From
the 1st to the 6th centuries, the south of what is now Vietnam was part of the
Indianised kingdom of Funan. The Hindu kingdom of Champa appeared
around present-day Danang in the late 2nd century and had spread south to what
is now Nha Trang by the 8th century. The Chinese conquered the Red River Delta
in the 2nd century and their 1,000-year rule, marked by tenacious Vietnamese
resistance and repeated rebellions, ended in 938 AD when Ngo Quyen
vanquished the Chinese armies at the Bach Dang River.
During
the next few centuries, Vietnam repulsed repeated invasions by China, and
expanded its borders southwards from the Red River Delta, populating much of
the Mekong Delta. In 1858, French and Spanish-led forces stormed Danang after
several missionaries had been killed. A year later, Ho Chi Minh City
(formerly Saigon) was seized. By 1867, France had conquered all of southern
Vietnam, which became the French colony of Cochin-China. Communist
guerillas under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh resisted French domination. Ho
Chi Minh's declaration of Vietnamese independence after World War II sparked
violent confrontations with the French, culminating in the French military
defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
The
Geneva Accords of 1954 temporarily divided Vietnam into two zones (the
Communist north and the anti-Communist, US-supported south). Political and
ideological opposition quickly turned to armed struggle, prompting the USA and
other countries to commit combat troops in 1965. The Paris Peace Agreements,
signed in 1973, provided an immediate cease-fire and signaled the withdrawal of
US troops. Saigon eventually capitulated to the Communist forces on 30 April
1975.
The
end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR in 1991 caused Vietnam and
Western nations to seek rapprochement. In July 1995, even intransigent America
re-established diplomatic relations with Hanoi.
Vietnam
has 3,260 kilometers of coastline, and you can hire snorkeling and diving
gear at most beach resorts. The most popular beaches are Vung Tau, just
north of the Mekong Delta, and Nha Trang, near Dalat. There is good hiking,
horse riding and cycling in the beautiful countryside around
Dalat. Vietnam is a favorite place with long-distance cyclists because much of
the country is flat and the shortage of vehicles makes for light traffic.
Groups of Western cyclists have begun touring, especially around the Mekong
Delta.
Spelunkers
should head for the spectacular Pong Nha river caves, northwest of Dong Hoi.
Those interested in the Vietnam War can walk part of the Ho Chi Minh
Trail, a series of roads, trails and paths used as supply routes by the North
Vietnamese during the war. It ran from North Vietnam southward through the
Truong Son Mountains and into western Laos. Those with a 4WD can drive a
60-km stretch between Aluoi and Hue. The network of tunnels at Cu Chi (35 km
from Saigon) and Vinh Moc (near the old border between North and South Vietnam)
enable visitors to experience the claustrophobic life led by villagers and
guerrillas during the war.
Special
prayers are held at Vietnamese and Chinese pagodas on days when the moon
is either full or merely silver. 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; Doan
Ngu (June), when human effigies are burnt, becoming soldiers in the god of
death's army; and Holiday of the Dead (April), which commemorates
deceased relatives.
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').
Language
The
Vietnamese language (kinh) is a hybrid of Mon-Khmer, Tai and Chinese elements
with many 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.
Arts
Popular
artistic forms include: traditional painting produced on frame-mounted silk; an
eclectic array of theatre, puppetry, music and dance; religious sculpture; and
lacquer ware.
Food
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 meat 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.