About Vietnam
Vietnam is characterised by a delightful combination of traditional and contemporary life, far away from mass tourism. It offers its visitors an almost perfect natural environment, diverse cultures and excellent hospitality. Green rice terraces blanket the mountains of the north, wide plateaus with reams of waterfalls in the central highlands and rugged, wooded mountains traversing beautiful romantic coasts – Vietnam is a fascinating country.
Geography: Vietnam – officially the Social Republic of Vietnam – is the most eastern country of the Indochina peninsula in South-East-Asia. It borders with China to the North, Laos to the North-West, Cambodia to the South-West and the South-Chinese Ocean to the East. With a population of over 86 million Vietnamese, it is the 13th most populous country in the world.
History: The people of Vietnam gained independence and separated from China in 938 BC after they won the war on Bạch Đăng River. Several successive dynasties led to extensions, both geographically and politically deeper into South East Asia until in the middle of the 19th Century when Vietnam was colonised by France. Persistant attempts to resist the influence of the French finally resulted in the expulsion of the French from the country in the middle of the 20th Century. A nation split politically into two was left, the North and the South. The battle between the two states continued during the Vietnam War and ended in 1975 with victory for North Vietnam.
Culture: Today's Vietnamese culture is a mixture of 3 elements: original local cultures, Chinese elements - they came through Sinology into the country as Vietnam was under Chinese rule - and Western elements, which had been influencing the Vietnamese culture during the French colonial period.
Climate: The best time to travel to Vietnam is between mid October and May. Temperatures are tropically warm around the year ranging from about 30°C in the south and in October-May about 26-28°C in the north. From December to March they lie between 21 and 23°C. The monsoon season is throughout the country from June to September.
Interesting Cities:
Đà Lạt was founded in 1917 on the Lang Biang highland which was discovered in 1893 by the French researcher Alexandre Yersin. The city, famous for its pleasantly cool climate, natural beauty and French villas and bungalows has become one of the most popular attractions for domestic and foreign tourists. The temperatures in summer are rarely higher than a pleasant 22°C.
Hội An - this picturesque fishing village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic old town of Hoi An is located on Thu Bon River, which binds the city to the nearby sea. The town was once a stop on the "Silk Road of the Sea", in which sailors from Arabia, Persia, India and China anchored. Still the long old merchant houses on the riverbank line the picturesque streets between temples, pagodas and shrines. In between the architecture and culture mingle Vietnamese, Japanese and particularly Chinese traditions. It's fascinating how the busy and colorful and yet totally normal Vietnamese life continues throughout the historic streets.
Huế - The Imperial City is located in central Vietnam between hills and scenic rice fields on a bend in the Perfume River. An eleven kilometer long wall surrounds the citadel town square, where the older "imperial city" lies. As a very spiritual place Hue is a center for Buddhism with 300 temples and pagodas. For 43 years here reigned the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty with a feudal court. The last ruling dynasty ended in 1945 with the handover of power to Ho Chi Minh.
Saigon - Hochiminh City is Vietnam's largest city and former capital. With its 6 million inhabitants it is the old and new power center of the republic. It received the name of Ho Chi Minh City in 1976, after North and South Vietnam were reunited. Abroad, the city still remain known under its old name “Saigon”. Saigon owes a lot of its appearance and character to French colonists. With its nostalgic charm it has developed to the mega-metropolis of Vietnam.
Hà Nội - the current capital with its foundation year 1010 is the oldest still surviving capital of Southeast Asia. Over the centuries Hanoi was conquered by invaders repeatedly, losing its function as the capital and being renamed several times. During the Nguyễn Dynasty Hanoi lost its status as capital. On the second of September 1945 Ho Chi Minh declared Hanoi to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and declared on in 1946 Hanoi regained its title back as capital. Since the reunification of the country in 1976 Hanoi is the capital of all Vietnam.