Vietnam

Vietnam Travel

The setting of the most protested and controversial war of the second half of the 20th century, Vietnam is once again hosting thousands of Americans – but this time they’re armed with money, not guns. And they are not alone, as travellers from around the world are flocking to Vietnam. Perhaps partly due to the memory of the Vietnam War, travel in Vietnam is cheap and only just on its way into fruition. But change seems to occur at a rapid rate in Vietnam, as the country busily promotes its palette of offerings: a culture kept bravely alive through the nation’s tumultuous past, hot white beaches, peaceful inland rainforests, picturesque rugged landscapes and, of course, a varied and delicious cuisine. In essence, Vietnam has all the delights one would expect of southeast Asia, at a better price.

History of Vietnam

The history of Vietnam begins around 2,700 years ago. Evidence of the earliest established society other than the prehistoric Iron Age Dong Son culture in Northern Vietnam was found in Co Loa, an ancient city situated near present-day Hanoi. The traditional population of this area were Khmers and Cham. The Vietnamese arrived latter when advancing Chinese pushed them out of southern China. To this day there are Khmer and Cham populations along the western border of Vietnam.

Successive dynasties based in China ruled Vietnam directly for most of the period from 111 BC until 938 when Vietnam regained its independence. In 111 BC, Chinese troops invaded Nam Việt and established new territories but while the Chinese were governors and top officials, the original Vietnamese nobles still managed some highlands. Vietnam remained a tribute state to its larger neighbor China for much of its history but repelled invasions by the Chinese as well as three invasions by the Mongols between 1255 and 1285. Emperor Trần Nhân Tông later diplomatically submitted Vietnam to a tribute state of the Yuan Dynasty to avoid further conflicts.

The independent period temporarily ended in the middle to late 19th century, when the country was colonized by France. The French were considered brutal colonizers and subjugated the local population. At the same time left many cultural aspects such as bread, coffee and amazing fusion food. During World War II, Imperial Japan expelled the French to occupy Vietnam, though they retained French administrators during their occupation. After the war, France attempted to re-establish its colonial rule but ultimately failed in the First Indochina War. The Geneva Accords partitioned the country in two with a promise of democratic election to reunite the country.

However, rather than peaceful reunification, partition led to the Vietnam War. During this time, the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union supported the North while the United States and other western countries supported the South. After millions of Vietnamese deaths, the war ended with the fall of Saigon to the North in April 1975.

The reunified Vietnam suffered further internal repression. It was isolated internationally due to the continuing Cold War and the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia to expel Pol Pot to end the genocide. In 1986, the Communist Party of Vietnam changed its economic policy and began reforms of the private sector similar to those in China. Since the mid-1980s, Vietnam has enjoyed substantial economic growth and some reduction in political repression, though reports of corruption have also risen.

Geography

Vietnam is a long narrow country running along the Golf of Tonkin to the South China Sea. Once a traveler leaves the coast, the mountains, covered densely with jungle, begin. These mountains are home to many different minority groups that are completely different from the Vietnamese. Because the country is so long and narrow, when the weather is good in one half of the country it can be bad in the other half.

Vietnam shares international borders with Cambodia, Laos and China. It is very easy to cross over land with Cambodia and China in certain places. Although it is difficult and time consuming to cross overland to Laos, many people say it is worth it.