Description and sights of Vietnam. Vietnam official name Vietnam is an Asian country

Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, located on the Indochina Peninsula and washed from the east and south by the South China Sea. The official name of the country is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam's neighboring states are Laos and Cambodia, with which Vietnam borders in the west, as well as China, with which the border lies in the north. The total area of ​​the country is 331,212 square kilometers, which is only 65th in the world. B O Most of Vietnam is occupied by low or medium height mountains and plateaus. The highest point in the country is Mount Fansipan (3143 meters) of the Hoanglyenshon mountain range. In addition, the largest Indochinese rivers Mekong and Hongha flow through Vietnam, which flow into the South China Sea.

For a long time, Vietnam was an Indochinese colony of France and achieved independence only in the middle of the 20th century - this happened in 1945, although armed clashes continued in the country for several more years. Vietnam is also the scene of a 1965-1973 war with the United States that cost many lives on both sides.

Modern Vietnam is a socialist state that has chosen the Chinese version of development - the modernization and liberalization of the economy. As of 2016, the population of Vietnam is 94,569,072 people.

Visa

To enter Vietnam for a period of more than 15 days, citizens of the Russian Federation must have a visa obtained from the consulate of Vietnam, and you can also apply for a visa directly upon arrival.

In order to obtain a visa at the consulate, you need to provide the following documents: a foreign passport (minimum validity - 6 months from the end of the trip); 2 photographs 4×6 cm; 2 questionnaires completed in Russian, English or French; invitation, travel voucher or booking. The visa is issued within 5 working days, and its validity period is 30 days. In addition, a US$25 consular fee is charged.

When obtaining a visa directly at the border, at the Vietnamese airport, you need to provide 2 photos 3 × 4 in size, one completed application form, as well as a visa permit from the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, which is issued within 5-7 working days. Upon arrival, citizens must go to the "Visa on arrival" window, and from that moment the vacation in Vietnam begins.

Among other things, the visa indicates the points of entry and exit through which the guest of the country can cross the border. To change the specified location, you must contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. This service is paid.

If the period of stay in Vietnam does not exceed 15 days, then Russian citizens do not need to apply for a visa. In addition, neighboring Laos and Cambodia have similar rules (in Cambodia you can easily get a visa at the border), so after a 15-day stay in Vietnam, you can leave for one of the neighboring countries and then return again for 15 days. Often, when entering Vietnam for a period of less than 15 days, border guards may require you to present a ticket to leave the country - this is prescribed by the rules, but not always enforced.

Customs regulations

When entering Vietnam, certain customs regulations apply. So, an unlimited amount of foreign convertible currency can be imported into the country, however, if the amount exceeds 3,000 US dollars, then the currency must be declared, since no more than the declared amount can be exported from the country.

You can also carry, without paying a duty, the following goods: a maximum of 1.5 liters of strong alcohol or 2 liters of drinks with an alcohol content of maximum 22 degrees; either 400 cigarettes, or 100 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco; 5 kilograms of tea; maximum 3 kilograms of coffee, as well as two cans of black or red caviar weighing no more than 100 grams. In addition, other goods are also transported, the total value of which does not exceed 5 million VND (Vietnamese dong).

As in other countries of Southeast Asia, the penalties for trying to smuggle drugs are the most severe, up to and including the death penalty. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to transport medicines containing narcotic substances without having the permission of doctors to use them, as well as explosives, firearms, pornographic products or insulting local culture.

Current time in Hanoi:
(UTC+7)

Upon arrival, all tourists undergo sanitary and epidemiological control, and on board the aircraft they fill out a Declaration of Health. If during the control the visitor does not show any symptoms of diseases such as AIDS, plague, tuberculosis, cholera, yellow fever and others, then no problems will arise. Otherwise, the tourist is waiting for treatment in one of the local hospitals, and not a good rest in Vietnam.

How to get there

It is relatively easy to get to Vietnam from Russia - two airlines operate regular flights, but the list of Russian cities from where you can fly directly to Vietnam is limited to Moscow. But during the tourist season (during the winter months), charter flights are also carried out from other cities, for example, from Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk.

You can fly directly from Moscow to Hanoi with Aeroflot and Vietnam Airlines flights. Aeroflot flies daily, Vietnam Airlines - three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Both Aeroflot and Vietnam Airlines operate direct flights from Sheremetyevo Airport to Hanoi Noi Bai Airport. The flight is very long, so passengers are provided with meals twice. Time in the air is 9 and a half hours.

You can also fly to Ho Chi Minh City from Sheremetyevo by Aeroflot without a transfer, by direct flight. Travel time is about the same as to Hanoi.

From Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, S7 planes can fly direct to the resort town of Nha Trang.

Connecting flights

From Russia to Hanoi

• Emirates Airlines from Moscow and St. Petersburg with a transfer in Dubai.

From Russia to Ho Chi Minh

• Turkish Airlines from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Samara and Ufa with a transfer in Istanbul.
• Airline "Thai" from Moscow with a change in Bangkok.
• Air China airline from Moscow with a transfer in Beijing.
• By Qatar Airways from Moscow and St. Petersburg with a transfer in Doha.
• By Korean Air from Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Moscow and St. Petersburg with a transfer in Seoul (Incheon Airport).
• By Japan Airlines from Moscow with a transfer to Tokyo (Narita Airport).

There are more complex options - with two transplants. However, during periods of airline sales, it makes sense to use them because of attractive prices. For example, you can get to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by Air France from Moscow and St. Petersburg with transfers in Paris and Bangkok.

It is worth remembering that long flights are associated with a certain risk to the health of passengers who do not tolerate such loads.

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Climate and weather in Vietnam

So that your holiday in Vietnam is not spoiled by weather conditions, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the climate data for the country. The climate in Vietnam is tropical monsoon, so the humidity is quite high, averaging 84% throughout the year. However, the climate often differs markedly from region to region. This happens because of the difference in latitudes and in the features of the relief of a particular area. The winter dry season, which lasts from November to April, is dry only in comparison to the rainy season, as there is enough rainfall during these months, thanks to the monsoon winds blowing from the northeast coast of China. In the southern regions of the country, it is quite hot in winter - about 25 degrees, while in the north it is on average 10 degrees colder. The lowest temperatures are in December and January, sometimes reaching only 1 degree above zero. In any case, it is most comfortable in the south of the country, where in any season the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees, and in April - the hottest month - sometimes even reaches 37 degrees.

The average annual rainfall ranges from 1200-3000 millimeters per year, with 90% of all rainfall occurring between May and October. At this time, each region of the country receives its portion of precipitation, but in the winter months in the south of Vietnam, the probability of rain is much less than in the north. It is also worth knowing that in late summer and early autumn, the time comes for typhoons, often with truly destructive power.

Cities and regions

Vietnam consists of 59 rather small provinces, plus there are 4 cities of central subordination - these are the cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong and Da Nang. The most developed provinces from an economic point of view are located in the northeast of the country, which is not so popular among tourists, as well as in the south of the country near the city of Ho Chi Minh City.

Administrative divisions of Vietnam

Provinces of Vietnam

Laytiau Lao Cai How Giang Caobang Dien Bien Sonla Yen Bai Tuen Quang Bak Kan Lang Son futo Vinh Phuc Thai Nguyen Buck Zyang Buck Ninh

Hai Duong Quang Ninh hung yen Haiphong city Thaibinh Ha Nam Nam ding Ninh Binh Hoa Binh Thanh Hoa Ngean Hatin Quangbinh Quang Tri Tua Thien Hue

Quang Nam Kontum Quang Ngai Zia Lai bin ding Fu Yen Duck Lak Khanh Hoa Dak Nong Lam Dong Ninh Tuan Binh Thuan Binh Phuoc Dong Nai Baria-Vung Tau

Tai Ninh Binh Duong Long An Tienjiang Dong Thap Vinh Long Benche Kanto How Giang Chavin An Giang Shokchang buckleu Kien Giang Camau

Major cities and islands of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam's largest city and economic capital of the country. A lot of industries are developed here; it is estimated that 40% of Vietnamese exports come from Ho Chi Minh City. The city was founded by the French colonizers in 1874 (the official date of foundation is March 15, 1874). Until 1975, the city was called Saigon.

Nha Trang

The city of Nha Trang is the capital of Khanh Hoa province and at the same time the capital of a beach holiday in Vietnam. Simply put, it is the most popular resort in the country. About 200,000 people live in Nha Trang, and almost the entire life of local residents is connected with the tourism industry.

halong

Halong is both a city and a bay. The city itself is nothing special, and the real pearl of this area and the whole of Vietnam is Halong Bay. This bay is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Surprisingly, more than 1,600 islets and rocks of various shapes, sometimes very bizarre, are scattered over an area of ​​​​1,500 square kilometers, which makes the bay more like a fairy-tale than a real place. No wonder Halong Bay is one of the most visited places in Vietnam.

Phu Quoc

The Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc is located in the Gulf of Thailand, just 15 kilometers from the coast of neighboring Cambodia. The island, whose area reaches 567 square kilometers, is also called the "island of 99 mountains." Phu Quoc is home to 85,000 people, mostly employed in tourism or agriculture.

What to see

By clicking on the links in the text, you can get more detailed information about a particular object (description, location on the map, entrance fees, opening hours, ways to get there, photos, tourist reviews, etc.). If you are interested in the sights of Vietnam as a whole, without division into cities, there is a special section for this.

Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh City

In Ho Chi Minh City, you can see many interesting buildings - colonial buildings, the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Buddhist temples and pagodas, the Presidential Palace, mosques and much more.

In addition, from Ho Chi Minh itself you can easily get to the neighboring province of Tai Ninh, where there are many beautiful Cao Dai temples, as well as the Mekong Delta region.

As for sights, in the central part of the city there are several very interesting places for tourists. And if you come to Ho Chi Minh in the summer, from mid-May to the end of August, you can find "Southern Fruit Festival" held here every year.

Nha Trang

Among the attractions of Nha Trang, it is necessary to highlight the Long Son Pagoda, behind which, on the top of the hill, there is a large stone statue of Buddha sitting on a lotus flower. You can also look at the Cham towers of the 13th century, which were built in the era of the Champa state. It is also possible to swim with an excursion to Monkey Island, located 12 kilometers north of Hon Che Island. The tour includes a cruise around the islands, fishing, visiting the Bajo waterfall, mud and mineral springs, local craft villages. If you wish, you can visit the Circus of Dogs and Monkeys, the Circus of Elephants and Bears and much more on the island.

halong

A mandatory item of the program is a trip on a boat or some other vessel around the islands. At the pier in the city, you can find out in detail about all the possible routes, which can be both short and long, and even include an overnight stay on the ship. The usual excursion includes a visit to a fishing village on one of the islands, a cave, as well as an island named after German Titov, the famous Soviet cosmonaut who vacationed here in the 70s. You can also do night fishing directly from the boat, which, however, must be ordered in advance. But then you can enjoy the taste of your own catch! Popular islands in Halong Bay are Tuan Chau and Cat Ba Islands.

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc has a large number of beautiful beaches stretching from the town of Duong Dong to the town of An Thoi. The island has many beautiful hills and mountains covered with tropical forest. In addition, in Phu Quoc you can watch the sunset on the sea, which is not done in other resorts in Vietnam that face the east.

Resorts of Vietnam

Tourists in Vietnam, first of all, will be interested in its numerous beaches and warm sea, and only then the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and everything else. There are plenty of resort towns in the country. Of course, not all of them correspond to the European level of quality, equipment and infrastructure. It is noteworthy that the resorts stretch along the entire coast of Vietnam - from the southern island of Phu Quoc to the resort of Mong Cai in the north of the country.

