A large poster size copy of this image once adorned the wall of a Vietnamese restaurant in London. It shows the arrival of Paquebot-Poste "Tonkin" at the Messageries Maritimes dock in Saigon in July of 1903. Carriages, a luggage porter and a rickshaw await the disembarking passengers.

Colonial government officials, military personnel, colons and touristes had to endure an eight week sea voyage from Marseille to reach the exotic French colony of Cochin Chine. On the way port calls were made at (variously) Port Said, Suez, Aden, Djibouti, Bombay Colombo and Singapore.

Photo from Empire Colonial de la France: L'Indochine (1901).

Paquebot Tonkin went into service in 1898, was rebuilt and renamed Lotus in 1912. It served as a troop ship during the Great War and was scrapped in 1932.

Paquebot-Poste Tonkin renamed Lotus.

Messageries Maritimes ship André Lebon, built in 1914, is seen here arriving at Saigon c. 1922. Photo from Souvenir de la Indochine et du Cambodge.

Another ship arrival at Saigon. From Souvenir de la Indochine et du Cambodge.

The Messageries Maritimes website is a good place to read about ocean voyages to the extrême-orient before the advent of air travel.

Headquarters building of Messageries Maritimes in Saigon from an old post card. This is now the Ho Chi Minh museum.