Location:

Located in the East of the peninsula of Indochina, Vietnam is bordered by Laos and Cambodia in the
West and China in the North.The country measures 326 797 square kilometers with 77 560 000 inhabitants.
The capital is Hanoi.
The time in Vietnam is 7 hours ahead of the GMT time.
The electric current is 220 volts - 50 Hertz in the cities and 110 volts - 50 hertz in the rural zones.
Please bring an adapter.
In Vietnam you drive on the right hand side of the street.
Visas are mandatory and valid for 28 days. Your passport needs to be valid for an additional
six month after your return date.

Presentation:

The country stretches 1600 kilometers along the Chinese ocean. It can be divided into three zones from top to bottom.
The North is the mountain region of Tonkin (<3 143 meters), which looks over the plain of the Red River (Hanoi).
In the center is Annam with its mountains and high plateaus. In the South, Cochinchine with its endless flatlands
and the Mekong Delta also known as the Saigon region. It is the country’s most populated region. Vietnam is
still very rural and Buddhist (60%) and 90% of the population are Vietnamese, plus some Thai, Khmer, Meo
and Mong minorities, who mostly live in the mountain regions. 2,5 million Vietnamese live abroad, mainly in France and in the US.
The country's main resources consist of agriculture (rice, coffee, soy...), fishing, animal breeding and wood.

History:

Prehistory: recent archeological discoveries indicate that the Northern part of Vietnam became populated almost 500 000 years ago.
Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures appeared 10 000 years ago. These groups started a primitive form of agriculture in 7000 b.c.

200 B.C.: the Chinese conquer the Red River delta. There they encounter a feudal society living of hunting and fishing.

Year 40: the Chinese execute a powerful feudal lord. His widow and her sister (the Trung) sisters rally different tribal chiefs,
form an army to conduct a rebellion that forces the Chinese governor to flee. The sisters proclaim themselves queens.

Year 43: the Chinese start a counterattack and beat the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese are converted to Confucianism and to Taoism.
The Indians, who move east, implant the Theravada Buddhism in the area of the Red River delta,
while the Chinese introduce the Mahayana Buddhism.

3rd and 4th century: the tyrannical Chinese administration faces a number of rebellions. All are defeated.
679: the Chinese rebaptize the country to ‘Annam’, which means the pacified South.

938: after the collapse of the Tang dynasty in China in the beginning of the 10th century the Vietnamese revolt against the
Chinese authority. Ngo Quyen destroys the Chinese armies, making an end to a millennium of Chinese dictatorship.
He creates an independent Vietnamese state. Ngo Quyen builds Vietnam’s first dynasty in 939.

968: Dinh Bo Linh is the successor of Ngo Quyen and establishes the Dinh dynasty.

980: the Dai Hanh topples the Dinh dynasty and creates the dynasty of the Le. They rule until 1009.

11th-13th century: the independence of the kingdom of Vietnam (Dai Viet) consolidates with the emperors of the LY dynasty,
created by Ly Thai to in 1010. The Chinese, the Khmer and the Cham are repeatedly attacking Vietnam during the Ly dynasty.
They are defeated at every attempt.

1225: after years of fighting the Tran dynasty topples the Ly dynasty.

13th century: the Vietnamese push away the Mongolian invaders of Kubilai Khan.

1400: Ho Qui Ly topples over the Tran dynasty and founds the Ho dynasty, but the loyals of
the Tran and the Cham ask the Chinese to intervene. They accept and take control over Vietnam in 1407.
1407-1428: another era of Chinese domination starts. The Chinese force their culture and lifestyle onto the population.

1428: Le Loi succeeds in defeating the Chinese and found the dynasty of the posterior Le. Today Vietnam considers
Le Loi one of its biggest heroes. XVth century: Laos has to recognize Vietnam’s suzerainty.

1516: The first Portuguese explorers arrive in Danang by ship, followed by Dominican missionaries eleven years later.
The Portuguese develop their trade relations with Vietnam and establish a trading colony in Faifo (today Hoi An) along
with those of Japan and China.

17th -18th centuries: Vietnam is divided. The Trinh lords govern the North under the official reign of the posterior Le. Their rivals,
the Nguyen lords who also recognize the posterior Le dynasty, govern the South. During that time Cambodia is forced to recognize
the Vietnamese suzerainty. The French missionaries who supplanted the Portuguese in the 18th century start a campaign,
which includes France as an increasing alliance to Vietnam, under military and political aspects.

1765: Three brothers, Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue and Nguyen Lu lead a revolt against the government in the city of Tay Son.
Eight years later they gain control of the center of Vietnam. In 1783 they take over Saigon and the South.
Nguyen becomes King of the South and Nguyen Nhac becomes King of the Center.

1788: the three brothers, Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue and Nguyen Lu, also known as the Tay Son rebels, topple the Trinh lords
of the North and proclaim their loyalty to the dynasty of the posterior Le.

1802: After pushing back the Tay Son rebels Nguyen Anh proclaims himself emperor and founds the Nguyen dynasty.
After he conquers Hanoi, his victory is complete. Vietnam has finally reunified after two centuries of division
and Hue becomes the country’s new capital.

