The very mention of the name Vietnam in the 1960s and ’70s came to signify either a brutal jungle war or a spectacular failure of American power – or both. Thankfully, the combined legacies of French occupation, the Vietnam War and withdrawal of Soviet aid in 1990 have given way to the Vietnamese citizens’ thriving entrepreneurial spirit, fueled by overseas investment and a relaxing of government control. And yet, the exotic chime of names and places still remains: Hue, Dien Bien Phu, the Perfumed River, the Plain of Reeds.
The people are erudite and friendly, the food a delicious ixture of French and local cuisine’s, and the scenery is sublime. Although Vietnam lies in the intertropical zone, local conditions vary from frosty winter in the far northern hills to the year-round subequatorial warmth of the Mekong Delta. At sea level, the mean annual temperature is about 27 degrees C in the south, falling to about 21 degrees C in the far north. Because of its wide range of latitudes and altitudes, there are no good or bad seasons for visiting Vietnam.
When one region is wet, cold or steaming hot, there is always somewhere else that is pleasantly warm and sunny. Visitors should take into account the Vietnamese New Year celebration (Tet) which falls in late January or early February – flights and accommodation are often fully booked. Four great philosophies and religions have shaped the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity.
Over the centuries, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have melded with popular Chinese beliefs and ancient Vietnamese animism to form what is known as Tam Giao (or ‘Triple Religion’). The Vietnamese language (kinh) is a hybrid of Mon-Khmer, Tai and Chinese elements with any of its basic words derived from the monotonic Mon-Khmer languages. The most widely spoken foreign languages in Vietnam are Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), English, French and Russian, more or less in that order.
Popular artistic forms include: traditional painting produced on frame- mounted silk; an eclectic array of theaters, puppetry, music and dance; religious sculpture; and lacquerware. Vietnamese cuisine is especially varied – there are said to be nearly 500 different traditional dishes, ranging from exotic meats such as bat, cobra and pangolin to fantastic vegetarian creations (often prepared to replicate eat and fish dishes). However, the staple of Vietnamese cuisine is plain white rice dressed up with a plethora of vegetables, meat, fish, spices and sauces.
Spring rolls and steamed rice pancakes are popular snacks, and the ubiquitous soups include eel and vermicelli, shredded chicken and bitter soups. Some of the more unusual fruits available include green dragon fruit, jujube, khaki, longan, mangosteen, pomelo, three-seed cherry and water apple. Vietnamese coffee is excellent. Special prayers are held at Vietnamese and Chinese pagodas on days when the moon is ither full or the merest sliver. Many Buddhists eat only vegetarian food on these days.
Some of the major religious festivals follow a lunar calendar. They include: Tet (late Jan-early Feb), the most important festival of the year, marking the new lunar year as well as the advent of spring; Wandering Souls Day (August), the second-largest festival of the year, when offerings of food and gifts are given to the wandering souls of the forgotten dead; and Holiday of the Dead (April), which commemorates deceased relatives. Ho Chi Minh City is the heart and soul of Vietnam.
It’s a ustling, dynamic and industrious center, the largest city (3. million), the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. The streets, where much of the city’s life takes place, is a myriad of shops, stalls, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. The city churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture. Sights include the Giac Lam Pagoda, the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Hall, Cholon market and the former US embassy, scene of such havoc during the 1975 vacuations.
Central Ho Chi Minh City is the place to be on Sunday and holiday nights. The streets are jam-packed with young locals cruising the town on bicycles and motorbikes, out to see and be seen. The Municipal Theater area is the hub for young hipsters. Entertainment ranges from disco and karaoke in the larger hotels, loud Western music in bars such as the Hard Rock Cafe, dancing at the Rex Hotel or experiencing traditional Vietnamese music at the Conservatory of Music. Most forms of entertainment can be found in downtown Ho Chi Minh City along Mac Thi Buoi Street.
