Printing and publishing in Saigon – Cho Lon (1861-1913)

Abstract

In 1859, the French invasion of Gia Dinh marked the beginning of their takeover of Cochinchina. Soon after their arrival, France brought printers on their warships, along with guns and cannons. The printers' purpose was to quickly convey the pacification policies of the invading army to the people of the occupied land. By the end of 1861, the first official newspaper in Cochinchina, “Le Bulletin officiel de l'expédition française de la Cochinchine”, was published. The Royal Printing House (l'Imprimerie Impériale), the first printing house in Cochinchina, was also established at the end of 1861 to accommodate printing jobs, especially the printing of government gazettes. In 1873, several private printing houses appeared in Saigon-Cho Lon. Printing and publishing operations gradually assimilated into Cochinchine's social activities after serving as an “instrument” of the invaders. They evolved into a political and cultural institution in colonial social life, notably in Saigon-Cho Lon. The progression of these activities during the procedure was observable, at least for those allowed to take part in them. The needs of the colonial environment and the dynamism of the private sector stimulated these new activities, even if the colonial authority felt it necessary to control them. Based on the publications that were published during this period and are still stored in libraries, archives, and personal bookcases, etc., the author of this article would like to provide additional information about the printing and publishing activities in Saigon - Cho Lon, particularly through the operations of several prominent printing houses.