A Brief History of Vietnam before the Vietnam War: Vietnam has a very long, rich, and complicated past. With the development of wet rice cultivation around 1,000 BC, the Hung Kings prospered for roughly 150 years. After this era the country was occupied by China for a millennium. This connection to China is still evident today. China has greatly influenced the development of Vietnamese culture. It wasn’t even until the first decade of the 1900s that the Vietnamese switched from using Chinese characters to their current alphabet. Then again it is important to remember that Vietnam also greatly influenced China. After all it was a famous Vietnamese doctor who initiated the beginning of Chinese medicine, depending on who you ask.
The Chinese were kicked out and the Dai Viet Kingdom was founded. This period was followed by both the Funan and Champa Kingdoms. For those of you who have visited Angkor Wat, Champa is the kingdom featured on the Bayon temple. They fought against the Khmer, but were eventually conquered. Then came the Ly Dynasty, the Tran Dynasty, the Later Le Dynasty, and the Nguyen Dynasty. As you see for centuries power over the region has been juggled from one king to another.
Unfortunately, Vietnam was not immune to European Imperialism. In 1545, the Portuguese arrived and immediately built factories and established offices of trade. In the 17th century the Dutch and the French replaced Portugal and dominated the region’s industry and trade. Christian missionaries arrived at the same time as these new traders and began to spread the word of their faith. These same missionaries wrote home about the wealth of Vietnam and piqued the interest of many in France. We have finally reached the point at which Vietnam’s modern history truly begins. After the Tay Son Rebellion, the Nguyen Dynasty was overthrown. The last king, Nguyen Anh, ran to France for aid. In 1788 he was able to take back power with France’s help and established a new capital in Hue. He ruled until his death in 1820. Throughout his rule he expressed thankfulness towards France and through him France was able to grasp some control of Vietnam. His son, Minh Mang, was of another mind when it came to their European counterpart. He wrote decrees forbidding the evangelization of his people. The next two kings Thieu Tri and Tu Duc held the same anti-French sentiment. Their anti-French actions antagonized France to the point that the country stepped in and took over for 100 years. In 1865, Tu Duc was forced to sign Vietnam over as a French colony, Cochinchina. It wasn’t until 1883, that France was able to subdue the entire country. Tu Duc’s descendants became puppet kings.
As part of French Indochina, Vietnam suffered. The country was taxed heavily, lost many of its resources (rubber, minerals, and coffee), and many Vietnamese were subjected to the practice of Corvee or forced labor. When Germany occupied France in 1940, Vietnam was handed over to Germany’s ally- Japan. Again the Vietnamese suffered under the control of another imperialistic nation.
The combination of China’s revolution to the north, years of imperialistic abuse, and socialist ideas flowing into the country all gave way to a surge in nationalistic ideals throughout the country. In 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned home from France and established the Vietnamese Independence League (Viet Minh). He led a resistance against France and Japan and was able to take back large swathes of land even before Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. Yet, this did not mean freedom for the Vietnamese.
After WWII, the French wanted to immediately re-establish their control over Indochina. This led to the Indochina Wars. Ho Chi Minh and Charles De Gaulle continued to lead their armies against each other until 1954. At the famous battle of Dien Bien Phu, the Viet Minh defeated the French. As France exited, the United States took center stage.
Preceding 1954, the US was already funding a majority of France’s war efforts in Indochina. The US wanted to prevent the spread of communism and if France lost SE Asia would be ripe for the picking. In 1954 the Geneva Conference divided Vietnam into two countries along the 17th parallel (which I am presiding on at the time of this writing). The north became the Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh and the south became the Republic of Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem. The US strongly influenced Diem and his cabinet to the extent that most view the South’s government as a puppet government. In 1960, the north established an alliance with China and the Soviet Union while the US military sent its first convoys to the country to prepare for what would be known to the Vietnamese as the ‘American War’.
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Our first few hours on the ground in Vietnam were filled to the brim with stress and excitement. I couldn’t wait for my brother and sister-in-law to touch down two hours after my flight. Yet, my attention was quickly taken away from their imminent arrival and directed one hundred percent towards the acquisition of a visa. Before you arrive, you must obtain a visa on arrival form through a company online or go to a consulate to get a proper tourist visa. Apparently, both options hold their own risks. We like most travelers went with the visa on arrival form which cost us 15 USD. When we received the email back with our forms attached, we noticed that the company had not requested for a full 30 days. They had asked for the 7th to the 7th, which would make it 29 days. Unfortunately, we had already purchased our flight out of the country for our 30th day- the 8th. We immediately contacted the company and received two emails verifying that it would be fine and that the immigration officers would give us 30 days.
