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  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A porter delivers plastic goods by hand truck in the nighborhood around Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity015.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11007.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11006.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11004.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  The entry courtyard of Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.           PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity047.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Vendors read a newspaper in a neighborhood in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.             PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity044.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Vendors read a newspaper in a neighborhood in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.             PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity043.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Vendors unpack a delivery at a clothing shop in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.            PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity042.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Overview of an interior aisle in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.            PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity039.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   The front of Chùa Bà Thiên Hu (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau), a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in Cholon. It is dedicated to Thiên Hu, the Lady of the Sea ("Tian Hou" as transcribed from the Chinese). Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity038.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Incense coils hanging from the ceiling of Chùa Bà Thiên Hu (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau), a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in Cholon. It is dedicated to Thiên Hu, the Lady of the Sea ("Tian Hou" as transcribed from the Chinese). Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity036.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Schoolchildren buy shaved ice from a vendor in Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity033.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A sandwich vendor sells lunch sandwiches on a street in Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity029.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Traffic on a street in Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity028.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   People pray in Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity021.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: An alter in Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.          PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity020.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Tran Hung Dao Street in Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity018.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Looking out the gate of Cha Tam Catholic Church in Cholon. The church is best known as the last hiding placing of Vietnamese Catholic dictator and US ally, President Ngo Dinh Diem, before he was assassinated in November 1963. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity017.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A vendor does his books in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity009.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A children's clothing vendor in her shop in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity005.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  The main entrance to Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity003.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  The main entrance to Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity002.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  The main entrance to Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity001.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11032.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11030.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11024.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11022.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11020.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  The entry way of the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11017.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Construction of a new office tower with a helicopter landing pad behind a colonial era building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Vietnam, one of the last communist countries in the world, is in the midst of a building boom and capitalist expansion, making it one of the Asian "tigers." Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11015.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A boat goes down the Ben Nghe Channel toward the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City, VIetnam. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11014.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A boat goes up the Ben Nghe Channel from the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City, VIetnam. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11011.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11008.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11002.jpg
  • 13 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women walk through Ben Thanh Market, the main market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The market has become the main tourist market. Ho Chi Minh City, which used to be known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the commercial hub of southern Vietnam.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity12002.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Tourists in Chùa Bà Thiên Hu (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau), a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in Cholon. It is dedicated to Thiên Hu, the Lady of the Sea ("Tian Hou" as transcribed from the Chinese). Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.           PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity049.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Tourists in Chùa Bà Thiên Hu (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau), a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in Cholon. It is dedicated to Thiên Hu, the Lady of the Sea ("Tian Hou" as transcribed from the Chinese). Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.           PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity048.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A Buddhist lights incense in Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.          PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity046.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: A woman pours holy oil over a lamp in Quan Am Pagoda. Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.          PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity045.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Overview of an interior aisle in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity041.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: A vendor sets up his shop in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.            PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity040.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   Candles left as offerings in Chùa Bà Thiên Hu (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau), a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in Cholon. It is dedicated to Thiên Hu, the Lady of the Sea ("Tian Hou" as transcribed from the Chinese). Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity037.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  The interior entry way to Chùa Bà Thiên Hu (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau), a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in Cholon. It is dedicated to Thiên Hu, the Lady of the Sea ("Tian Hou" as transcribed from the Chinese). Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity035.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A grilled meat vendor on a street in Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity034.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Schoolchildren buy shaved ice from a vendor in Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity032.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Schoolchildren buy shaved ice from a vendor in Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity031.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Traffic on a street in Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity027.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A man prays opposite a relief of a tiger in Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity026.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A relief of a Chinese dragon in Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity024.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A Buddhist lights incense in Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity023.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A Buddhist lights incense in Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity022.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Cha Tam Catholic Church in Cholon. The church is best known as the last hiding placing of Vietnamese Catholic dictator and US ally, President Ngo Dinh Diem, before he was assassinated in November 1963. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity016.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A vendor counts his money in his shop (which is the back of a truck) in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity014.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A woman wearing a traditional Vietnamese conical hat completes a purchase from a vendor in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity012.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A porter makes a delivery in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity010.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A vendor does his books in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity008.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A children's clothing vendor in her shop in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity006.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:   A porter makes a delivery in Binh Tay Market. The market is warren of narrow halls and alleys and steep staircases and still relies on manual labor to move goods. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity004.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11031.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11029.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11028.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11027.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A man pours oil over a diety at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11026.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11025.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11023.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Flowers at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11019.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Flowers at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11018.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Construction of a new office tower with a helicopter landing pad behind a colonial era building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Vietnam, one of the last communist countries in the world, is in the midst of a building boom and capitalist expansion, making it one of the Asian "tigers." Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11016.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A woman sits on a sidewalk in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11013.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: A part of the Ho Chi Minh City skyline with the Ben Nghe Channel and Calmette Street Bridge in the foreground.  Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11012.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Men eat breakfast and drink tea on a street in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11010.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11009.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11003.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11001.jpg
  • 13 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: A Vietnamese woman carries fruit for sale through central Ho Chi Minh City, which used to be known as Saigon before the reunification with northern Vietnam in 1975. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and the commercial hub of southern Vietnam.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity12003.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray in the entry way of Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity025.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: A boy prays in Quan Am Pagoda. Chùa Quan Âm (Avalokiteshvara Pagoda), a Chinese style Buddhist pagoda in Cho Lon. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to the bodhisattva Quan Âm. The pagoda is very popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity019.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A dried shrimp and seafood vendor in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity011.jpg
  • 13 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People eat a food stall in Ben Thanh Market, the main market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The market has become the main tourist market. Ho Chi Minh City, which used to be known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the commercial hub of southern Vietnam.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity12001.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  A sandwich vendor sells lunch sandwiches on a street in Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity030.jpg
  • 12 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  Vietnamese sausages hang in a shop in Binh Tay Market. Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the central market of Cholon. Cholon is the Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest "Chinatown" in Vietnam. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6. The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lon) "market" (cho). Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from central Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, French colonial authorities merged the two cities to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon. During the Vietnam War (called the American War by the Vietnamese), soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CholonHoChiMinhCity013.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM:  People pray and burn incense at the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built in 1909 by a Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation. It is one of the most colourful pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Smoke of burning joss sticks fills the air, obscuring the exquisite woodcarvings decorated with gilded Chinese characters. The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues, which represent characters from both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The pagoda is dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11021.jpg
  • 11 APRIL 2012 - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Women exercise in a dance class in a small park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It's not unusual to see many older people working out and exercising in parks in Vietnam early in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and the country's commercial center. It was the capital of South Vietnam before the reunification in 1975 and still shows more signs of American influence than northern Vietnam does.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HoChiMinhCity11005.jpg
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Jack Kurtz, Photojournalist & Travel Photographer

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