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Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. Historically, the city was known as Kauthara under the Champa. The city is still home to the famous Po Nagar Tower built by the Champa. Being a coastal city, Nha Trang is a centre for marine science based at the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute.
Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Taunggyi District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an altitude of 2,900 feet (880 m).<br/><br/> The people of Inle Lake (called Intha), some 70,000 of them, live in four cities bordering the lake, in numerous small villages along the lake's shores, and on the lake itself. The entire lake area is in Nyaung Shwe township. The population consists predominantly of Intha, with a mix of other Shan, Taungyo, Pa-O (Taungthu), Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar ethnicities. Most are devout Buddhists, and live in simple houses of wood and woven bamboo on stilts; they are largely self-sufficient farmers.<br/><br/> Most transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats, or by somewhat larger boats fitted with single cylinder inboard diesel engines. Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds. However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men. Women row in the customary style, using the oar with their hands, sitting cross legged at the stern.<br/><br/> The Inle lake area is renowned for its weaving industry. The Shan-bags, used daily by many Burmese as a tote-bag, are produced in large quantities here. Silk-weaving is another very important industry, producing high-quality hand-woven silk fabrics of distinctive design called Inle longyi. A unique fabric from the lotus plant fibers is produced only at Inle lake and is used for weaving special robes for Buddha images called kya thingahn or 'lotus robe'.
Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Taunggyi District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an altitude of 2,900 feet (880 m).<br/><br/> The people of Inle Lake (called Intha), some 70,000 of them, live in four cities bordering the lake, in numerous small villages along the lake's shores, and on the lake itself. The entire lake area is in Nyaung Shwe township. The population consists predominantly of Intha, with a mix of other Shan, Taungyo, Pa-O (Taungthu), Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar ethnicities. Most are devout Buddhists, and live in simple houses of wood and woven bamboo on stilts; they are largely self-sufficient farmers.<br/><br/> Most transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats, or by somewhat larger boats fitted with single cylinder inboard diesel engines. Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds. However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men. Women row in the customary style, using the oar with their hands, sitting cross legged at the stern.<br/><br/> The Inle lake area is renowned for its weaving industry. The Shan-bags, used daily by many Burmese as a tote-bag, are produced in large quantities here. Silk-weaving is another very important industry, producing high-quality hand-woven silk fabrics of distinctive design called Inle longyi. A unique fabric from the lotus plant fibers is produced only at Inle lake and is used for weaving special robes for Buddha images called kya thingahn or 'lotus robe'.
Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Taunggyi District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an altitude of 2,900 feet (880 m).<br/><br/> The people of Inle Lake (called Intha), some 70,000 of them, live in four cities bordering the lake, in numerous small villages along the lake's shores, and on the lake itself. The entire lake area is in Nyaung Shwe township. The population consists predominantly of Intha, with a mix of other Shan, Taungyo, Pa-O (Taungthu), Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar ethnicities. Most are devout Buddhists, and live in simple houses of wood and woven bamboo on stilts; they are largely self-sufficient farmers.<br/><br/> Most transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats, or by somewhat larger boats fitted with single cylinder inboard diesel engines. Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds. However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men. Women row in the customary style, using the oar with their hands, sitting cross legged at the stern.<br/><br/> The Inle lake area is renowned for its weaving industry. The Shan-bags, used daily by many Burmese as a tote-bag, are produced in large quantities here. Silk-weaving is another very important industry, producing high-quality hand-woven silk fabrics of distinctive design called Inle longyi. A unique fabric from the lotus plant fibers is produced only at Inle lake and is used for weaving special robes for Buddha images called kya thingahn or 'lotus robe'.
Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Taunggyi District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an altitude of 2,900 feet (880 m).<br/><br/> The people of Inle Lake (called Intha), some 70,000 of them, live in four cities bordering the lake, in numerous small villages along the lake's shores, and on the lake itself. The entire lake area is in Nyaung Shwe township. The population consists predominantly of Intha, with a mix of other Shan, Taungyo, Pa-O (Taungthu), Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar ethnicities. Most are devout Buddhists, and live in simple houses of wood and woven bamboo on stilts; they are largely self-sufficient farmers.<br/><br/> Most transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats, or by somewhat larger boats fitted with single cylinder inboard diesel engines. Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds. However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men. Women row in the customary style, using the oar with their hands, sitting cross legged at the stern.<br/><br/> The Inle lake area is renowned for its weaving industry. The Shan-bags, used daily by many Burmese as a tote-bag, are produced in large quantities here. Silk-weaving is another very important industry, producing high-quality hand-woven silk fabrics of distinctive design called Inle longyi. A unique fabric from the lotus plant fibers is produced only at Inle lake and is used for weaving special robes for Buddha images called kya thingahn or 'lotus robe'.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
Inle Lake at 116 sq km (44.9 sq miles) is shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms.<br/><br/> The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty - both restful and sublime.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
The ubiquitous cream-coloured non la (conical hat) shelters farmers from tropical sun and monsoon rains like a mobile parasol. The hat is made from latania palm leaves woven about a bamboo lath. Today, far more women than men wear the emblematic headwear.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.<br/><br/>Elvis Phương, real name Phạm Ngọc Phương (born Thủ Dầu Một 1945) is a Vietnamese popular singer and was one of the first Viet Kieu (Việt Kiều or overseas Vietnamese) to return to Vietnam.
The ao dai (Vietnamese: áo dài) is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced ow-zye in the north and ow-yai in the south, and translates as 'long dress'.<br/><br/>The name áo dài was originally applied to the dress worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s.
Thien Mu Pagoda was built in 1601 CE under Nguyen Hoang, the governor of Thuan Hoa province, now known as Hue. Although he swore loyalty to the Le Dynasty in Hanoi, Nguyen Hoang effectively ruled Thuan Hoa as an independent state in central Vietnam. The pagoda has seven storeys and is the tallest in Vietnam, and is often the subject of folk rhymes and poetry about Hue, which was the imperial capital of Vietnam between 1802 and 1945.<br/><br/>Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The tombs of several emperors lie in and around the city and along the Perfume River. Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ubiquitous cream-coloured <i>non la</i> (conical hat) shelters farmers from tropical sun and monsoon rains like a mobile parasol. The hat is made from latania palm leaves woven about a bamboo lath. Today, far more women than men wear the emblematic headwear.
The ubiquitous cream-coloured <i>non la</i> (conical hat) shelters farmers from tropical sun and monsoon rains like a mobile parasol. The hat is made from latania palm leaves woven about a bamboo lath. Today, far more women than men wear the emblematic headwear.
The small but historic town of Hoi An is located on the Thu Bon River 30km (18 miles) south of Danang. During the time of the Nguyen Lords (1558 - 1777) and even under the first Nguyen Emperors, Hoi An - then known as Faifo - was an important port, visited regularly by shipping from Europe and all over the East.<br/><br/>By the late 19th Century the silting up of the Thu Bon River and the development of nearby Danang had combined to make Hoi An into a backwater. This obscurity saved the town from serious fighting during the wars with France and the USA, so that at the time of reunification in 1975 it was a forgotten and impoverished fishing port lost in a time warp.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
The small but historic town of Hoi An is located on the Thu Bon River 30km (18 miles) south of Danang. During the time of the Nguyen Lords (1558 - 1777) and even under the first Nguyen Emperors, Hoi An - then known as Faifo - was an important port, visited regularly by shipping from Europe and all over the East.<br/><br/> By the late 19th Century the silting up of the Thu Bon River and the development of nearby Danang had combined to make Hoi An into a backwater. This obscurity saved the town from serious fighting during the wars with France and the USA, so that at the time of reunification in 1975 it was a forgotten and impoverished fishing port lost in a time warp.
The small but historic town of Hoi An is located on the Thu Bon River 30km (18 miles) south of Danang. During the time of the Nguyen Lords (1558 - 1777) and even under the first Nguyen Emperors, Hoi An - then known as Faifo - was an important port, visited regularly by shipping from Europe and all over the East.<br/><br/> By the late 19th Century the silting up of the Thu Bon River and the development of nearby Danang had combined to make Hoi An into a backwater. This obscurity saved the town from serious fighting during the wars with France and the USA, so that at the time of reunification in 1975 it was a forgotten and impoverished fishing port lost in a time warp.
The small but historic town of Hoi An is located on the Thu Bon River 30km (18 miles) south of Danang. During the time of the Nguyen Lords (1558 - 1777) and even under the first Nguyen Emperors, Hoi An - then known as Faifo - was an important port, visited regularly by shipping from Europe and all over the East.<br/><br/> By the late 19th Century the silting up of the Thu Bon River and the development of nearby Danang had combined to make Hoi An into a backwater. This obscurity saved the town from serious fighting during the wars with France and the USA, so that at the time of reunification in 1975 it was a forgotten and impoverished fishing port lost in a time warp.