We arrived to find a mad house. Only two immigration officers sat behind the counter and over 100 foreigners tiredly milled about waiting for their name to be gurgled in a thick Vietnamese accent. Ours were called after about an hour. I handed over 45 USD and was handed my passport with a visa for 29 days. I approached 5 officials and explained my predicament. All gave me the same response, “Buy a new flight.” UGH. I finally found an airline employee who at least smiled. He said that this was a very very very common problem. He said, “They normally give an extra one or two days or they don’t give enough.” I won’t waste your time ranting about why I think this broken system makes absolutely no sense (they are ones missing out on one day my tourist dollars). All I can offer other travelers is come prepared for rough sailing. I met an Australian woman who had gotten her visa in Australia, but the immigration officers wanted her to pay another 45 USD for another visa (for no reason). An Irish man’s visa was supposedly missing a stamp and thus he needed a new one.
Crest fallen and exhausted I propped up my bag outside of security and waited for the first sight of my family. There were many false alarms, but eventually I spotted an abnormally tall white man and his black haired wife. We were all tired, all had 29 day visas, and all felt glad to be reunited.
Day 1
We had a relaxed day of just walking around and taking in the sites. I had anticipated there to be more of a French colonial feel, but was surprised to find parks, wide sidewalks, and fairly clean streets. I had read a lot about Ho Chi Minh’s crime and had been told that it was the one city many female travelers feel uncomfortable in. I personally didn’t see this side of the city. Perhaps if you go out alone at night, you may face some problems. We really liked the city overall and were only concerned by the insane traffic. Every time we crossed the street we did joke that it was a MMM, Mad Mom Moment, since crossing the street was definitely a gamble for our lives and our mother would not approve.
We visited the famous yellow General Post Office, my brother was ripped off by a coconut seller, we shared a small piece of Taiwan by taking a bubble milk tea break, had a delicious vegetarian hot pot lunch, visited the FITO Medicine Museum, and stopped at the hang out of the Five o’clock Follies, the Rex Hotel. The FITO Medicine Museum is a restored traditional home, which itself is worth a visit. The guides are excellent and walk you through the history of traditional Vietnamese medicine and therapy, which emphasize holistic healing. I found the influence of Vietnamese medicine on Chinese medicine very interesting. For those interested check out two of the founders of traditional Vietnamese medicine, Tue Tinh (14th century) and Hai Thuong Lang Ong Le Huu Trac (18th century). Tue Tinh is most famous for his belief in a need for, “Vietnamese to be treated by Vietnamese medicines.” He was called to China to assist the emperor’s dying wife, yet his interest was in healing the sickly in Vietnam.
If you can swing the sixteen dollar cocktails, spend an evening overlooking the city from the roof of the Rex Hotel. We just went up to check out the place. It must have been so alive during the Vietnam War. War correspondents would spend their evenings there discussing the movements of the armed forces and the political situation of the region. Even though the roof top bar still honors those reporters, the view has significantly changed. You can still gaze down on the French-colonial People’s Committee Building, but now many of that era’s buildings have been replaced by much taller new ones.
The evening was spent planning the next day’s adventure to the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was a special evening because that is when we met two new friends from Argentina.
The Chinese were kicked out and the Dai Viet Kingdom was founded. This period was followed by both the Funan and Champa Kingdoms. For those of you who have visited Angkor Wat, Champa is the kingdom featured on the Bayon temple. They fought against the Khmer, but were eventually conquered. Then came the Ly Dynasty, the Tran Dynasty, the Later Le Dynasty, and the Nguyen Dynasty. As you see for centuries power over the region has been juggled from one king to another.
Unfortunately, Vietnam was not immune to European Imperialism. In 1545, the Portuguese arrived and immediately built factories and established offices of trade. In the 17th century the Dutch and the French replaced Portugal and dominated the region’s industry and trade. Christian missionaries arrived at the same time as these new traders and began to spread the word of their faith. These same missionaries wrote home about the wealth of Vietnam and piqued the interest of many in France. We have finally reached the point at which Vietnam’s modern history truly begins. After the Tay Son Rebellion, the Nguyen Dynasty was overthrown. The last king, Nguyen Anh, ran to France for aid. In 1788 he was able to take back power with France’s help and established a new capital in Hue. He ruled until his death in 1820. Throughout his rule he expressed thankfulness towards France and through him France was able to grasp some control of Vietnam. His son, Minh Mang, was of another mind when it came to their European counterpart. He wrote decrees forbidding the evangelization of his people. The next two kings Thieu Tri and Tu Duc held the same anti-French sentiment. Their anti-French actions antagonized France to the point that the country stepped in and took over for 100 years. In 1865, Tu Duc was forced to sign Vietnam over as a French colony, Cochinchina. It wasn’t until 1883, that France was able to subdue the entire country. Tu Duc’s descendants became puppet kings.
As part of French Indochina, Vietnam suffered. The country was taxed heavily, lost many of its resources (rubber, minerals, and coffee), and many Vietnamese were subjected to the practice of Corvee or forced labor. When Germany occupied France in 1940, Vietnam was handed over to Germany’s ally- Japan. Again the Vietnamese suffered under the control of another imperialistic nation.
The combination of China’s revolution to the north, years of imperialistic abuse, and socialist ideas flowing into the country all gave way to a surge in nationalistic ideals throughout the country. In 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned home from France and established the Vietnamese Independence League (Viet Minh). He led a resistance against France and Japan and was able to take back large swathes of land even before Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. Yet, this did not mean freedom for the Vietnamese.
