Vietnam Understand & Survival (Chapter) Edition 11th Edition, February 2012 Pages 117pp PDF Page Range 425-536 Coverage includes: Understand Vietnam, Vietnam Today, History - from Chinese occupation to the American War and beyond, People & Culture, Hill Tribes of Vietnam, Architecture: French Colonial, Pagodas & Temples and Soviet Architecture, Food & Drink: Regional Specialties, Vegetarians & Vegans, Customs and Cooking Courses, Environment: Wildlife, National Parks, Environmental Issues and Global Warming, Survival Guide, Directory, Transport and Glossary. Useful Links: Having trouble viewing your file? Head to Lonely Planet Troubleshooting. Need more assistance? Head to the Help and Support page. Want to check out guides close to these chapters? Head back to the Lonely Planet Shop. Want to hear fellow travellers’ tips and experiences? Lonely Planet’s Thorntree Community is waiting for you! © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Understand Vietnam VIETNAM TODAY . .426 From broke socialist economy to capitalist market model, Vietnam’s transformation has been swift. What’s the state of play today? HISTORY . .429 Vietnam’s history has been a near-endless task of taking on and repelling invaders from the east and west. PEOPLE & CULTURE . 447 Perhaps the most diverse country in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is home to an incredible blend of people and cultures. HILL TRIBES OF VIETNAM . 457 Highland cultures, traditions, beliefs and landscapes are a world away from lowland Vietnamese ways. ARCHITECTURE IN VIETNAM . 467 From French colonial grandeur to Socialist brutalism, Vietnam’s architectural legacy is diverse and fascinating. REGIONAL SPECIALITIES . 477 Find out about Hue’s imperial cuisine, Hoi An’s unique culinary heritage and northern and southern staples. FOOD & DRINK . .485 From crunchy spring rolls to fresh beer, you’ll never go hungry or thirsty in Vietnam. ENVIRONMENT . 492 The land is compelling in its beauty, but pollution and wildlife trading are constant threats. population per sq km 426 VIETNAM UK USA ≈ 80 people Vietnam Today Few places on earth have changed as much as Vietnam in the past few decades. One of the poorest, war-wounded corners of the globe has trans- formed itself into a stable, prospering nation through industriousness, ingenuity and ambition. The overall standard of living has risen incred- ibly, and education and healthcare have greatly improved. Blue-chip » Population: 90.5 million fi nance has fl ooded into a red-fl ag Communist society. Comrades have become entrepreneurs. It’s been a breathtaking, and largely successful » Life expect- ancy: 69 for transformation. men, 75 for And yet, take a peek beneath those headline-grabbing growth fi gures women and there are concerns. Double-digit growth has faltered as the economy » Infant has cooled. Corruption remains systemic. Vietnamese people have to pay mortality: 21 backhanders for everything from getting an internet connection to securing per 1000 births a hospital appointment. At the highest level, corrupt politicians have been » GDP: caught demanding millions of dollars to facilitate infrastructure projects. US$104.6 billion The Political Landscape » Adult literacy Vietnam’s political system could not be simpler: the Communist Party is rate: 94% the sole source of power. Offi cially, according to the Vietnamese consti- tution, the National Assembly (or parliament) is the country’s supreme authority, but in practice it’s a tool of the Party and carefully controlled elections ensure 90% of delegates are Communist Party members. Offi cially, communism is still king, but there can be few party hacks who really believe Vietnam is a Marxist utopia. Market-oriented social- ism is the new mantra. Capitalism thrives like never before, the dynamic private sector driving the economy. On the street, everyone seems to be out to make a fast buck. The reality is that the state still controls a vast swathe of the economy. More than 100 of the 200 biggest companies in Vietnam are state-owned T o p B o o k s B e s t F i l m s » The Quiet American (Graham » Vietnam: Rising Dragon (Bill » Apocalypse Now (1979) Greene) Classic novel set in the Hayton) A candid assessment of Director: Francis Ford Coppola 1950s. the nation today. » Cyclo (Xich Lo; 1995) » The Sorrow of War (Bao » Catfish & Mandala (Andrew Director: Anh Hung Tran Ninh) The North Vietnamese X Pham) Biographical tale of a » The Deer Hunter (1978) perspective. Vietnamese-American. Director: Michael Cimino belief systems if Vietnam were 427 (% of population) 100 people 37.4 31.9 Buddhist Protestant 86 would be Kinh (Vietnamese) 20.7 3 would be Thai and Muong 2 would be Tay 9.4 0.4 2 would be Khmer