The small but historic town of Hoi An is located on the Thu Bon River 30km (18 miles) south of Danang. During the time of the Nguyen Lords (1558 - 1777) and even under the first Nguyen Emperors, Hoi An - then known as Faifo - was an important port, visited regularly by shipping from Europe and all over the East.<br/><br/> By the late 19th Century the silting up of the Thu Bon River and the development of nearby Danang had combined to make Hoi An into a backwater. This obscurity saved the town from serious fighting during the wars with France and the USA, so that at the time of reunification in 1975 it was a forgotten and impoverished fishing port lost in a time warp.
The small but historic town of Hoi An is located on the Thu Bon River 30km (18 miles) south of Danang. During the time of the Nguyen Lords (1558 - 1777) and even under the first Nguyen Emperors, Hoi An - then known as Faifo - was an important port, visited regularly by shipping from Europe and all over the East.<br/><br/> By the late 19th Century the silting up of the Thu Bon River and the development of nearby Danang had combined to make Hoi An into a backwater. This obscurity saved the town from serious fighting during the wars with France and the USA, so that at the time of reunification in 1975 it was a forgotten and impoverished fishing port lost in a time warp.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.
Vietnam’s greatest national holiday is Tet – more properly, Tet Nguyen Dan, ‘Festival of the First Day’ – coinciding with the first day of the lunar New Year. During the week before Tet, Vietnamese pay off their debts, clean the tombs of their ancestors, make a report on the state of the household during the past year to the Jade Emperor, and decorate their houses with sprigs of peach blossom or kumquat trees. The three days of Tet are very much a domestic affair, with all members of the family (including the spirits of the deceased) gathered under one roof.
Northern Vietnam, the area centred on the Red River Delta with its capital at Hanoi, extends from the Chinese frontier in the north to the Ma River in Thanh Hoa Province to the south. In the west, the Truong Son or ‘Long Mountains’ and the Lao frontier form the border; while to the east lies Vinh Bac Bo, the ‘Northern Gulf’.<br/><br/> In earlier times Europeans generally called northern Vietnam Tonkin, a term originating from a 17th century name for Hanoi derived from the Chinese Dong Kinh, or ‘Eastern Capital’. Even today, Vinh Bac Bo is known internationally as the Gulf of Tonkin.
West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a freshwater lake in the center of Hanoi. With a shore length of 17 km (about 10.6 miles), this is the largest lake of the capital and a popular place for recreation with many surrounding gardens, hotels and villas. A small part of West Lake is divided by Thanh Nien road to form Truc Bach Lake (White Silk Lake).
In the narrow mountain valleys of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces of North Vietnam the Tai remain a very noticeable and confident minority. They are divided into White Tai and Black Tai communities, while further south, by the Lao frontier in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces, Red Tai predominate.<br/><br/> These subgroups are distinguished by the dress of their women. Vietnam’s Tai are people of the mountain valleys. Farming wet rice paddy fields they are relatively prosperous, enjoying more security and an appreciably higher standard of living than the people of the mountaintops. They are culturally confident, too, and well known throughout the north for their fine weaving and embroidery, sophisticated music and dance, as well as their business acumen in the marketplace.<br/><br/> Closely related to the neighbouring Lao, Thai, Shan of Burma and Dai of China’s Yunnan Province, they have lived for centuries in the fertile uplands between the Truong Son and Hoang Lien ranges – certainly long before the region became part of Vietnam – and have a rich literary legacy and folklore.
In the narrow mountain valleys of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces of North Vietnam the Tai remain a very noticeable and confident minority. They are divided into White Tai and Black Tai communities, while further south, by the Lao frontier in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces, Red Tai predominate.<br/><br/> These subgroups are distinguished by the dress of their women. Vietnam’s Tai are people of the mountain valleys. Farming wet rice paddy fields they are relatively prosperous, enjoying more security and an appreciably higher standard of living than the people of the mountaintops. They are culturally confident, too, and well known throughout the north for their fine weaving and embroidery, sophisticated music and dance, as well as their business acumen in the marketplace.<br/><br/> Closely related to the neighbouring Lao, Thai, Shan of Burma and Dai of China’s Yunnan Province, they have lived for centuries in the fertile uplands between the Truong Son and Hoang Lien ranges – certainly long before the region became part of Vietnam – and have a rich literary legacy and folklore.