The waters of the South China Sea are quite salty - saltier than in the neighboring Gulf of Thailand, but at the same time more beneficial to health. At the confluence of the rivers (especially the Mekong and the Red), the water is fresher.

Attractions

Museums and galleries

Entertainment

Parks and recreation areas

Leisure

Transport

Shops and markets

Wellness vacation

Private guides in Vietnam

Russian private guides will help you get acquainted with Vietnam in more detail.
Registered on the Experts.Tourister.Ru project.

Movement around the country

In Vietnam, in one quantity or another, you can meet and use all modern modes of transport - from domestic aircraft to intercity buses and taxis. Some of them are very well developed, some are not enough, but in some cases they can be irreplaceable. In any case, there is an opportunity to get even to remote places in Vietnam, even if you have to make several transfers from one mode of transport to another or, say, from one bus route to another.

The following types of transport are developed in the country: air transport, rail transport, buses, water passenger transport and various types of taxis. You can find recommendations on moving around the country and get to know each type of Vietnamese transport in more detail in our special material “Transport in Vietnam: from a scooter to an airplane”.

Communication

Vietnamese is a member of the Viet Muong group of the Australo-Asiatic language family and is the native language of the Viet and the Kinh people. Neighboring China has had a great influence on the Vietnamese language and culture: two-thirds of the words in the Vietnamese language are of Chinese origin.

It is very convenient for tourists that instead of hieroglyphs in the Vietnamese language, the Latin alphabet is used, although with the addition of diacritics under or above the letter, which indicate a particular tone, in vowels. Due to the fact that there are a huge number of tones and semitones in Vietnamese speech, it is very difficult to perceive it by ear. At the same time, the Vietnamese themselves have problems with the correct pronunciation of European words. It is often very difficult to make out what a Vietnamese person is saying in English.

English is the most common foreign language among the locals, which, however, is not surprising. It is studied at school, at universities, in courses, etc. Also, Chinese is taught in educational institutions in Vietnam - the second most popular foreign language after English. English and Chinese are followed by French, Russian and German, but they are much less common. So, Russian is most often known by adults who studied at the universities of the USSR, as well as Vietnamese merchants who returned from Russia, but their level of language proficiency is very low. Recently, due to an increase in the number of tourists from Russia in the resort areas, local residents are slowly beginning to master the Russian language.

culture

Vietnamese culture throughout its centuries-old history has been subjected to numerous influences of its powerful neighbors or the mother country, but each time it melts them into something original and unique in its own way. India and China play a special role in the development of Vietnamese culture. China introduced more than half of the words and hieroglyphic writing into the Vietnamese language (in the 20th century it was replaced by the Latin alphabet), and into culture - Confucianism and elements of Taoism. In addition, in the Middle Ages, the influence of Indian culture was noticeable, and later, after the colonization of Vietnam by the French, the French. This was reflected, in particular, in the architecture of many cities, especially Ho Chi Minh City. In the second half of the 20th century, with the coming to power of the communists, many elements of culture began to be borrowed from the Soviet Union.

Vietnamese literature has a rich history - from ancient folklore, including the legend of the Dragon Sovereign Lac Long Quan, the Muong epic "The Birth of Water and the Birth of the Earth" to books of the 20th century, similar in theme to European literature. The most significant writers in the history of Vietnam worked in modern times - Nguyen Chai in the 15th century, Nguyen Binh Khiem in the 16th century and Nguyen Dhu at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. Nguyen Chai is one of the first major Vietnamese writers, as well as an outstanding statesman and philosopher. Nguyen Binh Khiem was an outstanding poet, close in outlook to Taoism, and Nguyen Du, who wrote the poems “The Lamentations of a Tortured Soul” and “The Tale of Kieu”, is as significant a figure in Vietnam as Pushkin is in Russia.

Vietnamese folk music is quite original. A large number of vocal genres can surprise you, and among the main musical instruments one can single out the amazing disc-like guitar, which can be either four or five strings, as well as dan tam (three-string guitar), dan ni (violin with only two strings ) and om dit is a Vietnamese bamboo flute.

Theater is popular in Vietnam, presented in several interesting genres. Teo is an ancient folk theater, which at one time originated among the peasants who lived in the Red River Delta. Today it exists in the provinces of Thai Binh and Hai Hung. Theatrical performances include folk music and the use of traditional folklore stories.

Vietnamese opera is called Tuong. Tuong originated in a courtly atmosphere and is considered a high theatrical genre that combines dance, music, pantomime, poetry, acrobatic arts and more. By the way, there are no decorations on the stage, and a heroic character is always in the center of the performance.

Particularly interesting is the water puppet theater, which has no analogues in the world. It also originated in the Red River Delta. The puppets move on the water during sunset, and all the action is accompanied by pleasant melodic music. The puppets are controlled by actors standing up to their waists in the water, hidden behind a bamboo screen, so that they have the opportunity to observe the puppets. The performances begin with the appearance of a boy doll Teu, who says: “Hello everyone! I don't need to introduce myself?"

Kitchen

Vietnam is a paradise for gourmets. The culinary traditions of this country are striking in their richness and variety of dishes and ingredients. Many recipes were borrowed from China, India and France, but it is by no means possible to say that Vietnamese cuisine is a clone of any of them.

The use of many sauces and seasonings is widespread in Vietnamese cuisine. In dishes prepared, by the way, only from fresh products, seasonings from garlic, onion and ginger root, as well as purely Vietnamese sauces "nuoc mam" and "nuoc cham" are often added. In Vietnam, various herbs and even bamboo are very popular, the young shoots of which are readily eaten.

The most popular foods used in Vietnamese cuisine are rice, seafood, pork, noodles, herbs and more.

Especially worth focusing on rice. This crop is one of the symbols of all of Southeast Asia, and Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the world. In addition, Vietnam refused to grow genetically modified rice, so there is no doubt about the quality of the product. In every Vietnamese family, rice is the main dish on the table, but beyond that, it is part of countless of the most amazing and original recipes.

Vegetarian cuisine is also developed in Vietnam, which is explained, first of all, by Buddhist gastronomic traditions. Among Vietnamese non-meat dishes, rice with fried dou-fu bean curd and rau vegetables can be distinguished. In general, soy and products from it in Vietnamese cuisine replace dairy products, which are practically not used among the Vietnamese. There is, for example, a special soy milk called sya-dau-nan. Soy sauce is very popular.

Widely used are various fruits that grow in abundance in Vietnam. These are coconuts, durian, guava, lemons, lychee, Javanese apple, Siamese persimmon, papaya, rambutan and many other exotic fruits.

As for meat dishes, the Vietnamese usually eat familiar beef, pork and poultry meat. Various insects or reptiles are now considered rare delicacies that are not served in any restaurant.

In general, Vietnamese cuisine is rich in exotic meats. For example, you can taste boa constrictor meat, which is considered extremely useful. Or try a snake dish, which is a whole act like a ritual, which can really shock the especially impressionable. The waiter makes a small incision on a still living snake, then removes the heart from it and bleeds it. The person who ordered the dish eats a beating snake heart and drinks rice vodka mixed with snake blood. After that, vodka is used, already mixed with snake bile. After some time, a ready-made dish is served - snake meat fried with spices and nuts. The head of the snake is cut off during cooking so that the poison cannot get into the dish.

Among other exotics are dishes from field rats, from dogs, from cats (although there is an official ban on their use) and many other amazing ingredients.

Purchases

Shopping is an indispensable component of any holiday. Somewhere it is developed in such a way that it seems that there is nowhere to develop further, but somewhere in terms of purchases, everything is not in the best way. Vietnam is somewhere in the middle, with a bias towards the first group. Shopping here is not at the same level as in neighboring Thailand, but with an increase in the number of tourists, there are good reasons for quality development. Moreover, Vietnam has something to offer its guests.

Connection

For calls to other countries in Vietnam, there are special call centers, as well as street payphones. Guests staying in hotels have the opportunity to make calls directly from there, but this is quite expensive.

The international code for Vietnam is 84.

• For calls from Vietnam to Russia, you need to dial: 007 - area code - subscriber number
• For calls from Russia to Vietnam, you need to dial: 8-10-84 - area code - subscriber number

Major city codes

• Hanoi - 4
• Ho Chi Minh City - 8
• Hai Phong - 32
• Da Nang - 511
• Hue - 54

There are no problems with cellular communications, since all three largest Russian operators — MTS, Beeline and Megafon — have agreements with Vietnamese companies. Vietnamese operators: MobiFone, VinaFone, S-Fone, G-Tel, Vietnamobile, Viettel Mobile. A SIM card from a Vietnamese operator costs about $5, which includes 30 minutes of talk time.

You need to be careful if you are dealing with local “priestesses of love”, who are often not averse to profiting from the wallets of their clients. Foreigners can play gambling games only in special establishments, and an attempt to involve local residents in them can result in criminal prosecution. Everything related to drugs is especially strictly punished - possession, distribution, use. In this case, the most severe punishments are applied, up to the death penalty. This is a traditional practice in Southeast Asia.

Tourists should exercise discretion during their holidays. In particular, this applies to the use of alcohol, since a tourist in Vietnam who has “overdone” can easily get into trouble, become a victim of a robbery, etc. When swimming, it is worth watching the ocean surf, which can become a source of danger. Between September and November, typhoons often approach Vietnam and severe flooding in some parts of the country.

As for health issues, before coming to Vietnam, you need to take care of the issue of obtaining medical insurance (regular or extended). You can also pay a fee to International SOS and use the medical services they provide in branches in Vietnam. The address in Hanoi is 31 Hai Ba Trung in the central part of the city. Phone - 9340555.

In the Vietnamese province, sanitary conditions are not very good - both in local hospitals and in hotels. The services of doctors are paid almost everywhere in cash only, and treatment under policies is carried out only in some metropolitan clinics. True, it is worth noting that prices in Vietnam are lower than in neighboring Thailand.

You need to be careful when ordering Vietnamese cuisine, which is quite unusual for Europeans due to its spiciness, abundance of spices and exotic products. If you overestimate your strength, then problems with the stomach and intestines are likely.

Where to stay

Vietnam will please all visitors with a large selection of accommodation options - there are not only many hotels and guesthouses, but also a wide range of prices, and the level of service is quite high. In addition, Vietnamese hotels have a unique Asian flavor that adds color to the whole holiday. In total, there are approximately 11 thousand hotels in Vietnam, while not experiencing a serious shortage of guests.

Cheap accommodation options are 2- and 3-star hotels, which are similar in quality to Turkish 3- and 4-star hotels, so many experts rightly point out that the class of Vietnamese hotels is somewhat underestimated. 2-star hotels are usually located in old 4-6-storey buildings, well finished inside. The rooms have a bath or shower with hot water, air conditioning, satellite TV and even a mini-bar. three-star hotels occupy more modern and large buildings, and the level of service and equipment in them is quite high. Prices in hotels of categories 2 and 3 stars - about 15-40 dollars per night.

An even more budget option are guesthouses, prices in which are often below $10, and the number of them in tourist places is truly huge. In Ho Chi Minh City, for example, many guesthouses and cheap hotels can be found in Pham Niu Lao, considered a backpacker area. True, it is not a fact that there will be hot water in cheap guesthouses and hotels.

