Page 169 - Asian Paradises 2019-20

— Vietnam —

VIETNAM

Vietnam has incredible scenic beauty, featuring two
main cultivated areas of the Red River Delta in the
north and the Mekong River Delta in the south. It is
made up of equatorial lowlands, high, temperate
plateaus and alpine peaks.

Stretching over 1600 kilometres along the eastern coast of the
Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is bordered by China to the
north and Cambodia and Laos to the west.
Capital and major centres
Whilst Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s largest population
centre, the capital, Hanoi is the political and cultural centre of
Vietnam. Haiphong is the Northern region’s main industrial
centre and a major seaport, while Da Nang in the Central
region, is promoted as the gateway to Indochina. Other major
centres include Dalat in the Central Highlands, renown for its
cool climate and beautiful mountain scenery and Kontum in the
Central Highlands.
The people
Vietnam’s population is about 90% Viet (Kinh) ethnic people
and the rest are 53 other ethnic groups such as Tay, Nung,
Muong, Cham, Khmer, Ede, and Hoa. The native language is
Vietnamese with the northern and southern dialects differing
slightly from each other. Now many Vietnamese young people
can also speak English, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity have all
served to shape the rich spiritual life of Vietnam, along with
the indigenous religion of Caodaism. The main temple for
Caodaism is in Tay Ninh city, 90 kilometres northwest of Ho Chi
Minh City. It offers daily ceremonies and educational tours.
Nature
Vietnam is lush and tropical with much jungle and vegetation
ranging from the green Mekong River Delta to forests
containing an estimated 12,000 plant species. The country’s
wild fauna is enormously diverse and includes elephants,
rhinos, leopards, black bears and a variety of monkeys, birds
and reptiles. Ho Chi Minh City’s zoo and botanic gardens are a
delightful place for a stroll, as are the tree-lined avenues in the
Cultural Park (Tao Dan Park).

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