Vietnam

ASEAN Member Country since July 1995

Capital: Ha Noi
Head of State: President Nguyen Minh Triet
Head of Government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
Languages: Vietnamese
Area (sq. km): 330,363
Population: 83,119,900
GDP (USD): 61 billion (2006 estimate)

The land mass of Vietnam spreads along the South China Sea with China lying to the north and Cambodia and Laos to the west. The immense strength and courage of the Vietnamese people is reflected perfectly in the timeless handicraft tradition of son mai. Just as the exquisite lacquerware requires multiple layers of special paint carefully applied to bowls and tea sets, before being polished to achieve a deep sheen, the Vietnamese people have fought fiercely for their independence, which they have now enjoyed for more than two decades. The liveliness, warmth and sheer resilience of the Vietnamese people shines through in the cacophony of sounds and fragrant smells that greet any visitor who is warmly welcomed in this country.

The government and the people have put their past behind them and only have eyes for the future. Today, visitors experience a deep Vietnamese culture, which uniquely blends aspects of Chinese Confucianism, French architecture and American capitalism with the indigenous imperial dynastic past. The North-South divide has disappeared and instead lays an exciting country with as much to offer in the major cities as the countryside. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are a shoppers’ paradise with colorful Vietnamese silk and beautiful porcelain lining the streets, and hearty bowls of lemongrass-infused Pho and fresh spring rolls enticing you for a break.

Further afield, one passes rice padi fields, to reach the vibrant floating markets on the glittering waters of the Mekong Delta, while the “Buddhist Mecca” of Perfume Pagoda beckons in the north, epitomizing the agriculture and tourism industries that dominate Vietnam’s economy. It remains to be seen whether and how Vietnam’s recent accession to the WTO will dramatically change the landscape of the country, but it will only surely increase the people’s ability to interact with foreigners within and without Southeast Asia.