🏞️ Vietnam: between rice fields, pagodas and living memory

📍 Location and geography

• Vietnam stretches over more than 2,000 km from north to south, in the form of dragon or S, bordered by the South China Sea.
• It shares its borders with the China, the Laos and the Cambodia, and has a contrasting geography :

• Misty Mountains to the north (Sapa, Ha Giang),
• Fertile plains in the deltas of the Red River and the Mekong,
• Tropical coasts and white sand beaches (Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phú Quốc),
• Spectacular caves like those of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng.

🧬 History and identity

• Vietnam has a thousand-year-old history, marked by:
• The Đông Sơn civilization (bronze, ritual drums),
• A thousand years of Chinese domination,
• The heroic resistance against the Mongol, French and American invaders.
• Independence is proclaimed in 1945 by Hồ Chí Minh, after French colonization.
• The country is reunified in 1975, after the Vietnam War, and becomes the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

🏙️ Iconic cities

• Hanoï : a thousand-year-old capital, between peaceful lakes, ancient temples and lively alleys.
• Hồ Chí Minh City (Saïgon) : dynamic, modern and commercial megacity, to the south.
• Huế : former imperial capital, with its royal tombs and his citadel.
• Hoi An : UNESCO-listed port city, famous for its lanterns, his colonial houses and his craftsmanship.

🕌 Culture and spirituality

• Vietnam is a mixture of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and animism, with French and Chinese influences.
• The pagodas, temples, town halls and family altars punctuate spiritual life.
• The traditional festivals like the Tết (Lunar New Year) are sacred moments of reunion and rituals.

🍜 Gastronomy

• Rich, fragrant and balanced cuisine:
• Phở (beef noodle soup),
• Bánh mì (French-Vietnamese sandwich),
• Nem (fried rolls),
• Bún chả, cao lầu, chè, and egg coffee.
• Each region has its own culinary specialties, often based on fresh herbs, Pisces, rice, and fermented sauces.

🌿 Nature and landscapes

• Vietnam offers a exceptional natural diversity :

• Ha Long Bay : karst jewel classified by UNESCO.
• Mekong Delta : labyrinth of canals, floating markets and tropical orchards.
• Tây Nguyên Plateaux : lands of ethnic minorities and coffee trees.
• National Parks : Cát Tiên, Ba Bể, Cuc Phuong, rich in biodiversity.

✨ Why Vietnam is unforgettable

It is a country where every street tells a story, where past and present coexist gracefully, and where beauty is hidden in simple gestures. Vietnam is poetic, resilient and deeply human — a sensory and spiritual journey through the ages.