In resort towns, in particular in Nha Trang, accommodation is likely to cost more than in the capitals. Many tourists come to these cities, who are poorly versed in the intricacies of the Vietnamese tour business and, moreover, are able to easily part with large sums of money. For such tourists, there are luxury hotels of 4 and 5 stars with their own pools, private beaches, etc.

For more economical lovers of Vietnamese beaches, there are many bungalows. True, the amenities in them are minimal, moreover, if the walls of the bungalow are bamboo, then mosquitoes can fly inside through the existing gaps. However, mosquito ointments may well correct the situation. In any case, the most vivid memories of a vacation in Vietnam almost always remain!

Stay in Vietnam means to plunge into an incredibly beautiful and harmonious atmosphere, into the world of picturesque nature, filled with bright exotic colors. Those who are interested in the culture of Asian countries know and appreciate the richness of the spiritual heritage of this country. For its guests, Vietnam offers a huge selection of unique attractions, original national cuisine, excellent travel services at the best price.

Dalat, Crazy House Hotel

Location

The country is located on the Indochina peninsula. For a long time, Vietnam had the status of a French colony and became an independent state only in the middle of the last century. Today Vietnam is considered a socialist country.

Vietnam opened for mass tourism relatively recently, but very quickly became one of the most popular holiday destinations for travelers from all over the world.

Main cities of Vietnam

The largest cities in Vietnam are Hanoi (the capital), Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Can Tho, Hai Phong and the ancient city of Hoa Lu.

Nature

The nature of Vietnam is very picturesque and very diverse. About two thirds of its territory is occupied by mountains. The largest mountain ranges are Hoanglyenshon (peak - 3143 m), Truongshon. Plateaus and plateaus predominate in the south of the country, the coast consists of lowlands.

Vietnam has many jungles with rich flora and fauna. Among the trees - a large number of bamboo, there are many precious species, there are also aromatic (sandalwood). Plants are represented in abundance by the well-known ginseng, cinnamon, cardamom.

Jungle

No less diverse are the species of animals that live in the forests. There are predators, antelopes, deer, lemurs, monkeys. A traveler who dares to go "to nature" will surely be pleasantly surprised by a meeting with a wild elephant, rhinoceros or python. As for birds, there are a great many of them here, about 400 species: eagles, pheasants, parrots, peacocks and many other birds.

The pride of the country is the magnificent national parks: Benen, Kuk Phuong, Yokdon, Chamtim, a mangrove forest near Ho Chi Minh City, the picturesque Wa Ve Lake, the Western Nghean Biosphere Reserve, the Red River Delta. The nature in these places is fantastically beautiful.

Phong Nha Park - Kebang Park Bat - Ma

The most interesting sights

Vietnam is ancient cities with their majestic temple doors, where every stone breathes history, bewitching landscapes of high mountains, transparent bays and flowering gardens. Natural and historical attractions are everywhere, and in just a few days of travel, you can discover many amazing places.

High in the mountains there is a small, but very popular among those who are interested in history, the picturesque town of Sapa, where you can plunge into the life of ancient times and spend the night in a village house where the atmosphere of the ancient past is recreated, as well as get acquainted with representatives of ethnic tribes.

No less interesting is the city of Hue, once the capital of Vietnam. The abundance of luxurious palaces, ancient temples and pagodas impresses the guests of the city and leaves vivid memories.

Fans of a relaxed beach holiday will be delighted with Da Nang, a port located near the famous city of Hoi An, or Phu Quoc Island, these places are famous for their beautiful well-groomed beaches with white sand.

Da Nang – Dragon Bridge

Fans of a quiet and relaxing holiday away from megacities will find their happiness in the villages with the famous green rice fields located in the Mekong Delta.

The real decoration of the country is the picturesque Halong Bay with two thousand islands.

However, for many, Vietnam is associated primarily with the largest cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

In this amazing city, the atmosphere of old, unhurried, exotic Asia is combined with the fast pace of the modern metropolis. Ancient monuments of history and culture coexist with gigantic buildings of shopping centers, and insane traffic flows are complemented by a large number of cycle rickshaws.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam

This city is ideal for lovers of active, educational and sightseeing holidays. Rich history and many historical and architectural attractions: museums, ancient temples, pagodas attract tourists from all over the world.

One of the places to visit in Hanoi is the Lake of the Returned Sword (Hoan Kiem). It is the heart of the city and is very popular with locals and tourists. In the center of the lake you can see the Turtle Tower, and on its islands, one of which is connected to the shore by a beautiful red bridge, there are ancient pagodas. According to one of the many legends surrounding the lake, a wise turtle once lived there, keeping a magic sword at the bottom and emerging only during important events for the country.

Not far from the Presidential Palace, you will find another attraction - the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh City. Outwardly, it is very reminiscent of Lenin's mausoleum in Moscow, which is not surprising - it was built with the help of Soviet specialists. In general, Lenin enjoys great respect among the Vietnamese; the central park of Hanoi is named after him.

Another place that you can see in Hanoi is the Cathedral of St. Joseph. This is a Catholic cathedral, very beautiful, especially inside, and reminiscent of Notre Dame in Paris. Catholic services are held in Vietnamese, which is very unusual for tourists from Europe.

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is the largest city in the country, founded by the French colonialists in 1874. Now it is a metropolis in constant motion, the business and cultural center of Vietnam.

Urban architecture is characterized by a mixture of traditions and styles: Western European, Chinese and others.

Its main attractions are the Independence Palace, the unique colonial-style Notre Dame Cathedral, the Historical Museum, the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, the Museum of War Relics, among the exhibits of which are weapons used by the Americans during the Vietnam War, the main zoo in the country and the Botanical Garden with the rarest tree species.

In the Cu Chi area, you can visit real guerrilla tunnels built during wartime, with living quarters, hospitals and weapons workshops.

The city is also famous for its beautiful parks, one of which is Dam-Sheen. Its visitors can become spectators of a puppet show, visit the water park and the bird garden and the Nam-Tu Royal Garden.

Always in great demand among tourists Can Zio Biosphere Reserve, famous for its unique mangrove forests. It is called the "lungs" of Ho Chi Minh City. On its territory, you can easily meet many exotic animals and birds, and tourists feed crocodiles from a fishing rod, sailing past them on a raft.

30 km north of the city, in the province of Binh Duong, there is a “bamboo village”, which is a museum of bamboo, whose role in the life of the Vietnamese is very great. 130 species of this plant are grown on its territory.

Those who visit Vietnam in the summer will be able to become guests of the popular annual event - the Fruit Festival, during which they will learn a lot of interesting things about the most exotic fruits and will be able to buy them at quite reasonable prices.

One of the rarest and most famous places in the country is Halong Bay, which is striking in its amazing beauty and is included in the list of World Heritage Sites protected by UNESCO. Every year it is visited by a huge number of tourists from many countries of the world. Picturesque islands with mysterious grottoes and caves, rocks rising in the middle of transparent emerald water, like works of art, do not leave anyone indifferent.

As befits a fabulous place, the bay is shrouded in legends and myths. Its name is translated as "dragon descending into the sea." According to legend, a giant dragon that lives high in the mountains once decided to descend and furrowed the earth with its tail and claws, resulting in valleys and gorges. Tired, he sank into the sea, which as a result rose and flooded the shore, leaving only the tops of the rocks on the surface, which became islands. Many Vietnamese are still convinced that the dragon is alive and hiding in one of the many caves. It is not surprising that this mythical creature has become a kind of brand in the country, and its images are an invariable attribute of many local souvenirs. By the way, among the souvenirs here you can buy very interesting things: stalactites from caves, corals and beautiful sea shells.

The bay will appeal to both lovers of educational excursions and those who prefer a beach holiday. Exploration of caves and other natural attractions, diving, rock climbing can be combined with swimming on one of the local sandy beaches.

On the territory of the bay there are floating fishing villages, which are home to more than 1600 people. You can go on an excursion there to get acquainted with the life of Vietnamese peasants.

bay islands

The most visited island in Halong Bay is Cat Ba. The main attraction of the island is the National Park, which occupies half of its territory, which is home to a rare species of primates - langurs.

Quan Lan Island is famous for the crescent-shaped sandy Minh Chau Beach, where you can swim in the clearest water and surf when the waves come, which happens here quite often. When you are on the island, be sure to check out the wonderful Quan Lan Pagoda built in the 18th century.

Dachu Be Island attracts with the amazing beauty of lakes connected by a whole system of caves. Due to the huge number of corals and underwater caves, the island is a favorite place for divers. And on its surface you can see monkeys, exotic birds and flying squirrels, as well as admire marvelous orchids growing there.

There is never a shortage of visitors to Titov Island. The island received such an exotic name on the occasion of a visit by a famous astronaut in 1962. Climbing up to the observation deck, you can admire the amazing landscapes, especially beautiful in the evenings when the sun sets.

The small island of Dinh Huong fits on a rock rising in the middle of the water surface. It rests on four "columns" that are clearly visible at low tide.

caves

The largest cave in the bay, discovered by speleologists at the end of the 19th century, is called Surprise (Sung Sot). It is located on Bo Hong Island. The cave is filled with bizarre stalactites of various sizes and shapes. Don't forget to capture the amazing scenery that opens up to you when you leave - after all, it is the hallmark of Ha Long Bay.

Thien Cung Cave is famous for countless stalactites and stalagmites of the most bizarre forms, which are several million years old.

Me Cung Cave (meaning “enchantment”) starts with a very narrow corridor that only one person can walk through, and then splits into several “rooms” filled with stalactites. Recently, archaeologists have discovered human things dating back to the Stone Age there.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the rich history of Halong Bay has been enriched with significant cultural events. It was here that films known far beyond the borders of Vietnam were filmed - "Indochina" and "Tomorrow Never Dies". In 1962, the bay was given the status of "National Landscape Monument", and in 2009, Halong was included in the list of candidates for the title of one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Hoi An

Hoi An is an ancient city with a rich history, reminiscent of an open-air museum in terms of the number of historical and architectural values, where each building breathes antiquity and peace. Most of the old houses in it have been preserved intact, thanks to which time seems to have frozen in the 16th-17th centuries, when Hoi An was a busy trading port. In those days, the city was massively populated by the Chinese, so temples, one-story tiled houses, and other Chinese-style buildings are found there quite often.

The center (Old Town) of Hoi An is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can walk along its streets with countless souvenir shops and cozy cafes and admire the beautiful houses of joyful yellow color for hours, but wherever you are, sooner or later you will definitely find yourself at the Japanese Bridge - the symbol of Hoi An, which is depicted on its coat of arms. The covered bridge was built at the end of the 16th century to connect the Chinese and Japanese quarters. This significant event in the life of the city was also reflected in the legend. Some gigantic monster, whose head was located in India, the body in Vietnam, and the tail in Japan, at the slightest movement produced all kinds of natural disasters: hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. Deciding to deal with the annoying monster, people found an excellent tool for this - a bridge. Having built it in the most vulnerable place of the monster, they began to live peacefully and happily.

Other must-see sights include the ancient Chuc Thanh Pagoda, the Diep Dong Nguyen House, the Tran Family Chapel, and the magnificent Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, where you will see intricate wood carvings on the walls.

There are many interesting museums in the city, among which is the Museum of History and Culture of Hoi An - a real paradise for those who are interested in archeology and life of different times. In it you can see many rarities, some of which are about two thousand years old: tools, ancient ceramic dishes and other valuable finds found during excavations.

Be sure to take the time to visit the Assembly House of the Cantonese Community, located near the Japanese Bridge, a Chinese-style building from the late 19th century. The impressive interior of the house and its very beautiful and well-groomed territory will be remembered for a long time.

