Vietnam 2005

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Vietnam 2005

• Bus 452
• By Peter Nguyen

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Table of Contents

• Itinerary
• Transformation (Doi Moi)
• Lodging/Accommodation
• Sites of Interests
• Cultural Activities
• Economics
• Political Development
• Personal Views

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Itinerary

• D1 09, Dec. ( Friday.) SAI GON
• Arrive Tan Son Nhut Airport in AM (Cathay
  Pacific, Eva Airways, China Airline)Group Check
  into Hotel Continental Afternoon Saigon city
  toursWelcome Dinner of Saigon River (mandatory)
• D2 10, Dec. (Sat.) SAI GON- THU DUC
• Breakfast at hotelAM Academic Lecture at
  Economics University, Ho Chi Minh CityLunch at
  Nong Lam University, Thu Duc (Agricultural
  Forestry University)PM Visit Thu Duc Linh Trung
  Industrial ParkFree Evening
• D3 11, Dec (Sun.) SAI GON MY Tho (Mekong
  Delta)
• Breakfast at HotelLeave Sai Gon for My Tho
  (Mekong Delta) for the day tourArrive My Tho
  City, boat cruise across Tien River for visiting
  Thoi Son Fruit Garden island.Return to SaigonFree
  Evening
• D4 12,Dec. (Mon.) SAI GON- PHAN THIET Breakfast
  at Hotel Check out of hotelLeave Sai Gon for
  Phan ThietCheck in Hotel. Novotel Ocean Dunes
  Golf Resorts Visit Pink Hill, Sanddunes,
  BeachesO/N in Phan Thiet
• D5 13, Dec. (Tue.) PHAN THIET SAIGON - DANANG
• Breakfast and check out of hotelLeave Phan Thiet
  to Saigion, arrive to Saigon in afternoon
  approximately _at_ 300 PMFlight from Saigon to
  Danang, Central Vietnam (430 PM)Check in Hotel
  Bamboo Green Hotel, DanangGroup Dinner

• D6 14, Dec. (Wed.) DANANG
• Breakfast at HotelAM Visit Global Village
  OrphanagePM Visit Five Marble Mountains, Stone
  village. And continue to go to Hoi An Ancient
  Town.Dinner in Hoi An.Return to Danang.
• D7 15, Dec. (Thu.) DA NANG - Hue
• Breakfast at hotel, check out.Travel from Da
  Nang to HueCheck in Hotel. Saigon Morin Hue
  Afternoon City tour of HueVisit Royal Palace
  under the Nguyen DynastyDinner and musical show
  on Perfume River
• D8 16, Dec. (Fri.) HUE
• Breakfast. Morning Lecture at University of
  HueAncient Tombs of Minh Mang and Tu DucThien Mu
  Pagoda and Dong Ba Market. Free Evening
• D9 17, Dec. ( Sat.) HUE- HA NOI
• Breakfast Check out hotelFree morning. Leave
  Hue to Hanoi by air in AMArrive Ha Noi at Noon
  Welcome and transfer to Hotel Hanoi Horison
  HotelHanoi City tours.
• D10 18, Dec. ( Sun.) HA NOI- NINH BINH- HA NOI
• Breakfast. Depart to Ninh Binh. Visit Hoa Lu Old
  Capital under the Dinh Dynasty. Boat trip to
  visit Tam Coc. Back to Ha Noi in the afternoon.
• D11 19, Dec. (Mon.) HA NOI- HOME (USA)
• Breakfast.Program Evaluation Check out
  HotelGroup transfer to Noi Bai Airport for
  Departure to Los AngelesProgram Ends

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Transformation (Doi Moi)

• The country is transforming at a very fast pace
  since the normalization with the West, 1997.
  Infrastructures such accommodations,
  transportations and roads are continuously and
  constantly been improved. Political and economic
  are also been reformed from a centralized and
  social environment to a more of a market driven
  and decentralized environment. Since the
  transformation the country have seen a great
  improvement in tourism and foreign investments.
  Furthermore, transformation has brought some
  social issues such as international pressure,
  traffic gridlocks, and environmental pollution.
  Similar to other industrialized countries in the
  past Vietnam is facing growing pain as its
  becoming more industrialized and slowly and
  cautiously moving away from the agricultural.

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Transformation (cont.)

• Some roads are toll roads that were developed
  through a partnership with other nationals. Once
  Cyclo and bicycles dominated the roads now are
  filled with motorized bikes and automobiles.
  Rush hours traffic jams in major metropolitan
  cities are like any other developing nations.
• Many once raw beautiful landscapes are now
  transformed into resorts and massive hotels.
• With the transformation and a long history of
  wars, the country is still much holding on its
  rich history and culture. Thousand of years of
  being dominated by Chinese and hundred years it
  was dominated by the French. Some landscapes
  were lucky to escape the last war now dominated
  the boulevard by its elegant and massive
  decorative distinction.

• Prior to the transformation the country was in
  turmoil unable to feed itself. Hungry and repress
  the elite population in hundred of thousands
  escapes the tight control and take their chances
  in the vast ocean to be free and hoping for
  better opportunities elsewhere for their
  families. These group of migrant people are
  known internationally as boat people.
• Much has change, now many of the older people has
  families abroad that were sponsored by their love
  ones wanted to return back to the mother land.
  Safer and more comfortable living conditions have
  mitigate the migration.
• Tourism is exploding, Tan Son Nhat, Saigon
  International Airport, is been transformed to
  accommodate the influx of demand. New roads are
  been laid everywhere.

