Abstract

This study examines the policies, administrative instruments, and management practices governing youth recreation in Saigon under the Republic of Vietnam government from 1955 to 1966, amid rapid urbanization and escalating warfare. Drawing on four administrative files from the Prime Minister’s Office fonds at National Archives Center II, the article identifies a policy shift from strict moral regulation during the First Republic (1955–1963) to more pragmatic management under military rule (1963–1966). Management practices included providing alternative recreational activities, classifying content, imposing age restrictions, and negotiating interests with private businesses. “Healthy recreation” functioned both as a state-defined moral standard and as language used by private professional organizations to protect economic interests. The study assesses the effectiveness and limitations of these policies while highlighting the methodological constraints of administrative records in researching urban social history.

Keywords: Cultural management, cultural policy, leisure, Republic of Vietnam, Saigon, youth.