What are some unusual facts on Vietnam?

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MojaveDan

You have gotten some pretty good answers so far, but nothing really unusual to my standards (sorry Ong Jon, I have to one up you on this question). Then again, I've been studying Vietnam for a long time, and I know a few more things than even many of the native Vietnamese may know.

Here are some unusual facts that you may find hard to find:

Vietnam has one the longest free flowing subterranean river in the world at Phong Nha - Ke Bang. The river flows through a huge cave or "grotto." It is not known how far back the grotto goes (easily a couple miles) or how deep the water is in the grotto. This was also one of the largest North Vietnamese military bases during the Vietnam War and the major starting point of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The grotto is so big that you can literally fit a small city in side it.

Hoan Kiem District of Hanoi has their business district designated with streets specializing in one kind of product or service. i.e. You buy shoes on the "Shoe Street", Shirts on "Shirt Street", etc. This has been so for hundreds of years.

Halong Bay contains 1,969 limestone islands, and many have grottos in them. It is not known how many grottos there are in the islands of Halong bay or in all of Vietnam. It's argued that Vietnam has more grottos than any place in the world. It is not known how deep most of these grottos go, due to the lack of technology to find out and the sheer number of them.

What you will not read in the tour brochure of the famous Cu Chi Tunnels are the hundreds of bomb craters that ravage the area. Twenty foot wide by six to teen feet deep bomb craters are found everywhere in and around the Cu Chi area. Cu Chi was a major Viet Cong stronghold but is now within the city limits of Ho Chi Minh City. You can take a city bus to visit it.

Vietnam repelled three Mongol invasions and was one of the few Asian societies not influenced by the Mongolians (the Japanese were another one). China was conquered by the Mongols during the same time. This is one of many reasons why the Vietnamese are distinctly different from the Chinese.

Hanoi is protected from the Red River by a levee. The levee has been in place for hundreds of years. Most of Hanoi would be under 10'-15' of water if the levee were to break during their rainy season. Such a disaster would make New Orleans look like a bad thunderstorm, because Hanoi is home to more than 6,000,000 people with no realistic means to evacuate most of the population if such would happen.

The Vietnamese conquered the Cham empire, who controlled much of South Vietnam before their defeat.

The Viet Cong controlled the jungle area South of the Saigon River during the Vietnam War. Much of that area is now being developed into high rise condo buildings and residential housing and bought mostly by the Vietnamese who had fled from the country after the War ended.

Feel free to ask me if you want to know more...

Smiles

Every foreigner finds it interesting to talk about food. And Vietnamese foods are amazing. Let take a look at some of them : Pho, Bun, Tiet Canh, Thit Cho,...to name just a few.
Vietnamese people really don't want to be famous for the wars. They want to be known as a very peace-loving people. Ha Noi was granted "The peaceful city" by the UN.

puppyluv

agent orange (a chemical used during war with the US) still affects its citizens. look it up on wikipedia, the images are disturbing

huy tu

There is this one thing that a lot of people are still trying to find ways to leave the country for US, Canada... even embargo was long time ago, and the country's economy is improving greatly (it's pretty much the political things). Also, there's conflict between people oversea with the government. These people keep saying the government took over their country in 1975. I must say those people are either stupidly stubborn or they have so much fat and free time so they protest (all the time)

ong jon

well, ive always found it curious that although the french tried to enslave them, and the americans covered them w/ napalm and agent orange, the vietnamese not only forgive both but truly embrace their french heritage and just love americans.. they are quite "centered "people.
i also have seen that from the individual level to the nation as a whole they find no task insurmountable... they take for granted they can do anything... and they always do..

leevicky_chik

Erm.... Well... Education In VN has many negativations.... 8-} It's a big secret can be known by a little pupil like me :-"

xschoumy

It was at war with China, after the US left.

flightmedicine

I second what ong jon stated. cheers

Hanoi_babe

Unusual?
Well, this always depends on the viewers oppinion!
They eat dog meat.
Pregnant women have to spend their last weeks before birth on a bamboo bed with a smoky fire below.
Men believe they can still change the sex of the child with eating special things during the pregnancy.
They are so friendly to foreigners even they did and still do so much harm to them.
They like to have servants.
More?
Well, I really don't know in which direction you want to go. Let me know and I give you more details

Lawren

If you want a hot and new topic which your instructor will be interested in "A catholic father fighting for human rights in Vietnam and was controlled by dictatorship". This event just happen two weeks ago. You may listen to Thetube for more information

Rabbityama

Although it is considered to be a "third world" country (or developing nation), Vietnam is the only nation to have defeated the most powerful nation in the world, the United States. I think that's interesting and noteworthy.

Brian N

Catholicism is second largest religion in Vietnam, weird because some peopel think Vietnam is like China and all of them are buddhist. Christianity could pass up Buddhism in a couple decades or years

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