Vietnam

Vietnam is located in south-east Asia bordering the South China Sea between Laos and Philippines. The country occupies a total area of 329,560 sq km of which 325,360 sq km is on land. It has a 3,818 km long land boundary and 3,444 km of coastline. The climate is tropical in the south, monsoonal in the north with hot rainy season from mid-May to mid-September and warm, dry season from mid-October to mid-March. There is occasional typhoons with extensive flooding. The terrain is consists mostly of low, flat delta in the south and north with central highlands, hilly mountainous in the far north and north-west. Natural resources include phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil deposits and forests. Vietnam has a total population of 71,787,608 (July 1993 est.). Nationals of Vietnam are known as Vietnamese. The main ethnic group is Vietnamese (90%) and religions include Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic and Protestant. Languages spoken include Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English and Khmer.

HANOI:

-ONE-PILLAR PAGODA
A group of structures consisting of a pagoda and a tower built in the middle of a lake. The entire group was officially called Dien Huu Pagoda and Lien Hoa Tower. However, the tower has traditionally been called the One-Pillar Pagoda. The pagoda is square-shaped with 9 feet in length on each side. The pillar is approximately 4 feet in diameter and 12 feet high. It was built to commemorate King Ly’s dream about the Quan An Buddha sitting on a lotus flower.

-NGOC SON TEMPLE (THE RESTORED SWORD LAKE)
Believed to have been a part of the Red River when it changed its course about 1,000 years ago at this location. In the past, the lake was called Luc Thuy (Blue Water) because the water remained blue throughout the year. It was later in the 15th century that its name finally changed to "Restored Sword".




-BOTANICAL GARDENS
A 50 acre park located behind the Presidential Palace, this arboretum was built by French landscape designers in 1890. After the liberation from the French, the state rebuilt the gardens and opened the grounds and its extensive network of trails to the public.

-HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM
Ho’s final resting place is located in front of his own stilt house. Instead of being cremated as requested, he was preserved and put on display for people to pay respect to. He lies in an air-conditioned glass enclosure for public viewing. The heavily guarded mausoleum is open in the mornings only.

-TEMPLE OF LITERATURE
Considered Hanoi’s first university, King Ly Thanh Tong founded this temple to pay tribute to education and to those of high academic achievement. Though, it closed its doors over 200 years ago, this place is still popular with art students. Many lined the courtyards trying to capture traditional Vietnamese architecture.

-HANOI´S OLD QUARTER
The Old Quarter has a history of over 2,000 years. The area started out as a snake and alligator infested swamp. It was later turned into villages with houses on stilts and was protected by the Chinese. After attaining independence in the 11th century, the cluster acquired a reputation as a crafts area. At present, there are more than 70 streets that are separated into quarters, each specializing in different products.

HOCHIMINH CITY:
REUNIFICATION PALACE-Built in the 1960’s with the assistance of Soviet architects, the palace was used as an office and living quarters of the president and his family prior to the fall of Saigon. In April 1975, a North Vietnamese army tank crushed the front gate of the palace signifying the end of Saigon. Today, rooms open to the public remain exactly as they were in 1975, showing the locations of important meetings that were held during the war. The most fascinating area is a series of underground tunnels housing a telecommunication center.

HALONG BAY:
Halong Bay is a body of water of approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam. It has a 120 kilometre of coastline in the Gulf of Tonkin and is bordered with China. Halong Bay means "Bay of the Descending Dragon".

DA LAT:
Da Lat City is probably one of Vietnam's most well known vacation destination. Since the turn of the century, Da Lat has been the vacation spot for well-to-do Vietnamese and foreigners. It is the unofficial honeymoon Mecca of Vietnam. Located on Lám Viên (Langbian) high lands, part of the greater Central high lands of Vietnam (Cao Nguyen Trung Phan), the city is 1500 m above sea level and is 305 km from Saigon.

THUA THIEN HUE:
It features a tropical monsoon climate with all four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The spring is cool and warm, the summer is hot, the autumn is cool and the winter is cold. Average temperature is 25ºC. The best time for tourists is from November to April.

HOI AN:
Located opposite of the Notre Dame Cathedral, the post office was also built in the late 19th century in a European style. The French colonial building was beautifully designed with a very large map of old Indochina located inside.


DANANG:
It is a maze of narrow streets bustling with people. Ethnic Chinese began their settlement in this area in 1770’s. A popular and a must see temple in Chinatown is the Thien Hau Pagoda. The pagoda is dedicated to the Goddess Thien Hau, protector of the sea. The temple is often crowded with worshippers and the air is always heavy with incense smell.