Category: Vietnam travel facts

In Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh’s government faced significant challenges as it endeavored to build a socialist society, supported by a large number of Chinese advisers. The prolonged conflict with France had severely damaged the country’s infrastructure, leaving it reliant on rice supplies from the South, which were now inaccessible. Adding to these difficulties, the land […]

On May 8, 1954, the day following the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu, the focus of the nine delegations at the Geneva Conference shifted to Indochina. Despite the prevailing atmosphere of distrust, the conference managed to reach an ambiguous compromise that allowed the French to withdraw with some semblance of honor while partially acknowledging […]

Despite Vietnam’s reunification in 1975, a noticeable north-south divide persists, often evident to travelers crossing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This divide is rooted in the ideological differences that emerged after World War II and the protracted, brutal conflict between the North and South. However, various other factors contribute to these regional distinctions. One significant factor […]

In the early years of the conflict against the French, known as the First Indochina War or the Franco-Viet Minh War, the Viet Minh primarily operated from their mountain bases in northern and central Vietnam. While the Viet Minh focused on building and training their military, the French Expeditionary Force solidified its control over the […]

The Japanese surrender at the end of World War II created a power vacuum that Ho Chi Minh quickly seized upon. On August 15, 1945, he called for a national uprising, an event that became known as the August Revolution. Within just four days, Hanoi erupted with pro-Viet Minh demonstrations, and within two weeks, much […]

Although French colonial authorities promoted a “civilizing mission,” their main interest in Vietnam lay in economic exploitation. Governor-General Paul Doumer led an extensive infrastructure development effort, constructing railways, roads, and bridges and draining swathes of the Mekong Delta for agriculture. This ambitious project was funded by heavy taxes, while state monopolies on opium, alcohol, and […]

The German occupation of France in 1940 dramatically shifted the political landscape in Vietnam. This event highlighted the vulnerability of France, the colonial ruler, and disrupted the established order in Vietnam, creating a vital opening for Ho Chi Minh. Following France’s surrender, Japan quickly occupied Indochina after Vichy France agreed to a treaty allowing Japanese […]

For a people deeply rooted in tales of resilience against powerful adversaries, France’s swift occupation of Vietnam dealt a significant psychological blow. Initial resistance efforts aimed to restore the monarchy, like the “Save the King” (Can Vuong) movement in the 1890s. However, any monarch displaying patriotism was quickly suppressed by the French authorities. Until the […]

Alexandre de Rhodes and the Foundations of Vietnamese Catholicism Portuguese Dominican missionaries were the earliest Europeans to arrive in Vietnam in the early 1500s, but it wasn’t until 1615, when Jesuit missionaries founded a small mission in Fai Fo (now Hoi An), that Catholicism began to establish roots. The success of this mission in the […]

Under the Nguyen dynasty, Vietnam, for the first time, came under a single rule stretching from its northern border to the southern tip at Ca Mau. Emperor Gia Long, seeking to foster national unity, established Hue as the capital, constructing an impressive citadel modeled after the Forbidden City of the Chinese emperors. This architectural choice […]