One of the most favorite places for walks among locals and tourists is the Thubon river embankment, a romantic place, especially beautiful in the evenings, when multi-colored illuminations are lit everywhere, and large red lotuses light up on the river, among which many candles in cardboard colors float.

Every year the most popular Paper Lantern Festival is held in the city, during which travelers admire lanterns of various colors and shapes in the form of fish, animals and fabulous creatures.

Will be satisfied by visiting Hoi An, and nature lovers. Not far from the city is the Ky Lao Cham archipelago, on which the natural reserve of the same name is located. On the way there, you can admire the most beautiful corals through the clear water.

You can also drive to the village of Chakue, located 3 km from the city, where you will be kindly offered to work in the garden so that you can feel like a real Vietnamese peasant, and as a reward they will open the local “know-how” - the secret of the amazing taste of vegetables and herbs grown in local gardens.

In some of the villages closest to Hoi An, you can ride a buffalo and plant a mangrove palm as a good memory of yourself.

Nha Trang is considered to be the beach capital of Vietnam. It is a bustling and vibrant resort town that attracts many fun-loving holidaymakers with an active nightlife and lively parties. Nha Trang is also famous for its mud baths, which give a wonderful healing effect.

Nha Trang is a city of divers, and this is no coincidence: after all, in the sea on which it is located, in addition to many unique species of fish, you can also see a huge number of corals that form entire underwater gardens.

In this city, you can see the ancient towers of Pognagar, the Long Son Pagoda and the museum of Alexandre Yersin, a scientist from France who lived in Vietnam for many years.

Of the natural attractions, it is worth visiting the waterfalls of Yangbai and Bach. You can also go on an excursion to Monkey Island, which is located near the city. You and your children will surely enjoy the Circus of Dogs and Monkeys and the Circus of Elephants and Bears located on this island, as well as the opportunity to feed the monkeys from your hands. It must be borne in mind that on the island you will definitely become the object of the closest attention from the monkeys: as soon as you open your bag or backpack, they will surround you with a dense wall and will not let you out until you feed them or remove your hand from the bag.

You will also be impressed by a trip to the famous aquarium on Chi Nguyen Island, built in the form of a huge ship, where you can see rays, sharks, turtles, statue fish and other inhabitants of the sea.

Be sure to visit the My Son temple complex. Once the Holy Land of Myron was the center of the state of Champa, which existed for about a thousand years. There you can see the unique ancient buildings of a religious nature.

The world's longest cable car takes you to Vinpearl Land, located on Hon Tre Island, which is especially popular among travelers with children: there is an amusement park, a water park and an aquarium.

caves

Vietnam is famous for its ancient, unusually picturesque caves.

Shondong is the largest and most breathtaking cave not only in the country but throughout the world, its dimensions are 200 meters high, 150 meters wide and supposedly 6-7 km long, and the volume is 38.5 million cubic meters. To date, more than 150 "halls" have been opened, which are connected to each other by long labyrinths of passages. Son Doong is located in Phong Nha Kebang National Park in the central part of the country. The age of the cave is from 2.5 million years. To get there, you need to have extraordinary endurance: you will need to walk for about seven hours through the park, but the adventures will not end there - you will have to go down a rope of 80 meters into the cave itself.

The name of the cave is translated as "mountain river cave"; in fact, a turbulent underground river flows in it. In addition, in those places where the sun's rays penetrate, real lush jungles with 3-meter trees grow. Inside the cave, you can even see clouds formed due to high humidity. All this makes an unforgettable impression on visitors who dared to get deep into the cave. Shondong is more like not a cave in the traditional sense of the word, but a whole underground world with its own nature and laws.

In Son Doong, you can see impressive stalactites in size, which, when exposed to sunlight, become like huge stone cacti.

In addition to various plants, new unique species of animals were discovered there - hornbills and flying foxes.

The cave has not yet been fully studied, and one can only guess what surprises it will still bring to researchers and travelers.

In the same park there is another amazing cave - Phong Nha. The length of the cave is more than 7 km. You need to get to it by boat, and along the way you can admire the unusually beautiful landscapes of the surrounding forest.

Inside the cave there are 14 grottoes and an underground river about 14 km long with real beaches. No one brought sand to them, it appeared here by itself. Recently, two lakes were discovered in the cave, the depth of which is so great that it has not yet been possible to measure it by any means. Therefore, they received the name "Abyssal".

There is another amazing cave on the Island of Wonders - Grotto of wooden pillars. The stones and stalactites inside are reminiscent of the silhouette of an outlandish monster in their outlines. The grotto consists of three large halls, one of which once kept spears intended for the battle of the Bakhdang River and gave the name to the cave (although they were not used for their intended purpose, but blocked the river, preventing enemy ships).

culture

The culture of Vietnam is one of the oldest in Asia and in the world, the beginning of its formation dates back to the Bronze Age: the peoples who then lived on the territory of the country already knew how to process not only stone, but also metals. The culture of Vietnam is characterized by the cult of ancestors, family and community traditions are very strong in it. Dragons, turtles, bamboos and lotuses have always been important symbols in works of art.

The richness and diversity of Vietnamese culture is complemented by the influence of cultures from other countries, especially Chinese. Due to the territorial proximity of the two countries, a single cultural space has emerged since ancient times. The Chinese influence is especially noticeable in Vietnamese architecture and crafts: ceramics, pottery, silk painting. The culture of this country has also absorbed the traditions and customs of the peoples of the ancient state of Champa, captured by Vietnam in the 10th century. French colonization also left its mark: as a result, hieroglyphs were replaced by official writing based on the Latin alphabet, and the influence of Catholicism increased in religious life. Since the 1940s, the socialist countries have had a strong influence on the culture of Vietnam.

Cultural monuments of particular historical value are included in the lists of objects protected by UNESCO. Among them are the city of Hoi An, the Holy Land of Michon and the Hanoi Citadel of the 15th century with a 33-meter Banner Tower, previously used as an observation post, on which, in accordance with the name, a banner, the symbol of the capital, flutters.

The religion of the peoples inhabiting Vietnam is dominated by three main areas that have had a significant impact on the development of culture: Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Temples, where believers can pray and perform the necessary rituals, are open everywhere in the country in large numbers.

Traditional arts include silk painting, religious sculpture, ceramics, and a form of theater that combines drama, puppetry, dance, and music.

Of particular interest to tourists from all over the world is always such a unique genre of art as a puppet theater on the water. When it starts to get dark, the puppets, controlled by actors hidden behind a screen, move smoothly through the water, putting on a performance. Against the backdrop of a sunset, with beautiful backlighting, it looks unusual and beautiful.

National cuisine

As in most Asian countries, rice is the main food of the locals. On average, a Vietnamese eats about 200 kg of rice per year. Not a single meal for a Vietnamese is unthinkable without this dish. It is prepared in a variety of combinations: with meat, fish, sauces and spices, all kinds of pies, pancakes, dumplings and vermicelli are made from it. When cooking, neither salt nor oil is added to it. As for meat dishes, here the Vietnamese are rare entertainers. In addition to traditional pork, beef and chicken, as well as exotic crocodile and ostrich, in many restaurants you can try dishes from lizards, snakes, caterpillars and field rats. One of the most popular drinks here is a cocktail of vodka and cobra blood, which is served with a still-beating snake heart. Unfortunately, the locals even eat cats and dogs. They also respect the gifts of the sea. The most delicious crabs, by the way, can be tasted in Nha Trang. However, Buddhist culture has had a great influence on the formation of vegetarian traditions here, which are followed by many Vietnamese. One of the tastiest dishes of the local vegetarian cuisine is rice with Dou-fu fried bean curd. Soy, by the way, successfully replaces dairy products, which are practically not used here. And, of course, in this country there is always a huge selection of the freshest fruits, including such exotic ones as dragon fruit, longan, water apple, khaki and three-stone cherries.

What are the first dishes to try while in Vietnam?

Soups

One of the signature dishes of Vietnamese cuisine is Pho soup. The Vietnamese eat it day and night. In any city you can see huge vats that emit a familiar aroma to every Vietnamese. The soup is a very rich meat broth, to which pieces of beef, pork or chicken, noodles, soy, a huge amount of seasonings and a lot of greens are added. In the south of the country, banana flower petals become an important ingredient in this soup. In general, locals are very fond of mixing many products in one dish, creating original flavors. The process of eating this dish turns into a kind of ritual with its immutable rules. The liquid is supposed to be eaten with a spoon, but meat and noodles must be eaten with chopsticks.

Another soup that is very popular in Vietnam is Bun Bo. It differs from Pho in that it uses rice vermicelli instead of noodles, and solid chunks of beef instead of finely minced meat. Indispensable attributes of this soup are shrimp paste and lemongrass.

Fajitas Nem Nuong

This dish is also traditional in Vietnam. It consists of grilled pork sausages with garlic and spices, and fresh or pickled vegetables with lots of herbs. All this is served with carrot-peanut sauce and fried shallots.

You can’t leave Vietnam without trying Rau Mong herbs, which are fried with garlic in garlic oyster sauce and served with chili sauce, or Boon rice noodles with meat, vegetables, herbs and nuts.

Very popular in Vietnam are crispy Nem pancakes made from rice paper and filled with a wide variety of fillings, steamed Bánh bao pies stuffed with various types of meat, quail eggs, mushrooms and vegetables, eggplant saute Cà Tím Kho Tộ, which is vegetable stew with the addition of chili peppers and other specific spices, Newk-mam fish sauce, added to almost all dishes, as well as delicious egg coffee.

Holidays

The main official holidays that are nationwide days off and reflecting events from the history of the country - Youth Day (26.03), Victory Day (30.04), Birthday (19.05), Commemoration Day (27.07), Revolution Day (19.08), Day independence (2.09) and Defender of the Fatherland Day (22.12). In addition, the Vietnamese celebrate the New Year together with the Europeans, on March 8, and even on May 1.

There are many lunar holidays in Vietnam that fall on different days in different years. As a rule, they are based on ancient traditions and religious beliefs of the people, and their roots go back to the mists of time. The most important holiday in the life of the Vietnamese is Lunar New Year, or Tet Nguyen Dan. That's when the Vietnamese have fun from the heart! Festive performances are organized on the streets of all cities, and all the inhabitants of the country put on folk costumes and prepare a family festive dinner. The Vietnamese have fun for one week, at which time life in the whole country stops, and tourists may have difficulty with accommodation in hotels and moving around the country. Another "lunar" holiday - Day of Wandering Souls, celebrated in August, when gifts are given to the souls of the dead and food is prepared. Both of these holidays are days off. Tit Doan Ngo also belongs to the folk holidays, which usually happens on the Midsummer Day. Then figurines of people are burned everywhere, they are sacrificed to the “army of death”.

Among the popular events can also be called in January - Pagoda Festival, as well as in March - Whale Festival, and of course, very beautiful at the end of September - Mid-Autumn Festival and bullock racing held in October.

Currency of Vietnam

The currency of Vietnam is dong (VND). In fact, only large banknotes are in circulation, from 500 to 500,000 dongs. There are denominations of 100 and 200 dong, as well as coins ranging from 100 to 5000 dong, but their release has practically ceased and they are gradually going out of circulation. Now only numismatists are interested in them and travelers, acquiring them as a rare souvenir . Starting from VND 10,000 , banknotes are not made of paper , but of plastic , thanks to which they last longer in conditions of high humidity . The local currency has its own characteristics. For example, a banknote of 20,000 dong is very similar in color to 500,000 dong, and 10,000 dong - 200,000 dong. Therefore, it is very easy to confuse them, especially in a poorly lit place. Do not rush to pay, carefully check the money. And one more feature: since the cost of one dong is very small, locals like to call "one dong" a thousand dongs.

