A country of
contrasts,
Vietnam offers a
rich and varied
cultural
history,
combined with
the charm of a
country which is
still in the
early stages of
development.
Vietnam, a name
too long
associated with
the horrors of
war, has finally
won its last
battle - to
capture the
imagination and
attention of
tourists from
around the
world.
From the dozens
of islands in
the south to the
haunting beauty
of Ha Long Bay,
from the fertile
land of the
Mekong Delta to
the rugged
mountain ranges
of the centre
and north,
Vietnam has at
last opened its
welcoming arms
and smiling
faces to the
world.
Elegant Hanoi
now vies with
its dynamic
sister, Ho Chi
Minh City, for
the attention of
visitors drawn
by the eclectic
mix of old and
new.
Out of town the
scenes are
timeless. Early
morning on the
Mekong Delta
brings the daily
floating markets
where fruit and
vegetables are
sold. Everywhere
the green
patchwork of
rice paddies
stretches into
the distance,
broken only by
the silhouette
of water buffalo
and conical-hatted
workers bending
down to tend the
young plants.
As the number of
tourists finding
their way here
soars, the word
is out that this
is a land not of
bomb craters and
army ordnance,
but of
shimmering
paddy-fields and
white sand
beaches, vibrant
cities and
venerable
pagodas. The
speed with which
Vietnam's
population has
been able to
transcend the
recent past
comes as a
surprise to
visitors who are
generally met
with warmth and
curiosity rather
than
shell-shocked
resentment and
war fatigue.
Despite
Vietnam's
ongoing economic
liberalization
and the
pressures of
rapid
development,
this dignified
country has
managed to
preserve its
rich
civilization and
cultured
society.
Vietnam is the
S-shaped country
taking up the
easternmost part
of Indochina
with a long
coastline of
3,300 km and a
land area of
331,689 square
kilometres. It
is a rugged
country of
mountains,
coastal plains,
and river
deltas. Cambodia
and Laos lie to
the west, China
to the north and
the South China
Sea to the east.
Vietnam is not a
war, but a
country. This
patriotic
nation's history
of fierce
resistance goes
back a lot
further than its
battle with the
United States.
Before ousting
the Americans,
the Vietnamese
repelled French
colonial forces
and before that,
overthrew their
Chinese rulers,
not to mention
seeing off the
terrifying
Mongol hordes.
Vietnam's
greatest
resource is its
friendly,
welcoming
people. Long
closed to the
outside world,
Vietnam retains
a charming
innocence that
most tourist
regions lack.
Yet in the
decade since the
country opened
its doors to
visitors, the
country has
built
world-class
hotels and
tourism
facilities with
international
standards and
traditional
Vietnamese
hospitality.
Vietnam is ready
to take you on
an unforgettable
adventure.
