The
war had ended in April 1975 when Marine and Air Force helicopters
transported more than 1,000 American civilians and 7,000 South
Vietnamese our of Saigon in an 18 hour evacuation. More than 58,000
Americans, 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong, 250,000 South
Vietnamese and 2 million civilians lost their lives during the fighting.
Few visitors came to Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City. The Majestic Hotel. Second floor. I slept with my dollar- stuffed money belt under the pillow, wrapped around my hand. Same routine for 15 nights. Payment was in Hanoi. Cash only - US Dollars. We had no diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Our small group of Portland travelers included several Vietnam vets, a couple teachers, a Lewis & Clark College Asia Studies Professor, a television reporter, cameraman and news manager. It was 1987. We were one of the first Western groups to travel the country after the war (the first commercial flights began in 2004). Travel was highly restricted, but we had a reporter and they needed tourist dollars.
Bordering on China
in the north, Laos and Cambodia in the west and open to the sea in the east and
south, Vietnam is a bridge linking the continental part of Southeast Asia to
the archipelagos scattered through the Eastern Sea. Vietnam lies along international sea routes
between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans and between Indochina and Oceania
countries. Its land extends over 2,000
km. from Lung Cu in Ha Tuyen Province to Rach Tau in Minh Hai Province and
encompasses thousands of islands off the coast.
More than 60 million people from 54 ethnic groups live within the
country. The Viet (Kinh) account for 84%
of the population.
Vietnam is
composed of five geographic regions: The
Northern Highlands, a mountainous region in northwest Vietnam covered by
forests or jungles which is lightly populated; the Red River Delta, formed by
the Red River which flows from Southern China through Northern Vietnam into the
Gulf of Tonkin which is a densely populated area and Northern Vietnam's main
agricultural area; the Annamite Range, a range of mountains running through
Western Vietnam through the northern highlands and which is covered by forests
and sparsely populated by the Montagnards; the Coastal Lowlands, an area
between the mountains and South China Sea which extends between the Red River
and Mekong Deltas and which is densely populated by fishermen and rice farmers;
and the Mekong Delta which is formed by the Mekong River and all of the area
south of the Annamite Range and the Coastal Lowlands in which over one-half of
the population of South Vietnam lives and which is a major agricultural area.
Indochina is a
mixture of cultures and religions due to the migrations of its peoples from
Southern China, Central Asia and Indonesia.
This area has been invaded from all directions, from Thailand on the
west, from China on the north and from the sea on the east throughout history. Because of the diversity of cultures, it has
been difficult to develop a homogeneous and unified people.
Recollections:
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network consisting of over 200 miles of tunnels connected with one another in an intricate web constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. They were dug with rudimentary tools, complete with living and sleeping areas, kitchens, hospitals, ordinance workshops and a printing press. The openings were camouflaged against detection.
Travel by motor launch through the vast expanse of the Mekong Delta Region, an area built up over the centuries by massive quantities of silt from the Mekong River. My Tho, a city in the Mekong Delta, is approached through traditional agriculture and fishing communities.
Recollections:
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network consisting of over 200 miles of tunnels connected with one another in an intricate web constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. They were dug with rudimentary tools, complete with living and sleeping areas, kitchens, hospitals, ordinance workshops and a printing press. The openings were camouflaged against detection.
Travel by motor launch through the vast expanse of the Mekong Delta Region, an area built up over the centuries by massive quantities of silt from the Mekong River. My Tho, a city in the Mekong Delta, is approached through traditional agriculture and fishing communities.
Da Lat, City of a Thousand Pines or City of the Eternal Spring, is the market garden of Vietnam and provides much of the countries fruit, vegetables, coffee and wine. Founded in 1896 by the French scientist, Dr. Yersin, it has grown into a hill resort town.
Known to early Western merchants, Hoi An was one of the major trading centres
of Southeast Asia in the 16th century (1999 became a World Heritage Site by UNESCO). Hoi An has a mixed
Chinese-Vietnamese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow streets;
the original structure of some of these streets is still virtually intact. Many
of the houses are constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels
engraved with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs.