However, when paying for a purchase, the Vietnamese are always happy with the national currency of the United States, because the dollar is about 20 thousand times more expensive than debt. This currency may come in handy if you have not purchased dongs yet. You can exchange dollars in banks , travel agencies , jewelry stores , as a rule , offering the most favorable rate of debt to the dollar . The country has a law that limits the purchase of foreign currency by local residents, so the dollars offered by tourists are at a premium here. However, in a number of places (in public transport, cafes and restaurants, supermarkets) dollars will still not be accepted, so it is better to exchange some of them for dongs. If you want to change euros , you can also do this in almost any bank .

Accommodation

Most Vietnamese hotels, regardless of the number of stars, have a very decent level of service. The country is dominated by 4-star hotels, but there are also a considerable number of 3* hotels. Almost all of them offer BB meals, that is, breakfast included in the price. All rooms at the hotel are air conditioned and have satellite TV.

Tourists can also rent an apartment, house or villa. A variety of options offered allows you to easily choose a room for every taste and budget. Spacious studio during the tourist season - from $ 300 per month. A house with furniture, a washing machine and the Internet will cost from $400, while a European-style villa with a pool will cost from $100.

Those who prefer more budget options can book a guesthouse with a shared kitchen, a 2-3 star hotel room or a bamboo bungalow with minimal amenities, but on the bay.

Safety

Vietnam is a relatively calm, comfortable and safe place, there are no terrorist attacks, no pronounced racial prejudice, no religious fanaticism, people are quite adequate, and cases of unmotivated aggression are extremely rare. However, in order for the rest to leave only favorable impressions, you need to listen to some useful tips.

Crime

Despite the fact that the country has rather low rates of serious violent crimes, one should not relax: fraud and theft, especially pickpocketing, are very common here. They occur mainly in crowded places, but hotel rooms are also popular with criminals. Money, cell phones, cameras, tablets, everything that is of some value becomes the subject of theft. If you are the victim of a theft, of course, you should immediately contact the police. If documents are lost, you should take a certificate from the police and go with it to the embassy or the nearest consulate.

Special mention deserves the intrusiveness of some local residents, with maniacal persistence offering tourists their goods or services, which no one asked them for. Especially often there is no end to self-styled "guides" of extremely low qualification. If, under pressure, you buy something from them, it will be very difficult to get change. It comes to the point that your clothes can be deliberately stained in order to impose expensive "help". Often demand illegal tolls on a road or bridge. It is important to remember that when dealing with such people, no matter how difficult it may be, one should maintain self-control and try to follow facial expressions: they regard a displeased facial expression as aggression and can serve as a reason for a showdown.

How to avoid such troubles that can spoil the impressions of the rest for a long time? First of all, do not carry large sums of money with you, especially when you go to crowded places. Keep valuables in the hotel safe, instead of documents, carry copies of them with you. Never leave things unattended for a second. Do not wear expensive jewelry and watches. In order not to increase the risk of robbery, do not abuse alcohol. And in no case do not play in casinos that do not have a license.

Health

1. Health safety rules are not that complicated, and if you follow them, then the risk of picking up any infection is small. Here are the recommendations:
2. Be careful with water, even the one taken from the minibar. Buy bottled water, first checking if the cap and the film around it are not damaged.
3. Always wash vegetables and fruits; if this is not possible, do not use them. Wash only with boiled water.
4. Try to choose proven places to eat that are popular with other tourists and locals. Do not abuse unfamiliar exotic dishes.
5. Do not drink ice-cold drinks as they may contain harmful bacteria.
6. Don't drink unbranded wine to avoid methanol poisoning.
7. Eat meat and fish hot.
8. If possible, do not stay in the sun for a long time, use protective cream and special glasses.
9. If your plans include traveling through the jungle, take a course of malaria prophylaxis.
10. Purchase health insurance with infectious diseases included. In villages or forests, the risk of contracting dengue fever, malaria or cholera is quite high. True, not all clinics, especially in the provinces, accept policies. Be prepared to pay immediately and in cash. If you wish, you can easily pay a fee to International SOS.
11. If you feel unwell, contact your doctor immediately.

road traffic

Vietnamese drivers are extremely undisciplined, like to change lanes and undercuts, ignore red lights and do not respect speed limits. When crossing the road, you must be extremely careful. Always walk slowly and straight, do not run from side to side.

Natural disasters

The main natural disaster for the Vietnamese are floods - a consequence of the rainy season from June to December. At the same time, typhoons often occur here, mainly in the north of the country.

What to bring from Vietnam

The choice of a gift for relatives and friends is usually not a problem here, the gifts of this exotic country are so diverse and original, which, moreover, differ in very reasonable prices.

In shops, markets and bazaars, you can easily find everything you need: from fashionable clothes and shoes to exotic food.

Connoisseurs of good coffee always have a place to turn around here. There are a great many varieties of this wonderful drink, and its quality delights the most picky gourmets. One of the rarest and most unusual types of coffee is Kopi Luwak. Before processing, its grains are passed through the stomachs of musangs - local animals, after which the drink acquires a completely unusual taste and aroma.

The choice of quality tea varieties is also huge here: fine aromatic tea with artichokes, jasmine, ginger, mountain herbs and many other additives can be bought at any supermarket. The most popular varieties are Thai Nguyen and Milk Oolong, which is very inexpensive here. All varieties, both green and black, are grown on tea plantations in Vietnam. And for tea, you can buy a variety of sweets or candied fruits in beautiful gift boxes.

Fresh fruits are also presented in a large assortment. As a memento of an interesting and unusual country, you can take such exotic things as scourges, mongoose, dragon's eye or longcon with you. The cost of fruits here is several orders of magnitude lower than in Russia, but sometimes merchants, seeing foreigners in front of them, overestimate the price. Do not forget that bargaining is not only appropriate here, but also very welcome.

From products, tourists often bring home all kinds of seasonings, spices, syrups, rice noodles and rice paper.

Silk products are always cast with high quality here, because Vietnam is one of the world's leading manufacturers of this fabric. You can please yourself and your loved ones by buying a silk robe, scarf or scarf, as well as beautiful bed linen. In any atelier, you can quickly and inexpensively sew a wonderful dress from the purchased fabric quickly and inexpensively. A fan trimmed with silk or an exclusive picture embroidered with silk threads will be a wonderful gift.

Cotton products are also popular here, usually inexpensive and of high quality.

Exotic lovers can buy an unusual souvenir - a beautiful bottle with a scorpion, snake or salamander in alcohol. Whiskey is mainly used as alcohol. Such a gift will suit both connoisseurs of good alcohol, and lovers of decorating the interior in an original way.

From alcoholic drinks, you can buy, for example, Dalat wine, which is very popular here, as well as balms infused with herbs and roots. Many types of alcohol are made from rice, rice vodka is especially popular.

There is also a great selection of accessories. A great gift for fans of exclusive fashion is a wallet, key holder, bag or phone case made of snake or crocodile skin.

An ideal gift would be magnificent and at the same time inexpensive products made from white, black or pink pearls, which are grown on oyster farms here.

As for jewelry, there is a particularly large selection of silver items. All jewelry has a unique design, especially those with ivory or pearl inlays. Very beautifully made and silverware. Lovers of precious stones will find here a lot of sapphires, opals, rubies; All this is mined in Vietnam.

As for souvenirs, their range here is simply huge. This country is famous for its folk crafts. A traditional Vietnamese souvenir is banana leaf hats of various shapes and sizes. Many of the finest works made of wood, bamboo, ivory and even coconut shells are so beautiful and unusual that they cannot but arouse admiration. Original gifts will be a handmade mask made of coconut or bamboo, a beautiful national doll or a box with silk upholstery.

A useful gift could be Cobratoxan ointment, made from cobra venom, or White Tiger Balm. They are made exclusively in Vietnam and serve as an effective pain reliever for many diseases.

As you can see, there is something to bring from Vietnam, the main thing is to make the right choice.

Note to the tourist

To make your trip to Vietnam enjoyable in every way, try to properly prepare for it and take into account some recommendations that will help you navigate the country correctly.

Visa

If you stay in the country for more than 15 days, you will need a visa obtained from a Vietnamese consulate or issued immediately upon arrival. It should indicate the points of entry and exit into the country.

Customs regulations

Foreign currency can be imported without restrictions, however, the amount of more than $3,000 must be declared; You can export currency only within the amount declared upon entry. It is forbidden to take the national currency out of the country. You will also have to declare household and computer equipment. Duty-free transport of alcohol, coffee and cigarettes is limited. You can not import weapons, drugs, drug-containing medications without a special order (the death penalty may be a punishment), pornographic materials. It is forbidden to export works of art, jewelry and handicrafts from the country without accompanying documents.

Difficulties with language

The names of a place or street can be pronounced differently by different Vietnamese, depending on the dialect, so it can sometimes be difficult for locals and tourists to understand each other. In order not to get lost in an unfamiliar place, write down the names of the places you plan to visit in Vietnamese and show it to the locals if necessary.

Tips

It is customary to leave a tip in the amount of 5-10% of the total bill.

Transport

In major cities in Vietnam, you can take a metered taxi or cycle rickshaw. With rickshaws, the fare is negotiated in advance, and you can and should bargain. The average price is VND16,000 for 15 minutes. There are also intercity buses and taxis.

Renting a car here is possible only with a “load” in the person of a local driver. Fortunately, a motorcycle or bicycle is available for rent without any additional kits.

Traffic in Vietnam is on the right. In large cities, traffic lights and road signs are installed everywhere, but this has little effect on the discipline of local drivers, who behave extremely carelessly. Remember that driving in this country is always associated with a considerable risk to life and health.

How to fly to Vietnam

You can get to Vietnam from Russia without any problems, the choice of flights is quite large. However, there are few cities from where direct flights to this country are carried out: Moscow, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok. But sometimes, at the height of the season, you can go there directly by a charter flight from some other cities, in particular, St. Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk.

From Moscow, you can fly directly to Vietnam by flights of Aeroflot and Vietnam Airlines.

Flights from Novosibirsk are operated by S7 Airlines (Sibir), and from Vladivostok by Vladivostok-Avia.

In addition to direct flights, you can take advantage of connecting flights with transfers, for example, in Seoul, Bangkok or Hong Kong.

There are also more complex options that require a lot of time and effort, with two transfers (for example, in Paris and Bangkok), but many people use them because of the rather low cost of tickets.

By visiting this beautiful exotic country, you will get unique impressions and will remember all the interesting and amazing places you have visited for a long time.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia. The sights of this distant country are little studied, but no less interesting and attractive. Tourists come here to enjoy the unique landscapes and grandiose beauty of the ancient eastern temples.

Where is the country located?

Where is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam located, whose sights are attracting more and more attention of foreign tourists?

The state is located in the southeastern part of Asia, on the Indochina peninsula. From the east it is washed by the warm waters of the South China Sea, in the west it borders on Cambodia and Laos, and in the north - with China. The area of ​​the country is small (331.2 thousand square kilometers). However, over 90 million people live here.

Vietnam is very elongated in the submeridional direction. The temperature difference between the northern and southern regions of the country can sometimes reach 10-12 degrees.

The embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is located in Moscow. It is located on Bolshaya Pirogovskaya street, house 13. There are also consulates of this distant one in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg.

