a machine-gun is lying in ambush behind an abandoned lorry, 1963.

A Vietnamese soldier with a machine-gun is lying in ambush behind an abandoned lorry, 1963.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#50 South Vietnamese refugees taking bath outdoor, Vietnam, 1964

South Vietnamese refugees taking bath outdoor, Vietnam, 1964

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#53 South Vietnamese refugee gatherings, Vietnam, 1964

South Vietnamese refugee gatherings, Vietnam, 1964

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#54 48 hour strike in Saigon sponsored by the Council of Unions, 1964.

48 hour strike in Saigon sponsored by the Council of Unions, 1964.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#56 Student demonstrations in Saigon against the dictatorship of premier Nguyen Khanh, 31st August 1964.

Student demonstrations in Saigon against the dictatorship of premier Nguyen Khanh, 31st August 1964.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#57 During a Buddhist funeral for 2 young Buddhist killed in Buddhist -Catholic rioting, 1964.

During a Buddhist funeral for 2 young Buddhist killed in Buddhist -Catholic rioting, 1964.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#58 Ann Sidney (Miss world) Shopping at Market in Saigon, 1964.

Ann Sidney (Miss world) Shopping at Market in Saigon, 1964.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#59 Buddhist Bonze and leader of the Buddhist revolt, Thich Tri Quang leads a rally in Da Nang, Vietnam January 1965

Buddhist Bonze and leader of the Buddhist revolt, Thich Tri Quang leads a rally in Da Nang, Vietnam January 1965

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#60 Vietnamese Army personnel interrogate villagers during a drive against the Viet Cong, 1965.

Vietnamese Army personnel interrogate villagers during a drive against the Viet Cong, 1965.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#61 In a street in Saigon, two Vietnamese children shine the shoes of a black man, in front of the window of an Air France agency.

In a street in Saigon, two Vietnamese children shine the shoes of a black man, in front of the window of an Air France agency.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#62 A man playing a white electric guitar and two young women, wearing turquoise minidresses, playing the tambourine and another guitar, performing on a stage, Vietnam, 1965.

A man playing a white electric guitar and two young women, wearing turquoise minidresses, playing the tambourine and another guitar, performing on a stage, Vietnam, 1965.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#63 Vietnamese Buddhists pray on January 22, 1965 in Saigon.

Vietnamese Buddhists pray on January 22, 1965 in Saigon.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#64 Young Vietnamese children search a garbage dump to try to find something to sell or eat, July 30, 1965

Young Vietnamese children search a garbage dump to try to find something to sell or eat, July 30, 1965

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#65 In Cholon, Saigon’s working-class neighborhood, a woman prepares and sells food on the street, July 1965.

In Cholon, Saigon's working-class neighborhood, a woman prepares and sells food on the street, July 1965.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#66 View of civilians and their belongings as they wait to evacute, as part of Operation Cedar Falls, from the Iron Triangle village of Ben Suc, Vietnam, 1967.

View of civilians and their belongings as they wait to evacute, as part of Operation Cedar Falls, from the Iron Triangle village of Ben Suc, Vietnam, 1967.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#67 A woman putting voting-paper into the ballot-box in elections, 1969.

A woman putting voting-paper into the ballot-box in elections, 1969.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#68 Women walking in the port at the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, 1968

Women walking in the port at the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, 1968

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#69 On the edge of the Perfume River, women do laundry in Hue, Vietnam on April 12, 1968.

On the edge of the Perfume River, women do laundry in Hue, Vietnam on April 12, 1968.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

#70 Audience watching a theater dance performance, Vietnam, April 1969.

Audience watching a theater dance performance, Vietnam, April 1969.

0 Points
Upvote Downvote
Avatar of Aung Budhh

Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2 Comments