6
Lodging

• Many internationally well known hotel chains are
  found in Vietnam such as Novitel, Sofitel, Ana
  Maranda, Furima, Hilton, Radison, and much more,
  These colonial monuments like the REX hotel is
  still standing showing its charm from the French
  period.
• Free market driven economy allow more and more
  foreign investments made in lodging creating this
  mass service industry. Massive high rises
  structures are dominating the once rural
  landscapes and fishing villages to meet the
  demand as Vietnam is becoming the new destination
  of choice for winter travelers.
• Although with many new developments are going on
  throughout the country more and more difficulty
  in finding empty land within the city boundary to
  develop, Vietnam is preserving its historical
  monuments where its can.

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Interesting Sites
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Interesting Sites
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Interesting Sites

• Vietnam is made up of three main region, North
  (Bac), Central (Trung) and South (Nam). Each
  region is unique and has its own traditions,
  personality and appearances.
• In the South, after the fall of Saigon in 1975
  the many street names on the main boulevards were
  changed only a few such as Pasteur, Yersin,
  Calmente to mentioned a few were retained.
• The looks of the boulevards and historical
  monuments that survived the last war are in
  terrific condition.
• The Rex hotel, Ben Thanh market, Hue Palaces, Thu
  Duc Pagoda Temple, the Reunification Palace once
  known as the Governor General Palace, the Notre
  Dame Cathedral (Nha Tho Duc Ba), and the theatre
  are sites recommended to be visited.

• The Rex hotel, Ben Thanh Market, the
  Reunification Palace, the Theatre, the Notre Dame
  Cathedral, and the Post Telegraph Office are
  beautiful monuments from the 19 th century which
  were built during the French reign over Vietnam.
  They are centrally located in District 1 Saigon
  and in a walking distance from each other. You
  can find the same architecture designs of the
  same period in France.
• Central Vietnam once was occupied by the CHAMs
  Kingdom. The Viet from the North slowly push
  south ward and conquered the land and push the
  Chams Kingdom south. Some Chams temples are
  still well preserved in the landscapes throughout
  the region such as in the cities of Phan Thiet
  and Nha Trang.

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Interesting Sites (cont.)

• Once dominated the Cham Kingdom, Viet Kingdom
  relocated its capital from the North Hanoi to
  Central Vietnam Hue to distance itself from
  forever threats from the northern neighbor,
  China.
• Tombs and monuments such as Thu Duc Pagoda and
  palaces of the old capital are found in this
  region. Rumors has its this region has the most
  beautiful women in all of Vietnam. They are the
  direct descendants of the Kings concubines.
• The North region and the current capital of
  Vietnam is Hanoi. Hanoi has a long history and
  has the most northern neighbor influences, China.
  The old Vietnameses language was written with
  Chineses Characters. This tradition was lost
  after the French ruled.

• The oldest university in Vietnam is located in
  Hanoi. This is where the brightest scholars were
  trained and selected to serve in the kings
  court.
• The international body has dubbed Ha Long Bay
  (Descending Dragon) to be the eight natural
  wonder of the world. Thousands of rock formation
  formed a shape of a descending dragon from the
  sky to the ocean. The myths was the dragon was
  thirsty and came down from heaven to take a drink
  and saw a beautiful Tien Nu and was mesmerized
  and got frozen until eternity.

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Economics

• You can see that Vietnams economy is healthy by
  looking at inside its shops and café. They are
  buzzing full of people. Visitors are from
  everywhere. They are drawn to Vietnams
  undeveloped natural beauty, nice and mild winter
  climate and relatively cheap arts and crafts.
• Fishing boats are converted into fairy boats,
  fishing villages are torn down and been converted
  to resorts and hotels. Thirty miles of prime
  shore lines in Mui Ne are full of Resorts and
  hotels.
• Airports are being operate at their full
  capacity. Tan Son Nhat, Saigon airport is been
  modernized to take more flights. Infrastructure
  are been developed such as roads, accommodations
  are been built everyday. Tourism is booming in
  Vietnam and drive the service industry.
  Vietnams economy is growing to support the
  tourism.

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Economics

• Beside tourism and services industries other
  sectors are doing just as well. Although at a
  slower growth around 4, Vietnams agriculture
  industry is becoming strong exporter of rice,
  rubber, coffee, tea, pepper and many other
  industrial crops. Hoping to catch up and be
  competitive in the international market, Vietnam
  recognized that it needs to improve its quality.
• Industrial sector has the highest growth soaring
  at 10. Special areas or zones such as Tan Thuan
  Export Processing were dedicated to draw in
  overseas companies. Tax incentives and low labor
  costs drawn in investments from overseas
  companies to take chances in this area.
• Political stability played and contributed to the
  healthy economy.

13
Political Views

• After the reunification in 1975 until the Doi
  Moi period, Vietnam retained its centralized
  political ideology. Most hardliners are
  skeptical and reluctant in giving up control.
  Struggling to find a balance of maintain control
  and not continue to put the country in turmoil do
  to its inability to feed its people, the
  political ideology was transformed. It shifted
  to better direction, one that is more open and
  decentralized, one more like a pseudo market
  driven ideology than a socialist.
• To ensure a long and stable political
  environment, Vietnam needs to address its
  lingering corruption problem and provide an
  environment where laws are made and implemented
  to ensure a healthy economy.

14
Personal Views

• Experience the country side as much and as fast
  as you can, the landscapes is forever rapidly
  changing.
• Political and Economic changes to improve the
  living conditions, provide jobs and safety of all
  people that are in it are good and should be
  adopted.
• Like many other struggling countries in the
  world, Vietnam needs support from the
  international bodies and individual to improve
  humanity as a whole.
• I would love it to visit Vietnam again soon, of
  course not only to continue contributing to its
  struggling economy, but also to broaden my
  personal experiences giving me another point of
  views of the world.