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Vietnam's history is a history of
war, colonization and rebellion.
Occupied by China no less than four
times, the Vietnamese managed to
beat off the invaders just as often.
Vietnam's last emperors were the
Nguyễn Dynasty, who ruled from their
capital at Hue from 1802 to 1945,
although France exploited the
succession crisis after the fall of
Tự Đức to de facto colonize Vietnam
after 1884.
After a brief Japanese occupation in
World War II, the Communist Viet
Cong under the leadership of Hồ Chí
Minh continued the insurgency
against the French, with the last
Emperor Bao Dai abdicating in 1945
and a proclamation of independence
following soon after. The majority
of French had left by 1945, but in
1946 they returned to continue the
fight until their decisive defeat at
Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva
Conference partitioned the country
into two at 17th parallel, with a
Communist-led North and Ngo Dinh
Diem declaring himself President of
the Republic of Vietnam in the
South.
The tank that ended the war, Ho Chi
Minh CityUS economic and military
aid to South Vietnam grew through
the 1960s in an attempt to bolster
the Southern Vietnam government,
escalating into the dispatch of
500,000 American troops in 1966 and
what became known as the Vietnam War
- although the Vietnamese refer to
it as the American War. What was
supposed to be a quick and decisive
action soon degenerated into a
quagmire, and US armed forces were
withdrawn following a cease-fire
agreement in 1973. Two years later,
on April 30, 1975, a North
Vietnamese tank drove into the
South's Presidential Palace in Ho
Chi Minh City and the war ended.
Over 55,000 Americans and an
estimated 3 million Vietnamese were
killed.
The American Vietnamese war was only
one of many that the Vietnamese have
fought, but it was the most brutal
in its history. Over two thirds of
the current population was born
after 1975. American tourists will
receive a particularly friendly
welcome in Vietnam, as many young
Vietnamese aspire to American
culture.
[edit] Economy
Bustling central HanoiEconomic
reconstruction of the reunited
country has proven difficult. After
the failures of the state-run
economy started to become apparent,
the country launched a program of
đổi mới (renovation), introducing
elements of capitalism. The policy
has proved highly successful, with
Vietnam recording near 10% growth
yearly (except for a brief
interruption during the Asian
economic crisis of 1997). The
economy is much better than
Cambodia, Laos, and other
neighboring developing countries.
Like most Communist countries around
the world, there is a fine balance
between allowing foreign investors
and opening up the market; and being
found to be against the political
line. From the government's
perspective they need to follow the
Chinese model: significant
liberalization in the economy, yet
not so much the case in politics.
[edit] Climate
Vietnam is large enough to have
several distinct climate zones.
The South has three somewhat
distinct seasons: hot and dry from
March to May/June; rainy from
June/July to November; and cool and
dry from December to February. April
is the hottest month, with mid-day
temperatures of 33°C or more most
days. During the rainy season,
downpours can happen every
afternoon, and occasional street
flooding occurs. Temperatures range
from stifling hot before a rainstorm
to pleasantly cool afterward.
Mosquitoes are most numerous in the
rainy season. December to February
is the most pleasant time to visit,
with cool evenings down to around
20°C.
The North has four distinct seasons,
with a comparatively chilly winter
(temperatures can dip below 15°C in
Hanoi), a hot and wet summer and
pleasant spring (March-April) and
autumn (October-December) seasons.
However, in the Highlands both
extremes are amplified, with
occasional snow in the winter and
temperatures hitting 40°C in the
summer.
In the Central regions the Hai Van
pass separates two different weather
patterns of the North starting in
Lanco (which is hotter in Summer and
colder in Winter) from the more mild
conditions South starting in Danang.
North East Monsoon conditions
September - February with often
strong winds, large sea swells and
rain make this a miserable and
difficult time to travel through
Central Vietnam. Normally summers
are hot and dry. Global climate is
becoming more difficult to predict -
except that the extremes are
occurring more often and seasons are
not as predictable; meaning that
storms are more common and stronger
than before.
[edit] Holidays
By far the largest holiday of the
year is Tết, celebration of the New
Year (as marked by the lunar
calendar), which takes place between
late January and March on the
Western calendar. In the period
leading up to Tết, the country is
abuzz with preparations. Guys on
motorbikes rush around delivering
potted tangerine trees and flowering
bushes, the traditional household
decorations. People get a little bit
stressed out and the elbows get
sharper, especially in big cities,
where the usual hectic level of
traffic becomes almost homicidal.
Then a few days before Tết the pace
begins to slow down, as thousands of
city residents depart for their
ancestral home towns in the
provinces. Finally on the first day
of the new year an abrupt
transformation occurs: the streets
become quiet, almost deserted.
Nearly all shops and restaurants
close for three days, (the exception
being a few that cater especially to
foreign visitors; and hotels operate
as usual.)
In the major cities, streets are
decorated with lights and public
festivities are organized which
attract many thousands of residents.
But for Vietnamese, Tết is mostly a
private, family celebration. On the
eve of the new year, families gather
together and exchange good wishes
(from more junior to more senior)
and gifts of "lucky money" (from
more senior to more junior). In the
first three days of the year, the
daytime hours are devoted to
visiting -- houses of relatives on
the first day, closest friends and
important colleagues on the second
day, and everyone else on the third
day. Many people also visit pagodas.
The evening hours are spent drinking
and gambling (men) or chatting,
playing, singing karaoke, and
enjoying traditional snacks and
candy (women and children.)
Visiting Vietnam during Tết has good
points and bad points. On the minus
side: modes of transport are jammed
just before the holiday as many
Vietnamese travel to their home
towns; hotels fill up, especially in
smaller towns; and your choice of
shopping and dining is severely
limited in the first days of the new
year (with a few places closed up to
two weeks). On the plus side, you
can observe the preparations and
enjoy the public festivities;
pagodas are especially active; no
admission is charged to those
museums and historical sites that
stay open; and the
foreigner-oriented travel industry
of backpacker buses and resort
hotels chugs along as usual.
Visitors also stand a chance of
being invited to join the
festivities, especially if you have
some local connections or manage to
make some Vietnamese friends during
your stay. When visiting during Tết,
it's wise to get settled somewhere
at least two days before the new
year, and don't try to move again
until a couple of days after.
Lesser holidays include May 1, the
traditional socialist labor day, and
September 2, Vietnam's national day.
Around those times, trains and
planes tend to be sold out, and
accommodations at the beach or in
Dalat are hard to find. Best to book
far in advance.
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