Official name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam. and administrative division of the country

The name of the country is very ancient. For the first time it is mentioned in the book of the poet Khiem, written in the 16th century. The geographic toponym consists of two words: viet(Vietnamese - the indigenous and main people of Vietnam) and nam, which means "south", "southern". The full and official name of the state sounds like this today: the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The country is divided into 58 provinces and five large cities with a similar legal status. Vietnam - monarchy or republic? According to the state system, the country is a republic. The main (and only legal) political party in the state is the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Vietnamese, by the way, call it short and concise: party.

The history of the formation of Vietnam

It is worth noting that until the middle of the twentieth century, the state of Vietnam did not exist within its modern borders. For a long time the country remained dependent on France. During World War II, Vietnam was occupied by Japanese troops. At the same time (in August 1945) an uprising led by Ho Chi Minh took place in Hanoi. At a rally of 500,000, he solemnly announced that a new independent state had emerged in southeast Asia - the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

However, Vietnam did not remain a sovereign country for long. Since Japan officially lost the Second World War, its troops were disarmed. The territory of Vietnam was occupied by the armies of several states at once - China, England and France. The new government of Ho Chi Minh signed a number of agreements with the French side, but it soon became clear that the French intended to restore their rights to Vietnamese territory. At the end of 1946, Vietnam entered the phase of the war, which lasted on its territory for almost thirty years.

At first, the troops of Ho Chi Minh "went into the forests" and fought exclusively in guerrilla battles. But later they managed to go on an active counteroffensive. The so-called First Indochina War ended only in 1954 with the signing of the Geneva Accords, which fully recognized the independence of the young state.

Soon a new round of military aggression in Vietnam began. Another important geopolitical player, the United States, intervened in the situation in southeast Asia, in order to limit the spread of communist ideas in the Asian region. With the direct support of the Americans in the south, a republic was formed with the capital in the city of Saigon. In turn, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), which was actively supported by the Soviet Union, decided to reattach its southern territories by force. Thus, on a small patch of Asian land, in fact, two superpowers of the planet came together in a real war.

It continued until the mid 70s. The DRV, with the powerful support of the Soviet troops and with the help of the active actions of its partisan detachments in the south of the country, was able to win this war. The long-awaited merger of the North with the South and the formation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam took place in July 1976. The city of Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the outstanding Vietnamese military leader.

Socialist Republic of Vietnam: attractions and tourism potential of the country

A country not spoiled by tourists - that's how you can characterize the young republic. What is attractive in this state? First of all, it is the unique nature, diverse landscapes, unusual architecture and hospitality of the Vietnamese themselves.

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, will appeal to any European who is accustomed to big cities, cozy parks and modern buildings. But lovers of antiquity should definitely go to the city of Hue. Here the traveler is met by the most beautiful pagodas, imperial palaces, ruins of ancient fortresses. But in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) you can fully experience the flavor of the old East Asian city.

Lovers of wildlife, as well as a quiet, peaceful holiday, should definitely visit the Dalat mountain resort.

Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located in Hanoi and is a whole architectural complex consisting of five objects. The ideological leader of the Vietnamese, as you know, did not live to see the unification of the country for which he fought. The construction of the mausoleum in his honor began in 1973.

Today, anyone can go up to the second floor of the grandiose building and look at Ho Chi Minh lying in a glass coffin. The complex also houses the Presidential Palace and the wooden house of the President.

Mekong Delta

Another place in Vietnam that all tourists love is the Mekong Delta. Here you can feel the essence and exoticism of local life in all its glory. The channel of the Mekong River, when it flows into the sea, forms hundreds of narrow branches. For the Vietnamese, this place is as holy as the Dnieper for the Ukrainians or the Nile for the Egyptians.

Some tourists come here for a day or two, while others stay here for a week to calmly swim through the canals and explore the wildest corners of the local landscapes. In the Mekong Delta, travelers are attracted by the houses of local residents, floating markets, plantations of exotic fruits, as well as an island where real coconut candies are produced.

Dalat and Mount Longbian

Dalat is one of the best and most popular resorts in Vietnam. But in the city itself, you should definitely visit Mount Longbyan. From its top, a wonderful view of Dalat, bright green hills and pastures opens up.

The mountain is a thirty-minute drive from the resort and looks like a chain of five peaks of volcanic origin. The height of the highest of them is 2400 meters. You can go to the observation deck of Longbyan, but you can only get to the highest peak on foot.

Conclusion

On the shores of the South China Sea, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is located. The sights of this amazing country are rarely mentioned in popular guidebooks. But this makes them even more attractive for tourists and travelers who are ready for new discoveries.

Ancient temples, stunning nature, cordiality and hospitality of the Vietnamese - that's why it's worth going to this state. The Republic of Vietnam is not yet spoiled by tourists, and therefore is looking forward to each of its guests.

Vietnam is a unique country with deep and multifaceted cultural values, diverse landscapes, and no less diverse climatic conditions.

Here you can find everything you want:

Beautiful beaches with quartz white sand;

majestic mountains;

Dense tropical forests;

sand dunes;

Foothill and mountain valleys hidden from human eyes;

Wild jungle with bright and unusual birds;

Predatory animals that hide in dense thickets;

Warm and clean South China Sea, the color of emerald.

Here you can not resist the desire to visit here. Here you will think, where is Vietnam? The answer to this question will be quite simple.

The Republic of Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia, is located on the Indochina Peninsula, in its easternmost part. This state is one of the most densely populated in the world. The country borders Laos in the northwest, Cambodia in the southwest, and China (PRC) in the north.

Opening the question of where Vietnam is located, it should be noted that in the south, the coast of Vietnam is caressed by the warm South China Sea and the Strait of Siam, so you can export goods by sea. Some types of goods are in special demand among countries such as the USA, Japan, Germany, China. Exports are mainly shoes and clothing, rice, oil, coffee, rubber, and some varieties of tea.

Hanoi is the capital of this state. The official language is Vietnamese, but Chinese is also used, and a little Russian, English and French.

In addition to the mainland, the state of Vietnam also includes islands such as Phu Kok and Con Dao.

Where is Vietnam located: relief

The territory of the state is 332 thousand sq. km. In the north of the republic lies the mountainous part of the Yunnan Highlands, and in the east of the mountainous region lies the Hongha River Delta. Then the Annam Mountains stretched to the south, which occupied the central part of the country.

In Vietnam, there are still warm mineral springs, which are located in Binchau, with a temperature of about +40′C. Therefore, there are a lot of spa centers in the country, which, in addition to spa treatments, also specialize in oriental massage. For deep cleansing of the skin and in cosmetology, healing clay is used, which is extracted from the same mineral sources.

General information of Vietnam

The official name is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV). Located in the eastern part of the Indochinese Peninsula. The area is 331,690 km2, the population is 80 million people. The official language is Vietnamese. The capital is Hanoi (3.3 million people, 2001). Public holiday - Independence Day September 2 (since 1945).

Member of the UN (since 1977), ASEAN (since 1995), APEC (since 1998), etc.

Geography of Vietnam

It is located between 8°10' and 23°24' north latitude and between 102°09' and 109°30' east longitude. From the east, the country is washed by the South China Sea, from the west - by the Gulf of Thailand. The length of the sea coast is 3960 km. The territory of Vietnam includes islands located in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, incl. part of the Paracel and Spratly Islands. The largest of them (km2): Phu Quoc (568), Cat Ba (180), Condao (50).

In the north, Vietnam borders on China (the length of the border is 1300 km), in the west - on Laos (650 km), in the southwest - on Cambodia (930 km). From north to south, the country stretches for 1650 km, from east to west: 600 km in the north, 400 km in the south and approx. 50 km in the central part of Vietnam.

The western and inland regions of Vietnam are occupied by the mountains and plateaus of the Yunnan Highlands. The Truong Son Range stretches from north to south for 1,400 km. A narrow lowland runs along the coast. In the north and in the south there are two plains formed by the deltas of the Red and Mekong rivers, the area of ​​which is respectively 15 thousand and 40 thousand km2.

The rivers belong to the South China Sea basin. Their total length is 41 thousand km. The largest rivers (km): Red (1149, in Vietnam 510) and Mekong (4220, in Vietnam 220). The most important lakes (ha): in the south - Darlak (1 thousand), in the north - Babe (500), in Hanoi - Western (466).

The bowels are rich in minerals: coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, manganese, copper, etc. The most significant are the reserves of hard coal - 12-15 billion tons, apatite - up to 1 billion tons. Real oil reserves are estimated from 2.5 to 3.5 billion tons, natural gas - from 600 to 1200 billion m3. Hydropower resources are estimated at 80 billion kWh.

The land fund is 33.2 million hectares. Agricultural land covers 7.5 million hectares (21% of the total territory). Four types of soils predominate: red earth and basalt soils 16 million hectares, alluvial soils 8.6 million, gray soils 2.5 million, stony soils of high mountain regions 3.3 million hectares.

The climate is subtropical and subequatorial, formed under the influence of dry northeast monsoons from the mountainous regions and moist southwest winds from the sea. Summer, when the flow of air from the ocean dominates, is the rainy season. Winter, when air currents rush from land to sea, is the dry season. The average temperature of the warmest month (in the north - June, July, in the south - April) is approx. 29°C; the coldest - from 15°С in the north (January) to 25°С in the south (December). The average annual rainfall in the northern regions is up to 2830 mm, in the southern regions - up to 1600 mm.

There are 289 families, 1850 genera and 7000 plant species in the forests; 1000 species of birds, 300 mammals. Along the coastline there are almost 1000 species of fish (catch 600-700 thousand tons per year) and other valuable seafood. 500 thousand tons of salt are mined per year.

Population of Vietnam

According to the 1999 census, the population of Vietnam was 76.3 million people. Compared with the previous 1989 census, the population increased by 11.9 million people. Birth rate in 1989-99 1.7%, in 2002 1.31%. Child mortality 42 people. per 1000 newborns. Average life expectancy (2002) 68.2 years, men 65.5 years, women 70.1 years.

The percentage of rural population migration to cities in 1989-99 is 3.2% annually. In 1999, 23.5% of the country's population lived in cities, in 2002 - 25%. Sex ratio: 51% women and 49% men. Retirement age (only public sector workers in cities) for men - 60 years, for women - 55 years.

Literacy rate - 91% (in 1989-88%).

Vietnam is a multinational country with 54 nationalities and nationalities living in it. Actually Vietnamese (Viets, or Kinh) make up 87% of the population. They live mainly in the deltas of the rivers - Red and Mekong, in the coastal regions of Central Vietnam. The number of Chinese in Vietnam is 4%. Of the nationalities, the most numerous are Thay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer, Nung - St. 1 million people each. The smallest nationalities - Brau, Roma, Odu number several hundred people.

The national language is Vietnamese, which is spoken by St. 90% of the population. Ethnic minorities, while maintaining their own language, use the Vietnamese language in interethnic communication.

Officially, 6 religions are recognized in Vietnam: Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Caodaism and Hoahao. According to official figures, the country has approx. 7.5 million Buddhists, while 85% of the population consider themselves followers of this religion, approx. 5 million Catholics, 500 thousand Protestants, 150-170 thousand Muslims.

History of Vietnam

The oldest state association on the territory of Vietnam arose in 2000 BC. In the 3rd century BC. it was called Aulak. This civilization in the 2nd c. BC. was taken over by the Han Empire. In 938, the Vietnamese achieved independence and in the end. 10th c. formed an independent state of Daikovet (Great Ancient Viet), from 1069 - Daiviet (Great Viet).

