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The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated by Communist forces under Ho Chi Minh, who took control of the North. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South. Despite the return of peace, for over two decades the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from the Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands over loss of land to Vietnamese settlers and religious persecution.To be updated

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By Jezz in NZ
January 5th 2006

Saigon War Museum

Asia » Vietnam

In the afternoon I shared a taxi with two Kiwis to the War Museum. The opening video gives a taste of what is to come. Horrifically deformed children with pointed heads and staring jellyfish eyes are shown lolling helplessly back and forward, like some awful scene from a bad trip. These are the victims of Agent Orange, the chemical defoliant that the Americans sprayed all over Vietnam, whose mothers were affected by the spray and gave birth to disfigured babies. I’ve seen some bad stuff, in Africa and other places, but the sheer cartoon nightmarishness of these children clutches at [View Full Entry]

By Mightymous
January 5th 2006

Going 'home' - HCMC/Saigon to London

Asia » Vietnam

Well now, this is strange I'm on my way back to London... It's been quite a few days so let me describe the last leg of my journey. On the 2nd of January I made my way to Ga DaNang (the train station) and 'checked in' my bike at the freight office, had some breakfast in a local cafe and then got in my slow train around 10AM. Funny how all of these things now feel as normal as taking the tube in London :-) Because I had not made it as far down to HCMC as I had initially planned [View Full Entry]

By gz55
January 5th 2006

The Well Trodden Route Through Vietnam

Asia » Vietnam

Halong Bay
Relaxing on a boat trip

In what seems like a former life, I can remember sitting at home and watching a TV programme that followed a woman's travels through Vietnam. And what a journey it was. She took trains to remote destinations, drank ant 'lemonade' with the locals, and downed a stiff drink that had a freshly removed and still beating cobra's heart floating in it, amongst other unique experiences. Our travels weren't quite so eye-opening, but I've tried the independent travelling thing and as adventurous as it may be for some, the reality of it just isn't for me. Plus we were pushed for time [View Full Entry]

View of Hoan Kiem Lake in central Saigon

By mod83
January 5th 2006

Email journal from Vietnam - December 05

Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi

Conical Hat

26th December 2005 Email Journal It was an intense first night in Hanoi - a real assault on the senses. I also got my testicles grabbed by a passing bloke on a scooter. I was all up for exuding cultural sensitivity, treading lightly and with humility in a country that no-one could even visit 20 years ago - and then someone goes and grabs your jiblets on Christmas Eve. It’s not what you want really. The exploitation inevitably continued in the financial sense, repeatedly paying double or sometimes 10 times more than the surrounding passengers/diners/shoppers etc… I gue [View Full Entry]

By Moesha Mo Sassy
January 4th 2006

HAppy holidays!!

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City

Who are Those Guys Over there??
Those guys over there...enjoy a day of zero wins. This is post-play the first day, a few beverages in; not sure what we're doing, really.

Christmas and New Years were pretty good in Vietnam! On Christmas Eve, Marta and I delivered some presents to the neighbors (boxes of fruit). They were touched by the gesture and invited us over for a meal. It was unbelievable. First we sat on a small porch in a three room house - the porch was overflowing with broken fans, tools, light fixtures, etc. If we had been in the states, I would have associated it with a home of a meth addict - clearly that wasn't the case here. We had a very humble meal of shrimp and clams, and [View Full Entry]

By Runaway Bride and Groom
January 4th 2006

'Tis the season to be jolly!

Asia » Vietnam

a street seller in Hanoi

Arrived in Hanoi on the evening of 23rd December. The international airport was playing christmas carols! After checking into our guesthouse, we met up with Phill and Debbie who we'd met in Laos and explored the streets of Hanoi. It was truly bizarre. There were christmas decorations on sale everywhere, people dressed up as Santa zooming past on motorbikes, Christmas carols and songs playing. We spent the next day trying to avoid being run over by the 2 million motorbikes in Hanoi (we had excellent training in India!) and trying to find somewhere that we could have Christmas dinner. We man [View Full Entry]

By Governor
January 4th 2006

Back in Bed with a 100 year old Women

Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi

Grandma

While on the Library Project of Vietnam tour the group heard all about Ngat’s one hundred year old Grandmother. About half of the group’s flight schedules were such that they were able to go to a birthday party when the tour was over. This was the largest foreign delegation this small one thousand year old village had ever seen. This was one of the biggest events the village had seen. Most of the villagers turned out to not only congratulate Grandma but to greet the foreigners they heard were coming. Every group of families in the village came, gave a speech [View Full Entry]

By missyc
January 4th 2006

mmmmmuine!

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Mui Ne

Have traded the horn-a-rama of Saigon for the crashing of the South China sea. It's much like the south china sea in Malaysia, tho a bit deeper, more quickly (same scary undertow tho) and the landscape around here is not quite as lush.. Still I'm relieved to report that Vietnam looks like Vietnam (but really Malaysia looked more like Vietnam). Rows and rows of palms swaying against a huge blue sky and wide, white sand beaches, turquoise water. You get the idea... My resort is a bit cheesy, as is the resort town and I've now resolved not to teach any [View Full Entry]

By Jezz in NZ
January 3rd 2006

Mekong Delta

Asia » Vietnam

A vast, warm, mud-brown river, slow-flowing and viscous, shining in the sun. Towns line the banks with houses on stilts overlooking the water. We cruise along the waterways aboard a bright blue narrowboat, past sand-laden sampans whose crew wave as we pass. It’s humid, the temperature around 30°C, and the languid heat of the delta is slowing the day to a crawl, like drowning in treacle. We visit a village and Mr Fu, the perpetually twinkling guide, leaps ashore and takes the lead. Adorable kids giggle and peep at us from behind their hands. We are shown around several cottage industries [View Full Entry]

By missyc
January 3rd 2006

made it

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City

Okay, it's Tuesday I think. And it's 12 hours from NYC which means I did not have to reset my watch. Which is a good thing. Otherwise -- why did I not know that the alphabet would be roman? Makes things a little too easy, not saving me, however, from getting extremely lost this a.m. Ho Chi Minh is HECTIC if not total chaos. Must be 5x louder than NYC. Half the traffic is on motorbikes, some bicycles, rickshaws. Old women wearing those hard triangular hats. Otherwise, the women wear these beatiful long silk caftanish things over flowy silk pants. I [View Full Entry]

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Travel Blog » Asia » Vietnam