1847: The French military adventure starts in Vietnam with the pounding of the port of Danang.
This attack was a punishment against Thieu Tri (dynasty of the Nguyen) for the treating French catholic missionaries badly.
In 1858 the French take over Danang by force after the massacre of several missionaries. In 1859 they seize control of Saigon.

1867: the southern region of Cochinchine becomes a French colony.

1883: after the death of Tu Duc (dynasty of the Ngyuyen) the French attack Hue and impose a treaty of protectorate to the imperial court.
This is the start of a tragically comical struggle over the succession. The struggle is market by the mysterious disappearance
of the emperor and by the palace revolution.

1887: the Union of Indochina, composed of Cochinchine, Annam, Tonkin, Cambodia, Laos and the port of Qin Zhou Wan (in China)
helps make an end to the independent Vietnamese state.

1925: accession to the throne of Bao Dai (Nguyen dynasty), the last emperor of Vietnam. He will abdicate 20 years later.

1930: a certain Ho Chi Minh founds the Vietnamese communist party, which turns into the communist party of Indochina a few months later.

1941: Japanese troops establish themselves in Vietnam with permission of the governor of Indochina who was chosen by
the French government in Vichy. The Viet Minh, the league for Vietnam’s independence under the command of Ho Chi Minh is
the only group that actively opposes to the Japanese occupation.

March 1945: the Japanese topple the governor of Indochina and install a puppet regime under the authority of the emperor Gao Dai.
The treaty of 1883 that made Annam and Tonkin areas under French protectorate is annulled.
August 1945: the Viet Minh take control over a large portion of the country, mainly of the North. Bao Dai abdicates in the center of Vietnam.

Early September 1945: Ho Chi Minh declares the independence of the democratic republic of Vietnam in Hanoi.

Late September 1945: the French chief-commander, General Leclerc arrives in Saigon. He declares: "We came to claim our heritage".
The French succeed in taking back control over Vietnam.

1946: under an obscure pretense the French bombard Haiphong, which claims the lives of hundreds of civilians.
In consequence the Viet Minh lose patience and combats start in Hanoi. The war in Indochina starts.

1954: French defeat in Dien Bien Phu, after a 57-day siege. This marks the end of the conflict and the Geneva agreement establishes
a temporary division of Vietnam into two zones, which are separated by the Ben Hai River. The agreement also foresees national
elections for July 20th

1956. South Vietnam is governed by Ngo Dinh Diem, a catholic and convinced anti-communist, despite the fact that the Geneva
Convention recognizes the independence of the democratic republic of North-Vietnam.

1955: without respecting the Geneva agreements that planned national elections for July 20th 1956, Ngo Dinh Diem proclaims himself
with US consent as president of the Republic of South-Vietnam. The US closes its consulate in Hanoi.

1959: after numerous communist guerilla attacks in the South who are aimed at Ngo Dinh Diem, Hanoi changes its strategy
and switches from political fighting to arm fighting.

1963: the military situation deteriorates in South Vietnam and the Kennedy administration sends over more and more military
advisors to Vietnam. In late 1963, approximately 16 300 US soldiers are stationed throughout the country. The Vietnam War starts
and the Americans, start to deploy more and more troops to Vietnam.

1969: Death of Ho Chi Minh.

1973: Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho come to an arrangement and agree to end the war with the treaty of Paris.
However the guerilla fighting continues and foreign powers continue to finance the conflict between North-and South-Vietnam.

1975: Duong Van Minh, president of South-Vietnam surrenders and the last Americans flee the country in helicopters.
This is how the 10-year conflict ends. A conflict that was led by the US without ever declaring war against North Vietnam.

1976: Vietnam is officially reunified.

1979: the Vietnamese crush the red Khmer (in Cambodia) and establish a regime in Phnom Penh, which is favorable to Hanoi.
However, the red Khmer will lead an endless guerilla against the Vietnamese in Cambodia for 10 years.

1989: the Vietnamese troops withdraw from Cambodia. For the first time since World War II Vietnam lives in peace.

1994: the US lifts its economic sanctions against North Vietnam.

1997: Vietnam continuous to strengthen its relations with France by organizing the Francophile summit in Hanoi.

Climate:

It is difficult to determine an ideal season to visit Vietnam, since the country is divided into three large climatic regions.
Northern region: cool season with a chance of drizzle from October to February, warm season is from March to May,
rainy season from June to September. Center region: rainy season from October to January, cool season with chance
of drizzle from February to March and warm season from April to June, warm season with chance of fine drizzle from July to September.
Southern region: warm season from October to April, rainy season from May to September.
Best periods: for Hanoi from November to late April/early May; for the center from February to June; for the South from December to April.
When it comes to the landscapes, the Bay of Along (in the North) should be seen in November due to the quality of light.

What to bring/what to pack:

Bring airy cotton clothing that is easy to wash. You should bring some sweaters for the North and the Mountain regions
(from October to February). Raingear is useful year round. Bring a scarf against the air-conditioning.

Languages:

The main language is of course Vietnamese, but you can get by with English. The people who lived during the colonial period
also speak French.

Currency:

The national currency is the Dong. One US Dollar equals 15 000 Dongs. You can also pay with US Dollars.

Health:

It is recommended to bring an anti-malaria treatment and to get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B, typhus, diphtheria, polio and tetanus.
Also, bring insect repellants. Do not drink tap water.