In the 11th-14th centuries. Dai Viet is one of the largest states in Southeast Asia. In the 13th century Dai Viet was invaded by Mongol troops three times, but the people defended their independence. In the beginning. 15th c. The ruling Ming dynasty in China enslaved Dai Viet. As a result of the popular liberation movement (1418-27), the Chinese were expelled from the country. In the 16-19 centuries. The Vietnamese State falls into decay and actually splits into two parts. In con. 18th century the uprising of the rural and urban lower classes under the leadership of the Teishons eliminated the power of the warring feudal factions, removed the Le dynasty from power. In 1786, the Teishons united the country, and in 1789 they defeated the troops of the Qing dynasty. In 1802 the Taishon state fell. The power of a new dynasty was established - Nguyen (1802-1945). Dai Viet was renamed Vietnam in 1804.

The colonization of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and ended by 1884. Japan's capitulation in 1945 created favorable conditions for the successful implementation of the August Revolution. On September 2, 1945, in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, on behalf of the provisional government, proclaimed the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV).

In March 1946, France recognized the independence of the DRV, and in September of the same year it unleashed a colonial war against it, which lasted 8 years until the defeat of the French troops near Dien Bien Phu in May 1954.

In accordance with the Geneva Accords (July 1954), Vietnam was divided into two parts along the Benhai River, south of the 17th parallel. In October 1955, the South Vietnamese authorities, in violation of the Geneva agreements on holding general elections, proclaimed the Republic of Vietnam in the south. From that moment on, the United States began to openly interfere in the affairs of Vietnam.

In 1965-73, the US Armed Forces took a direct part in operations against the liberation movement in southern Vietnam and waged an air war against the DRV. Having failed to achieve the desired results, the United States was forced to sign in Paris on January 27, 1973, an agreement to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam. Deprived of American support, in the spring of 1975 the Saigon regime fell. On April 30, 1975, Saigon was liberated.

On April 25, 1976, general elections were held for the National Assembly of a united Vietnam, which adopted a decision on July 2, 1976, to reunify Vietnam and create the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The first steps in the transition from a centralized economy to a market economy were taken in Vietnam as early as 1979. As a strategic course covering almost all spheres of society, the renewal policy began after the VI Congress of the CPV in 1986.

1980-90s became a period of fundamental qualitative changes in the economic and socio-political development of Vietnam. The disruption of traditional economic ties that followed the collapse of the USSR, as well as the stagnation in Vietnam itself, forced the country to develop its own development strategy.

From the beginning 1990s Vietnam demonstrates steady economic growth at the level of 6-8% per year. Vietnam manages, with varying degrees of success, to solve economic and domestic political problems, to feel very comfortable in the regional community.

The renewal policy opened a qualitatively new stage in the life of society. From a semi-feudal and semi-socialist state, Vietnam has entered the 21st century. with its own development model and its own ambitions. Currently, the SRV maintains diplomatic relations with 167 states.

State structure and political system of Vietnam

Vietnam is a parliamentary republic. The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, adopted on April 15, 1992, is the fourth one after World War II (1946, 1959, 1980).

Currently, there are 57 provinces in Vietnam, four cities of central subordination (million people): Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (St. 5), Haiphong (1.7) and Da Nang (0.7).

The political system of Vietnam is defined in the preamble of the Constitution: "The Party leads, the people rule, the State governs." The Communist Party of Vietnam is the only party that occupies a leading position in the country's political system.

Relying on the authority of the ruling party since 1945, the leadership of the CPV at the VI Congress in 1986 initiated radical changes, proclaiming the policy of "renovation". At present, the CPV has St. 2 million people General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPV - Nong Duc Manh, elected at the IX Congress of the CPV in April 2001.

The principle of state administration is revealed in the Constitution: "All power in the country belongs to the people, who exercise it through the National Assembly, People's Councils of all levels, elected by the people and bearing responsibility to them."

The National Assembly (NA) is a unicameral supreme representative body that exercises legislative power, decides the main issues of domestic and foreign policy of the state, exercises supreme control over the activities of all state bodies. Elects from among the deputies the Standing Committee, the president and vice president, the Council of Ministers (government), the chairman of the Supreme People's Court, the Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Consists of 498 deputies elected from administrative-territorial units and from socio-political organizations and unions. Elected for 5 years, its sessions are held 2 times a year. Over 90% of the NA deputies are members of the CPV.

All citizens of the Vietnam who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote, and from the age of 21 - to be elected to the National Assembly. At the 1st session of the 11th convocation (July 2002), Nguyen Van Anh was elected the NA Speaker.

The NA Standing Committee (SC SC) is a body permanently functioning between sessions of the National Assembly.

The President of the SRV is the head of state and represents the SRV in the international arena. He is elected by the National Assembly for 5 years from among the deputies, is responsible and accountable to the National Assembly. Promulgates legislative acts and interprets them, proposes to the National Assembly the candidacies of Vice President, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme People's Court and Prosecutor General. In accordance with the decision of the National Assembly or the Steering Committee, the National Assembly declares martial law, general or partial mobilization, etc. The President exercises overall command of the Armed Forces and heads the National Defense and Security Council. The President of Vietnam, Tran Duc Luong, was elected to this post in September 1997 and re-elected in July 2002.

The Council of Ministers is the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the highest executive and administrative body of state power. It is accountable to the National Assembly, and in the intervals between sessions - to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly and the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The government consists of 20 ministries and 6 state institutions with the status of ministries. The term of office of the head of government is 5 years. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam - Fan Van Khai - elected in September 1997, re-elected in July 2002.

The local government system corresponds to the administrative division of the country. Each administrative unit has a body of power elected by the local population - the People's Council. Term of Office of the People's Councils of Provinces, Cities

central subordination and equivalent administrative units - 4 years. The term of office of other councils is 2 years. The People's Committees are the executive organs of the People's Councils and the organs of local administrative power.

In general, the political system can be described as a party-state system. All legislative, executive and judicial bodies function under the direction of the CPV.

The Fatherland Front of Vietnam (established in 1977) unites all social and political organizations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as well as associations of Vietnamese living abroad. It includes: the CPV, the Federation of Trade Unions, the Union of Communist Youth of Ho Chi Minh, the Women's Federation of Vietnam, etc.

The main objective of Vietnam's foreign policy has been proclaimed as the creation of favorable external conditions for socio-economic development and the implementation of a course towards a transition to a market economy. It is built on the principles of independence, dosed openness, involvement in the activities of regional structures and multilateral organizations, balanced relations with leading powers and world political and economic centers.

Since 1995, Vietnam has been actively participating in ASEAN activities and has been the author of initiatives that have received the support of ASEAN members. In particular, he proposed the Asia-Europe Dialogue (ASEM) program, successfully held the ASEAN summit in Hanoi in December 1998, during which the "Hanoi Declaration" and the "Hanoi Plan of Action" were adopted. Vietnam and other ASEAN countries have prepared a "code of conduct" in the South China Sea area, entered into negotiations with China to sign this document.

Vietnamese-Chinese relations were normalized in November 1991. The leadership of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China are of the opinion that the armed clashes of 1979 should not be repeated under any circumstances. On October 19, 1993, an agreement was concluded on the principles for the settlement of border disputes, of which the most important are: the management of international law, the rejection of the use of force and unilateral actions. In accordance with the agreement, an agreement was signed in December 1999 on the demarcation of the land border. In December 2000, the countries concluded an Agreement on the delimitation of the boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and on fisheries.

Vietnamese-American relations are becoming ever more intense. Vietnam regards the active participation of the United States in regional affairs as a positive factor, which is a reflection of the balance of power that has developed in the Asia-Pacific region. In July 2000, a trade and economic agreement was signed with the United States (ratified in late 2001), providing for Vietnam's most favored nation treatment.

In September 2000, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Phan Van Khai, made an official visit to the Russian Federation. A package of agreements was signed on the payment by Vietnam of Russia of a debt in the amount of $1.7 billion over 23 years on the principles of the Paris Club of creditors. An important event in Vietnamese-Russian relations was the visit of Russian President V.V. Putin in March 2001. The heads of state signed the Declaration on strategic partnership between the SRV and the Russian Federation.

The emphasis in the construction of the modern Armed Forces of Vietnam is on the creation of small, well-equipped and trained regular forces, a large strategic reserve and a contingent of paramilitary formations. The share of military spending in GDP fell from 17% in 1990 to about 6% in 2002. In absolute terms, military spending fell from $2.5 billion in 1990 to $1.8 billion in 2001. Since 1985, the policy reduction in the overall size of the army. In 1985, it numbered 1260 thousand people, in 2001 - 484 thousand people. (Ground troops 412 thousand, air force 30 thousand, air defense 15 thousand, navy 42 thousand). The number of the strategic reserve (people's self-defense forces and people's militia, coast guard) is estimated at 4-5 million people.

The SRV has had diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation since 1991 (established with the USSR in 1950).

Economy of Vietnam

GDP in 2002 grew by 7.2% (6.8% in 2001, 6.6% - the average annual increase for 1990-2002) and amounted to 35.28 billion US dollars (in 2001 - 32 billion). GDP per capita $441. Gold and foreign exchange reserves 2.1 billion US dollars (2000). The working-age population is 40 million people. The unemployment rate in the country as a whole is 6.13%, in rural areas - approx. 5.5% (2001).

In the structure of GDP, there is a general downward trend in the share of agricultural production and the growth of industry and services: agriculture 22.99%, industry and capital construction 38.55%, services 38.46%. The public sector in the structure of GDP is 40%, non-state 47%, the sector of foreign investment 13% (2001).

Viet Nam was the only country in Southeast Asia to emerge unscathed from the 2001 recession, largely due to rising domestic consumption. GDP growth in 2002 was also determined by this factor. Investment, especially in the private sector, boomed and was equivalent to 1/3 of GDP. The number of new private enterprises increased by 17% to 20,000, for a total of 60,000. Investments in new small and medium enterprises in the private sector reached $2.7 billion.

The main driver of development was the industrial sector with an increase of 14.4% per year due to the expanding demand for consumer goods. The apparel industry is booming due to duty-free admission to the US market. Growth is also driven by increased local private and foreign investment, while investment in the public sector remained at a constant level.

Inflation, according to official Vietnamese data, was 4%, according to the World Bank - 8% (2002).

Industry is the most dynamically developing branch of the national economy. In 2001, the growth was 15.4% in the public sector (state enterprises of central subordination - 13.1%, local industry - 11.8%), in joint ventures with foreign capital participation 20.3%, in the industry of key economic regions 12.1 %. The main focus in this sector is on the processing industry, the production of consumer and export goods.

To con. 1990s the number of state-owned enterprises decreased from more than 12 thousand to 5.8 thousand. This process continues at the present time. Of the total number of state-owned enterprises in 2002, 3,000 were unprofitable.

The pace of development of agricultural production, including forestry and fisheries, remains at a stable level. They amounted in 2002 to approx. 5%, in fishing and seafood production - 14%. The most important food crop is rice, which is harvested 2-3 times a year. Vietnam not only fully meets its needs in rice, but is also one of its largest exporters (after Thailand and the USA).

The basis for the stable development of this industry lies in the fact that it is individual peasant farms that over the past years have provided 95% of the industry's output. In 2001, food production exceeded 30 million tons.

Roads are approx. 60 thousand km, including: state highways - 12 thousand km, inter-provincial roads - 15 thousand km and inter-district roads - 25 thousand km. 25% of state highways are paved. The main highway - Highway No. 1 (2300 km) runs from the northern border with China to Cape Kamau - the most extreme point in the south of the country.

