[Photos] This Is What Life in Vietnam Looked Like 100 Years Ago

When photographer, Charles Peyrin, visited Vietnam in the 1920’s, he snapped dozens of candid shots that offer a rare glimpse into the daily life of locals and French colonists.

These photos also serve to reveal how the lives of these two groups differed. In many images, French civilians can be seen donning clean, white clothes as they sit in rickshaws, while Vietnamese are seen shuffling through the streets, serving street food and rushing off to market.

Visually speaking, the French seem out of place in many scenes, never looking quite comfortable and sometimes as though they have been added to the picture ex post facto with some ancient version of Photoshop.

So Thu Bridge over today's Nhieu Loc Canal.

Thu Dau Mot Market, Saigon, which was bordered by today's Nguyen Thai Hoc and Tran Hung Dao Streets.

Rue Paul Bert, today's Trang Tien Street

The Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple.

Dragon boat on Guom Lake.

Early days of today's Long Bien Bridge

Former Paul Doumer Bridge, today's Long Bien Bridge.

A construction site in Hai Phong.

A group of indigenous children (probably Tay).