About
Vietnam
We’ve written
these pages about Vietnam’s history, culture and religion
for people who are not familiar with our Asian culture. The
topics are treated thematically, presenting our version of
the events and beliefs that have shaped Vietnam in the past,
and now influence it in the present.
The sections
about Vietnam's geography, weather, ethnic people, traditional
arts and crafts, and the Vietnam War have been written with
tourism in mind.
The remaining
pages briefly describe Vietnam today – its politics, government,
and the challenges it faces.
Although Vietnam
is still a ‘new destination’, more and more visitors are drawn
by the image of a country previously associated with war and
conflict, but now revealed as a place of unspoilt natural
beauty and culture. It has much to offer holidaymakers - friendly
people, exotic ethnic cultures, spectacular scenery and beaches,
plenty of things to see and do, and a well-deserved reputation
as the safest country in Asia.
Our turbulent
past of foreign occupation and warfare left the country in
a cultural time warp. Although it’s modernising rapidly, centuries-old
traditions, customs and practices have survived, and many
are still thriving, hand in hand with modern technology. So
far, we’ve escaped the worst of globalisation: no ‘McDonalds',
'Starbucks', and hardly any multinational companies.
Vietnam
is changing, and changing rapidly. It's a young country –
65% of its population is under 25 - and has made remarkable
progress since opening its doors to foreign investment in
the 1990’s. Vietnam’s progress in reducing poverty has far
outstripped that of any other country. It has drastically
reduced poverty, become the world’s second largest exporter
of rice and coffee, and consistently maintained a high GDP
growth rate.
For us Vietnamese,
the pace of development is bewildering at times. We recognise
that change must come, but fear that it may damage the precious
culture and heritage for which so many of our predecessors
fought and died.
Nevertheless,
we welcome tourism. When the eyes of the world look upon our
country’s buildings, traditions and natural beauty with approval,
it builds pride and self-confidence among our people, and
encourages us to treasure our past and conserve it for future
generations.
We want this
website to be an information database for people who are interested
in Vietnam. If you think there’s a topic that's missing or
something that needs expanding, please let us know. We’ll
be delighted to add more pages!
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