At the floating village of Kenh Ga or ‘Chicken Canal’, just about the entire community spend their lives on the water, and the village is accessible only by boat.<br/><br/> Northern Vietnam, the area centred on the Red River Delta with its capital at Hanoi, extends from the Chinese frontier in the north to the Ma River in Thanh Hoa Province to the south. In the west, the Truong Son or ‘Long Mountains’ and the Lao frontier form the border; while to the east lies Vinh Bac Bo, the ‘Northern Gulf’.<br/><br/> In earlier times Europeans generally called northern Vietnam Tonkin, a term originating from a 17th century name for Hanoi derived from the Chinese Dong Kinh, or ‘Eastern Capital’. Even today, Vinh Bac Bo is known internationally as the Gulf of Tonkin.
Northern Vietnam, the area centred on the Red River Delta with its capital at Hanoi, extends from the Chinese frontier in the north to the Ma River in Thanh Hoa Province to the south. In the west, the Truong Son or ‘Long Mountains’ and the Lao frontier form the border; while to the east lies Vinh Bac Bo, the ‘Northern Gulf’.<br/><br/> In earlier times Europeans generally called northern Vietnam Tonkin, a term originating from a 17th century name for Hanoi derived from the Chinese Dong Kinh, or ‘Eastern Capital’. Even today, Vinh Bac Bo is known internationally as the Gulf of Tonkin.
At the floating village of Kenh Ga or ‘Chicken Canal’, just about the entire community spend their lives on the water, and the village is accessible only by boat.<br/><br/> Northern Vietnam, the area centred on the Red River Delta with its capital at Hanoi, extends from the Chinese frontier in the north to the Ma River in Thanh Hoa Province to the south. In the west, the Truong Son or ‘Long Mountains’ and the Lao frontier form the border; while to the east lies Vinh Bac Bo, the ‘Northern Gulf’.<br/><br/> In earlier times Europeans generally called northern Vietnam Tonkin, a term originating from a 17th century name for Hanoi derived from the Chinese Dong Kinh, or ‘Eastern Capital’. Even today, Vinh Bac Bo is known internationally as the Gulf of Tonkin.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam including Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1948. In 1864, all French territories in southern Vietnam were declared to be the new French colony of Cochinchina, which was to be governed by Admiral Jules Marie Dupré from 1868-74. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bo.
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam including Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1948. In 1864, all French territories in southern Vietnam were declared to be the new French colony of Cochinchina, which was to be governed by Admiral Jules Marie Dupré from 1868-74. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bo.
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam including Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1948. In 1864, all French territories in southern Vietnam were declared to be the new French colony of Cochinchina, which was to be governed by Admiral Jules Marie Dupré from 1868-74. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bo.
In the narrow mountain valleys of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces of North Vietnam the Tai remain a very noticeable and confident minority. They are divided into White Tai and Black Tai communities, while further south, by the Lao frontier in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces, Red Tai predominate.<br/><br/> These subgroups are distinguished by the dress of their women. Vietnam’s Tai are people of the mountain valleys. Farming wet rice paddy fields they are relatively prosperous, enjoying more security and an appreciably higher standard of living than the people of the mountaintops. They are culturally confident, too, and well known throughout the north for their fine weaving and embroidery, sophisticated music and dance, as well as their business acumen in the marketplace.<br/><br/> Closely related to the neighbouring Lao, Thai, Shan of Burma and Dai of China’s Yunnan Province, they have lived for centuries in the fertile uplands between the Truong Son and Hoang Lien ranges – certainly long before the region became part of Vietnam – and have a rich literary legacy and folklore.
Southern Vietnam is dominated by the rich agricultural lands of the Mekong Delta, the nation’s major source of rice, fruit and vegetable production. The land is alluvial and low-lying, with marshlands and mangrove forests to the west and south. During the rainy season, water covers a third of the delta, with flooding up to 13 ft (4 m). In places, salt water encroaches into the delta for up to 30 m (48 km). Although extraordinarily fertile, parts of the Delta have yet to come under cultivation.
Southern Vietnam is dominated by the rich agricultural lands of the Mekong Delta, the nation’s major source of rice, fruit and vegetable production. The land is alluvial and low-lying, with marshlands and mangrove forests to the west and south. During the rainy season, water covers a third of the delta, with flooding up to 13 ft (4 m). In places, salt water encroaches into the delta for up to 30 m (48 km). Although extraordinarily fertile, parts of the Delta have yet to come under cultivation.