To con. 1990s the length of railway lines exceeded 4 thousand km. The main highway "North-South" (length 2000 km). The railway route "Hanoi-Beijing" has been restored. Preparations are underway to open the international route "Vietnam - China - Mongolia - Russia".

There are more than 40 thousand large and small navigable rivers and canals in the country. There are 17 ports on the sea coast. The largest are Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Cam Ranh. Almost 1/2 of the sea freight traffic passes through Haiphong.

Large state and foreign investments have been invested in the modernization of civil aviation. The air fleet serves 17 domestic routes with a length of 62.5 thousand km. The main volume of traffic falls on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh highway. There are 3 international airports: Noi Bai in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Bai in Thua Thien Hue. From these airports flights are made mainly to the countries of Southeast Asia, as well as to Europe. In 2002, an agreement was reached between Vietnam and the United States to establish an air route "Ho Chi Minh City - San Francisco - Ho Chi Minh City".

Modern communication in the country is represented by 2 ground stations of space communication "Lotos-1" and

"Lotos-2", providing telegraph, telephone and teletype communications with 56 countries of the world.

New communication services such as facsimile, mobile phones, paging, e-mail, domestic and international urgent information network are becoming more and more widespread. In 1999, there were 3.2 telephones per 100 inhabitants of Vietnam, in 2002 this figure increased to 4.25.

The service sector in 2002 grew by 12%. Here, the main attention is focused on the development of the transport industry, means of communication, trade, tourism, banks, technologies, and the legal framework. Passenger transportation volumes increased by 4.6%, while cargo transportation increased by 7.2%.

In 2000, trade accounted for 75.2 thousand billion dong (share in the service sector - 71%, growth - 7.4%), for the hotel and restaurant business - 12.8 thousand billion dong (share - 12.1%, growth - 12.2%), for tourism and service enterprises - 6.2 thousand billion dongs (share - 5.9%, growth - 10.7%).

For various reasons, the tourism business in the country is developing slowly. In 2001, 2.33 million foreign citizens visited the country (in 2000 - 2.14 million), incl. 1.319 million tourists, 439.7 thousand people. on a business visit, 478.6 thousand people to visit relatives and 93.5 thousand people. with other purposes.

In the monetary system, the leading role is played by the State Bank of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and St. 60 state-owned commercial banks. These are the Vietkombank, which serves export-import financial flows, the Industrial and Commercial Bank, which specializes in lending to industrial and commercial enterprises, the Agricultural Bank, which finances the agricultural sector, the Investment and Development Bank (Vietindebank), which lends to long-term investment projects, and a number of others. The banking system includes as well as other joint-stock commercial banks. In general, state-owned banks control 80% of the country's financial market, 12% are held by "semi-autonomous" financial institutions (joint and private), the remaining 8% are banks with foreign participation.

Currently there are 4 joint banks, approx. 60 representative offices and 20 branches of 50 largest foreign banks and financial organizations. Vietnam maintains business contacts with the World Bank, IMF, ADB and others. Leading financial institutions have their representative offices in foreign countries. All R. 2002 The first representative offices of Vietcombank and Vietindebank were opened in the USA.

The state budget in 2002 was executed on revenues of 19.94% of GDP, on expenditures - 22.47%, the deficit - 2.53%. Domestic investment in the economy amounted to 66.7% (in 2000 - 82%), foreign investment - 33.3%. From internal investments: 56.8% - state, 43.2% - mixed and private. The country's external debt is $13.3 billion (or 37% of GDP). According to IMF criteria, Vietnam is considered a creditworthy payer.

In 2002, the dong was devalued. Dong exchange rate 15,400 dong to 1 US dollar.

The inflow of annual foreign direct investment amounted to 2.2 billion US dollars, incl. $1.6 billion for the construction of small and medium industrial facilities. To the beginning In 2002, 3,044 joint projects with foreign participation and an authorized capital of USD 37.6 billion were registered, incl. 1,459 projects with a capital of $20.6 billion have been implemented, 769 projects ($11.1 billion) are in the process of being implemented. During this time, 399 thousand jobs were created.

The official development assistance program continues to be implemented. In 2002, within its framework, loans worth $2.4 billion were allocated to boost the economy, improve the living standards of the population, and fight poverty. The total amount of appropriations under this program since 1993 has reached 20 billion dollars, half of which has been used.

Despite Vietnam's obvious success in economic modernization in 2002, the rise in living standards and income growth of the population is slow. The salaries of public sector workers remain low - 210,000 VND per month (about $14). Since January 2003, it has been increased to 290 thousand. The average income per capita amounted to 331 thousand VND per month (an increase of 12% compared to 1999). According to the estimates of the State Bank of Vietnam, the total savings of the population amount to approx. 30 trillion dong. The poverty rate in 2002 is 32% of the total population and 10% below the absolute poverty line, 90% of the population with minimal income lives in rural areas.

The buildup of foreign economic activity is one of the most important priorities of the SRV leadership.

Vietnam's exports in 2002 amounted to 16.53 billion US dollars (in 2001 - 13.596 billion). Main export commodities (%): oil (share in total export 20), garments (16), seafood (12), shoes (11), rice (4), coffee (2), other goods (35). The growth in exports was achieved due to the increase in the volume of exports of rubber, handicrafts, seafood, garments and shoes. Deliveries abroad of oil, rice, vegetables and electronics were noticeably reduced. Exports were directed (%) to: Japan (15), USA (15), China (9), Australia (8), Singapore (6), Taiwan (5), Germany (4), South Korea, Great Britain, France (by 3), to other countries (29).

Imports in 2002 amounted to 19.3 billion US dollars (16.816 billion in 2001), the deficit of the foreign trade balance was 2.77 billion dollars. The main imported goods (%): machinery and machine tools (19), fuels and lubricants (10), fabrics ( 9), rolled steel (7), clothes (5), cars, electrical equipment, fertilizers (2 each), other goods (44).

The export of labor in 2002 amounted to approx. 50 thousand people per year, mainly to Malaysia (about 30 thousand), South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the countries of the Middle East.

Vietnam's flexible approach to the entire range of relations with China made it possible to restore mutually beneficial trade and economic relations with this country. At present, the PRC is investing in Vietnam in 41 projects with a total value of $70 million. Trade turnover in 2002 amounted to 3.5 billion US dollars (in 2001 - 2.8 billion). During a visit to Hanoi in February 2002 by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, the parties expressed their intention to increase the trade turnover between the countries in 2005 to 5 billion US dollars.

Trade and economic relations with Japan are developing successfully. This country in 1992-2002 provided Vietnam with official development assistance of 8.2 billion US dollars. Japan also remains Japan's key trading partner. In 2002, trade between the countries reached $5 billion.

Of fundamental importance for the expansion of foreign investment and foreign trade of Vietnam was the ratification of a trade agreement with the United States in December 2001. The foreign trade turnover of the two countries in 2002, according to preliminary data, amounted to approx. $2.5 billion. Exports to the US doubled in 2001-02, reaching $2 billion a year. At the same time, the export of garments increased by 18 times. The US is becoming the largest market for Vietnamese goods: in the first two months of 2003, exports to the US reached $590 million, i.e. increased by 350% compared to the same period in 2002. The volume of US investment is estimated at about $ 1 billion. They are concentrated mainly in industrial production, real estate, oil and gas development. The industrial sector and the hotel business account for 82% of all US investments and 37 ongoing projects.

Trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam in 2002 amounted to approx. $500 million. The basis of economic cooperation between the two countries is the sphere of fuel energy and arms supplies. Russia ranks 8th among more than 60 investor countries. An example of successful cooperation is the activity of the Vietsovpetro joint venture on the shelf of Vietnam.

Currently, Vietnam maintains trade and economic relations with 100 foreign countries, St. 60 foreign companies have their offices here.

Science and culture of Vietnam

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is carrying out profound transformations in the fields of education and science. Fundamental changes in these areas, according to the Vietnamese leadership, will help Vietnam achieve its strategic goals - to modernize the country, integrate into the world economy and become a full member of the world community.

There is a radical restructuring of the education system both in form and content. Paid education is being introduced in secondary and higher state schools, and the creation of private schools and universities, centers and courses for the training and retraining of managerial personnel is being stimulated. There is a process of "commercialization" and "marketization" in the curricula of secondary and higher schools.

There are currently approx. 16,000 primary and secondary schools with 19.9 million students in the 2001/02 academic year. In addition, there are more than 700 specialized schools and colleges (with 2 million students), 247 vocational schools and technical schools (with about 200,000 students). In Vietnam ca. 100 universities (6 private), where they train in 200 specialties (650 thousand students).

There are 170 research and development bureaus employing 30,000 scientists. Here, the emphasis is on the study of leading branches of science, such as high technology, computer science, biology, and new materials.

The country has established the National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology and the National Center for Social Sciences and Humanities. In 1996, the first "Vietnamese Encyclopedia" was published, which included almost 40 thousand articles prepared by the efforts of 1,300 Vietnamese and foreign scientists.

Now in Vietnam there are St. 6 thousand doctors and candidates of sciences, 1.27 million graduates of institutes and colleges and 14 thousand people. with postgraduate education.

The original national culture has a rich heritage with centuries-old traditions - festivities, music, dances, folklore, theater, fine arts, etc. Now it, perceiving the riches of modern world culture, acquires a new content and national flavor.

Vietnamese theater includes such traditional genres as teo (folk theatre), tuong (classical theatre), cai luong (renovated theatre) and ca hue (hue songs). These genres harmoniously combine music, singing, recitative, recitation, dance and facial expressions. The modern genre of kit noy (dramatic theater) is of European origin, but it is filled with national content and has firmly entered the cultural life of society.

There are 2,446 public libraries and reading rooms in the country with 17.2 million copies. books. Average attendance - 15 million people. in year.

After the restoration of peace in 1954, the Museum of History, the Museum of the Revolution and the Museum of the Army were established in Hanoi. The Museum of Fine Arts was opened in 1965. On May 19, 1990, the Ho Chi Minh Museum was opened on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the first Vietnamese president. There are also the Oceanological Museum in Nha Trang, the Cham Museum in Quang Nam Province and the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi. In general, there are 285 museums and exhibition centers in the country. International organizations contributed $420,000 for the preservation and restoration of the ancient streets of Hanoi, the mausoleums of the emperors of the last Nguyen dynasty in Hue and the ancient city of Hoi An.

Woodcarving, lacquer, silk and oil painting, rice straw products and handicrafts remain very popular in Vietnam. The most ancient form of Vietnamese painting is lubok - paintings painted with water colors on silk or specially processed paper. Hanoi luboks are made by contour printing from wooden clichés, followed by coloring.

The earliest works of literature that have come down to us date back to the 10th century. For many centuries, two literatures developed in parallel in the country, one in Chinese, which was then the literary language, and the other in Tynom, the transcribed national language. Liquidation at the beginning 20th century The traditional education system, the replacement of hieroglyphs with Latinized Vietnamese writing, the development of printing created the conditions for the birth of modern Vietnamese literature.

In 1945-75, Vietnamese literature was mainly focused on glorifying the heroism of the people and mobilizing the masses to fight against external aggression and for national reunification. After 1986 literature reflects the course of the country's renewal. The stories, short stories and novels highlight previously forbidden plots about losses and victims in the war, about the negative phenomena of modern everyday life, such as corruption, dishonesty, wastefulness. Such works attract the attention of readers at home and abroad. Many of them have been translated into English, French, Chinese, Russian, Japanese and other languages.

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