After WWII, the French wanted to immediately re-establish their control over Indochina. This led to the Indochina Wars. Ho Chi Minh and Charles De Gaulle continued to lead their armies against each other until 1954. At the famous battle of Dien Bien Phu, the Viet Minh defeated the French. As France exited, the United States took center stage.
Preceding 1954, the US was already funding a majority of France’s war efforts in Indochina. The US wanted to prevent the spread of communism and if France lost SE Asia would be ripe for the picking. In 1954 the Geneva Conference divided Vietnam into two countries along the 17th parallel (which I am presiding on at the time of this writing). The north became the Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh and the south became the Republic of Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem. The US strongly influenced Diem and his cabinet to the extent that most view the South’s government as a puppet government. In 1960, the north established an alliance with China and the Soviet Union while the US military sent its first convoys to the country to prepare for what would be known to the Vietnamese as the ‘American War’.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Our first few hours on the ground in Vietnam were filled to the brim with stress and excitement. I couldn’t wait for my brother and sister-in-law to touch down two hours after my flight. Yet, my attention was quickly taken away from their imminent arrival and directed one hundred percent towards the acquisition of a visa. Before you arrive, you must obtain a visa on arrival form through a company online or go to a consulate to get a proper tourist visa. Apparently, both options hold their own risks. We like most travelers went with the visa on arrival form which cost us 15 USD. When we received the email back with our forms attached, we noticed that the company had not requested for a full 30 days. They had asked for the 7th to the 7th, which would make it 29 days. Unfortunately, we had already purchased our flight out of the country for our 30th day- the 8th. We immediately contacted the company and received two emails verifying that it would be fine and that the immigration officers would give us 30 days.
We arrived to find a mad house. Only two immigration officers sat behind the counter and over 100 foreigners tiredly milled about waiting for their name to be gurgled in a thick Vietnamese accent. Ours were called after about an hour. I handed over 45 USD and was handed my passport with a visa for 29 days. I approached 5 officials and explained my predicament. All gave me the same response, “Buy a new flight.” UGH. I finally found an airline employee who at least smiled. He said that this was a very very very common problem. He said, “They normally give an extra one or two days or they don’t give enough.” I won’t waste your time ranting about why I think this broken system makes absolutely no sense (they are ones missing out on one day my tourist dollars). All I can offer other travelers is come prepared for rough sailing. I met an Australian woman who had gotten her visa in Australia, but the immigration officers wanted her to pay another 45 USD for another visa (for no reason). An Irish man’s visa was supposedly missing a stamp and thus he needed a new one.
Crest fallen and exhausted I propped up my bag outside of security and waited for the first sight of my family. There were many false alarms, but eventually I spotted an abnormally tall white man and his black haired wife. We were all tired, all had 29 day visas, and all felt glad to be reunited.
Day 1
We had a relaxed day of just walking around and taking in the sites. I had anticipated there to be more of a French colonial feel, but was surprised to find parks, wide sidewalks, and fairly clean streets. I had read a lot about Ho Chi Minh’s crime and had been told that it was the one city many female travelers feel uncomfortable in. I personally didn’t see this side of the city. Perhaps if you go out alone at night, you may face some problems. We really liked the city overall and were only concerned by the insane traffic. Every time we crossed the street we did joke that it was a MMM, Mad Mom Moment, since crossing the street was definitely a gamble for our lives and our mother would not approve.
We visited the famous yellow General Post Office, my brother was ripped off by a coconut seller, we shared a small piece of Taiwan by taking a bubble milk tea break, had a delicious vegetarian hot pot lunch, visited the FITO Medicine Museum, and stopped at the hang out of the Five o’clock Follies, the Rex Hotel. The FITO Medicine Museum is a restored traditional home, which itself is worth a visit. The guides are excellent and walk you through the history of traditional Vietnamese medicine and therapy, which emphasize holistic healing. I found the influence of Vietnamese medicine on Chinese medicine very interesting. For those interested check out two of the founders of traditional Vietnamese medicine, Tue Tinh (14th century) and Hai Thuong Lang Ong Le Huu Trac (18th century). Tue Tinh is most famous for his belief in a need for, “Vietnamese to be treated by Vietnamese medicines.” He was called to China to assist the emperor’s dying wife, yet his interest was in healing the sickly in Vietnam.
If you can swing the sixteen dollar cocktails, spend an evening overlooking the city from the roof of the Rex Hotel. We just went up to check out the place. It must have been so alive during the Vietnam War. War correspondents would spend their evenings there discussing the movements of the armed forces and the political situation of the region. Even though the roof top bar still honors those reporters, the view has significantly changed. You can still gaze down on the French-colonial People’s Committee Building, but now many of that era’s buildings have been replaced by much taller new ones.
The evening was spent planning the next day’s adventure to the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was a special evening because that is when we met two new friends from Argentina.