Krom (ethnic Khmer) Catholic Cao Dai Other 1 would be Hoa (ethnic Chinese) 6 would be others and the key sectors of oil production, shipbuilding, cement, coal and rub- ber are government controlled. There’s no sign that Party hegemony is slipping in other areas. Politi- cal dissent is a complete no-no and the entire nation’s internet operates behind a fi rewall that blocks anything – including Facebook – that might potentially lead to trouble. In 2007, democracy movement members Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan were sent to prison for spread- ing ‘anti-state propaganda’. North & South The Vietnamese economy has been buoyant for 20 years, but some areas are more buoyant than others. In 2011, the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) » Annual rice economy was growing at double the national rate (10.3% compared to production: 5.5%). It’s the south that’s benefi ted most from inward investment as Viet 36 million tonnes Kieu (overseas Vietnamese, the vast majority of whom are southerners) » have returned and invested in the region. Bombs dropped on The government is aware of these divisions and tries to balance the Vietnam in the offi ces of state so if the prime minister is from the south, the head of the American War: Communist Party is from the north. 8 million tonnes When it comes to the older generation, the south has never forgiven » Number of the north for bulldozing their war cemeteries, imposing communism mobile phones: and blackballing whole families. The north has never forgiven the south 98 million+ for siding with the Americans against their own people. Luckily for » Annual nuoc Vietnam, the new generation seems to have less interest in the country’s mam (fish harrowing history. sauce) pro- duction: 200 Vietnam’s Place in the World million litres In 2000 Bill Clinton became the fi rst US president to visit northern Viet- nam. George W Bush followed suit in 2006. Today relations with the Best Fruit » Platoon (1986) Director: » Mangosteen (mang cut) » Papaya (du du) Delicious Oliver Stone Subtle, fragrant and delicately unripe in salads, or refreshing » The Lover (L’amant; 1992) flavoured. when ripe. Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud » Rambutan (chom chom) » Longan (nhan) Light-brown Looks like a sore testicle, inside skin and a lychee-like flavour. it’s sweet and juicy. 428 VIETNAM TODAY TODAY VIETNAM USA are politically cordial and economically vibrant (bilateral trade was worth more than US$18 billion in 2010). US and Vietnamese militaries hold annual Defense Policy Dialogue talks. Vietnam’s suppression of po- litical dissent and issues of freedom of speech and religion remain areas of contention. For the Vietnamese, the legacy of Agent Orange and dioxin poisoning remains unresolved – the USA has never paid compensation to the estimated three million victims of dioxin poisoning resulting from P r i n c i p a l aerial bombing during the American War. Agricultural Relations with Vietnam’s historic enemy China have improved signifi - Exports: cantly. Trade is booming, borders are hyper-busy and joint cooperation » Rice in everything from steel manufacturing to naval patrols continues. Chi- nese is the second most popular foreign language studied in Vietnam. » Coffee The Spratly Islands, rich in oil deposits, remain a potential fl ashpoint » Rubber however, with both nations claiming sovereignty. Escalating tensions re- » Cotton sulted in protests against the Chinese occupation of the islands in Hanoi » Tea and HCMC in June 2011. » Pepper Vietnam counterbalances its power politics with China and the USA with active membership of ASEAN, and by fostering important links » Soybeans with India, Russia and former Soviet block countries (from which it buys » Cashews most of its military hardware). » Sugar cane » Peanuts State of the Nation » Bananas Most Vietnamese have accepted their status quo, for now. They’re living in an age of rising prosperity. Times are pretty good for most, though infl ation (running at 22% in July 2011) is a huge concern. The country is stable. Tourism is booming, empowering a new generation of young Viets to a better life. Of course if things turn sour the tide may turn, but for now the outlook looks decent as long as opportunities remain and the economy prospers. Must Experience » Learn the art of crossing » Meet the minorities in a the street. mountain village. » Saddle-up and see the nation » Play tram phan tram (100%) or on two wheels. bottoms-up in a backstreet bar. » Squat down and get stuck into street food. 429 History To get an idea of Vietnam’s turbulent history all you have to do is stroll through any town in the country and take at look at the street names.