Near Danang lies the Marble Mountains, a scenic spot with caves, temples, shrines, pagodas
and a great view of the surrounding area. The caves can be reached by climbing
steep steps or taking the elevator to the top (subject to surcharge). Marble Mountains consist of five hills made of marble. Each of the former islands is named after one
of the five elements of the universe:
water, wood, fire, metal and earth.
Thuy Son (water), the most popular pilgrimage site, is an unusual
and beautiful Buddhist grotto. Its
central feature is a series of natural grottoes with temples carved into the
rock, which are illuminated from above. Huyen
Khong Cave, a spectacular chamber studded with Buddhist and Confucian
shrines, was used by the Viet Cong as a field hospital, while American soldiers
lounged on nearby China Beach, a former U.S. in-country recreational
facility. Danang international airport reached an average of 2,595 flights a day during the war, more than any other airport or airbase in the world at that time.
The Hue Imperial Citadel is situated on the Northern bank of the Perfume River and built by Emperor Gia Long it was designed for the exclusive use of the Emperor and his household. The Citadel is a square 2 km wall encompassing 3 walled enclosures; the Citadel, Kinh Thanh Hue, the Yellow Imperial city, Hoang Thanh and in the centre the Forbidden Purple city Tu Cam Thanh where the Emperor lived. The Hue royal complex has been officially recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Imperial Citadel was heavily damaged between 1968 and 1975 during the Vietnam war due to troop occupations of Viet Cong, South Vietnamese and allied forces.
The Hue Imperial Citadel is situated on the Northern bank of the Perfume River and built by Emperor Gia Long it was designed for the exclusive use of the Emperor and his household. The Citadel is a square 2 km wall encompassing 3 walled enclosures; the Citadel, Kinh Thanh Hue, the Yellow Imperial city, Hoang Thanh and in the centre the Forbidden Purple city Tu Cam Thanh where the Emperor lived. The Hue royal complex has been officially recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Imperial Citadel was heavily damaged between 1968 and 1975 during the Vietnam war due to troop occupations of Viet Cong, South Vietnamese and allied forces.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a logistics and military supply route from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam where tons of supplies, weapons, manpower and ammunition were moved on trails, footpaths and roadways through dense jungle and rugged mountain ranges. According to the US National Security Agency's official history of the war, the trail system was "one of the greatest achievements of military engineering of the 20th century." It was, also, one of the single most intensely bombed areas of the war, with bombs dropped on average every seven minutes.
French mercenaries invaded Hanoi in 1883, and it
became the seat of the colonial government of French Indochina from 1887 to 1954. When they departed, they left
grandiose ministries, an opera house and villas with yellow facades and green shutters. In fact, much of the city
looks like a French provincial town of the 1930's, with shady, tree-lined boulevards. In the old commercial
section are the 36 streets where the handicrafts or trades were centered from the 15th century. Each trade worked on
its own separate street, which was, and still is, named for the business that was conducted there: Tin Street, Jeweler's Street, Broiled Fish Street, Basket
Street, etc. The area now houses a variety of small shops. We were hosted by the Sweden Ambassador at the Embassy during our stay in Hanoi. Further, I was able to meet with the organization with whom I organized our special tour and hand them a pile of cash. No more sleeping with my money belt.
The picturesque Halong Bay
has more than 3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water, many
of them containing beautiful grottoes - Thien Cung and Dau Go
grottoes situated on the south-west side of the bay, 4 km from the wharf
outside of Ha Long City. The way to Thien Cung grotto is covered on both sides
by thick forest. After entering a narrow gate, the grotto’s 130-meter-long
girth opens up. On the east
wall of the grotto, there is a grandiose and imposing picture with characters
of tales. This grotto is one of the most beautiful ones in Halong Bay. Legend has it, that a beautiful young lady
named May (cloud), caught the eye of the Dragon Prince and he fell in love with
her. They were betrothed and their wedding lasted seven days and seven nights
in the very center of the grotto.
VIETNAM: Past and Present
Folkways' Image Library
A YouTube Slide Show
A YouTube Slide Show
