COUNTRY INFORMATION  
Countries | VIETNAM
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History weighs heavily on Vietnam. For more than a decade, reportage of the war that racked the country portrayed it as a savage netherworld, yet nearly thirty years after the war's end, this incredibly resilient nation is beginning to emerge from the shadow.

Despite Vietnam's on going economic liberalization and the pressures of rapid development, this dignified country has managed to preserve its rich civilization and highly cultured society. Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats. There are some divine beaches along the coast too, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests.

The country has discarded its post-war fatigues and the boom in budget traveling, coupled with the softening of government control, have enabled more contemporary and relevant portraits of the country to gain currency in the West. Vietnam offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.

Major Tourist Cities/Areas Information:
  Can Tho Hue
  Chaudoc Nha Trang
  Da Nang Phan Thiet
  Dalat Phu Quoc
  Haiphong Saigon
  Halong Sapa
  Hanoi Vung Tau
  Hoi An  
     

 

 
Major Tourist Cities / Areas Information
Visa Requirement
 
VIETNAM Map

Country Fact*:

Full country name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Area: 329,560 sq km
Population: 82,689,518
Capital city: Hanoi
People: Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
Language:Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Religion: Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim
Government: Communist People's Republic
Business Hours: Basic hours of business are 7.30-11.30am and 1.30-4.30pm. Most offices close on Sunday, and many also close on Saturdays. States-run banks and government offices as a general rule open Monday to Friday, usually closing at weekends, though there are exceptions. Travellers' cafes and tour agents tend to open early to late every day; state-run tourist offices usually open daily until the early evening, sometimes closing Sunday. As a general rule, museums open daily; core opening hours are usually 8-11am and 1.30-4.30pm; however these vary at the weekend. Hanoi museums tend to close Monday to Friday. Temples and pagodas occasionally close for lunch but are other-wise open all week and don't close until late evening.
Major industries: Rice, rubber, food processing, sugar, textiles, chemicals
Major trading partners: China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, US
Internet domain: .vn
International dialling code: +84

Calendar of Events*:

January:
1st - New Year's Day
Tet, Vietnamese New Year
February:
3rd - Founding Day of the Communist Party of Vietnam
11-15th - Lunar New Year Festival
March:
Day to commemorate the Trung sisters, who in the year 41 of Christian reckoning led a rebellion against the Chinese rulers; movable holiday, as it depends on the moon calendar
April:
30th - Victory Day
May:
1st - International Labor Day
19th - Birhday of Ho Chi Minh
June:
Birthday of Buddha
September:
2nd - Vietnamese National Day
3rd - Day to commemorate the death of Ho Chi Minh in 1969; national holiday
autumn celebration at which children parade through the streets with lanterns; for this celebration moon cakes are baked; moveable holiday, as it depends on the moon calendar
November:
Birthday of Confucius; moveable holiday, as it depends on the moon calendar
December:
25th - Christmas Day
*Information is subject to change. For further update, please check these websites: www.bbc.com, www.cia.gov, www.uttours.com