Vietnam country

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Excellent resorts, forested mountains, brilliant green rice fields and traditional charm are offered by Vietnam, the mysterious south country.

Vietnam situated on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia and bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. Most visitors to Vietnam suppose to see the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and the coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats. There are some excellent beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, vague forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.There are no good or bad seasons to visit Vietnam. When one region is wet, cold or steamy hot, there is always somewhere else that is sunny and pleasant. There is the possibility of typhoons between July and November, affecting the north and central areas. Travellers should take the Tet Festival spending late January or early February into account when planning a trip because travel becomes very difficult in this period.Vietnam has more than 3,200 km coast line. There are unspoiled and pristine beaches and imposing landscapes that have not experienced human exploration, the water is clean and blue, and the sun is rarely hidden by clouds. Its heavily forested mountains and white sandy beaches make it a perfect relaxation spot. Among others there are the most popular resorts, situated in the Central and South Vietnam: Hoi An, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Ha Long Bay. The history of Vietnam is full of the wars and resistances. The Chinese conquered the Red River Delta in the 2nd century and their 1000-year rule, marked by repeated rebellions, ended in AD 938 when Ngo Quyen overpowered the Chinese armies at the Bach Dang River. Vietnam expanded its borders southwards from the Red River Delta, the kingdom of Champa was annexed in the 16th century and eventually the Vietnamese absorbed the Khmer territories of the Mekong Delta. In 1858, French and Spanish-led forces seized the country. By 1867 Vietnam became the French colony of Cochinchina. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the Southern Vietnam government, escalating the Vietnam War. On April 30, 1975, a North Vietnamese tank drove into the South's Presidential Palace in Ho Chi Minh City and the war ended, with over 50,000 Americans and 3 million Vietnamese killed. Since the enactment of Vietnam's renovation policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive industries.Vietnamese cuisine uses very little oil and many vegetables. The main dishes are often based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. High-end restaurants tend to serve "Asian-fusion" cuisine, with elements of Thai, Japanese, and Chinese mixed in. The most authentic Vietnamese food is found at modest or even quite cheap restaurants. Coffee, baguettes, and pastries were originally introduced by the French colonials, but all three have been localized and remain popular contemporary aspects of Vietnamese cuisine.Vietnamese music varies slightly in the three regions: Bac or North, Trung or Central, and Nam or South. Vietnamese classical music can be traced to the Mongol invasions, when the Vietnamese captured a Chinese opera troupe.

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