Viet Nam
_{October 2004}

_Capital

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Hanoi

_Oppervlakte

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329,560 km²
(7.9x the Netherlands)

_Time

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UTC +7

_Language

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Vietnamese, Chinese, French and English

_{Highest point}

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Fan Si Pan - 3,143 m

_Flag

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This flag was adopted as the flag of North Vietnam in 1955. It became the national flag of the Republic of Vietnam when North and South Vietnam were reunited in 1976. The yellow star symbolizes the leadership of the Communist Party. The five points of star represent the workers, peasants, soldiers, intellectuals and traders. Red represents the blood of the people and the communist revolution.

_Itinerary

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_Currency

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The Vietnamese Dong has been the currency of Vietnam since 1978. Depicted on the banknote is Ho Chi Minh. He was a communist leader who played a key role in the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) in 1945, the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. He was president from 1945 until his death in 1969.

_Highlights

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The coastal town of Nha Trang houses is one of the places where you can visit a few temples of the Cham culture. The temples were built in 817. They are dedicated to Uma, the wife of Shiva. Cross the bridge and turn left into the poor fishing district. The houses are small and the area resembles a maze. A "Hey you" and a pointing finger show the way out again. Nha Trang is also a spot for snorkeling. In the morning you can be picked up from the hotel and with a boat you will be brought to the island of Hon Mun. There you will be treated with a large number of exotic fish.

The marble mountains are located a little south of Danang. They consist of five hills where lots of Marble statues are being manufactured. The hills themselves are the scene of a number of temples of which the Huyen Khong cave is the most beautiful. The 30 meter high ceiling of the cave has three holes where light shines in on a small temple inside.

Hué was the imperial capital of Viet Nam from 1802 to 1945. Just outside Hué are the tombs of emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. Tu Duc's tomb is one of the most beautiful.

In 1922, the French built Sa Pa at an altitude of 1500 meters in northwestern Vietnam. Eight minorities live in this area: Hmong, Dao, Tay, Giay, Huong, Thai, Xao and Xa Pho. You can visit colorful markets and there are nice hikes in the area.

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Hoi An is the pearl of Vietnam. It had a large harbour in the 16th and 17th centuries. Japanese from Nagasaki and Chinese from Fukien lived in their own neighborhoods and even had their own form of government with its own laws. Today it is a pleasant town where you can enjoy the sights of the city and music performances with a passe-partout. You can also make an excursion to My Son, an inland temple complex. Of the original 70 temples, only about 20 are more or less spared. The Viet Cong had a base here which was heavily bombed by the Americans. The Cham temples were built between the 7th and 13th centuries.

In the late 1940s, the Viet Cong started building an extensive network of tunnels in Cu Chi to the west of Ho Chi Minh City. During the Vietnam war the total length was more than 200 km. The earth in this area is very compact and sturdy. A hatch in the ground is one of the entrances to the tunnel just below the surface. It is very well camouflaged. You have to raise your arms straight up or you won't fit through the hole. The tunnel we crawled into had been adjusted for tourism. There are also demonstrations of booby traps. There is a religious center of the Cao Dai in Tay Ninh. They worship a combination of Lao Tsé, Confucius, Jesus and Buddha. This belief only occurs in Vietnam.

The Chinese neighborhood of Cholon in Ho Chi Minh City has a busy market which is a must see. The Thien Hau pagoda is also located in this district. It was built in the 18th century. It is dedicated to the Chinese goddess of the sea.