VIETNAM has many attractions which would please even the most seasoned world travelers. Unfortunately, it has often been over-looked as a place to visit because of the unsettling wars that have gone on in the country. Still, there is much that can and should be seen.
Due to the changing circumstances, it is advisable to check with you Embassy before embarking on visits outside of the major cities.
The sights to see range from modern, late-day developments to relics from the earliest civilization. The country side also varies with a change in scenery available by traveling a few extra miles.
With the new jet services to Saigon, it is possible to go from San Francisco to Saigon via the Pacific in about 18 hours. Travel time from Washington via the European route is about 27 hours. It cost a little over $100 more to take the longer route.
Air connections are available from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, and Thailand. Bangkok is a good transfer point with over 20 major air-lines connecting with Saigon. Sea transportation by well-known shipping lines is also available.
Travel to North Vietnam for U.S. citizens is prohibited by the American government.
Within the country, the only safe means of transportation between cities is by air. A jet service is now in operation between Saigon, Da-Nang, and Hue, and piston aircraft have regular runs to the larger Vietnamese cities including Dalat, Nha-Trang, Qui-Nhon, Da-Nang, Hue, Banmethuout, Pleiku, Kontum, Tuy-Hoa, and Quang-Ngai. Flights to other cities may be chartered on smaller planes. Air Vietnam is the national airline. It holds a good safety record and has experienced and well-trained pilots. A large number of French pilots are employed and usually fly the larger aircraft.
Saigon is the capital of South Vietnam. It is a city that makes one think of Paris, with its tree-lined streets and smart shops. There is nothing quite so invigorating as to take a cyclo (a comfortable chair on wheels powered by a man pedaling a bicycle) early in the morning before the city gets hot, and ride through the streets of Saigon watching the people and their children get to the business at hand for the day.
Tu-Do Street is noted for its fine shops and a variety of hotels. There are still a couple of open-air restaurants on this street where the more daring sip their French coffee, wines, or Vietnamese beer, acting unconcerned about the hand grenade that may be tossed in at any given moment, Formerly, there were many sidewalk cafes with their colorful umbrellas unfurled along Saigon’s streets, but these had to be closed because of Viet-Cong terrorism.
Most of the public buildings in this area were constructed in the years around 1900 and are in the old French style. They contrast nicely with the new strong-lined modern buildings, giving the city a charm all of its own.
Many pagodas are well worth a visit, including the now famous Xa-Loi Buddhist Pagoda, which served as the headquarters of the Buddhist led revolt against the Diem regime. There is also an Indian temple, Chettys, off Tu-Do street. An interesting Chinese pagoda is Quai de Belgique.
The Botanical Gardens and the zoo which are located near each other will keep one interested for visit after visit and are very popular with the Vietnamese. The garden has one of the best collections of orchids and equatorial plants in the world. The zoo is outstanding and one of the most spacious and well-kept in Asia. This is a place to hold on to your wallet, as many of the charming children huddle around you and often earn their money by picking pockets. Many of them are homeless. Here the signs could read, "please do feed the animals," as sugar-cane is sold for the elephants and peanuts and other goodies for other animals.
The National Museum, built with the help of the French School of the Extreme Orient, contains a unique collection of relics of every phase of the history of civilization in the Indo-China peninsula.
A whole book could be written on the fantastic city of Saigon, and one leaves it with a sense of regret at not having seen or absorbed enough of what it has to offer. More information on unusual things to see are included in the latter part of this chapter.
Cholon is a sister city of Saigon and the two are joined by a two mile four-lane boulevard full of taxis, cars, bicycles, motor bikes, cyclos, carts, and every other known vehicle.
The best time to go to Cholon is at night when the bright lights of Chinatown beckon you to the many gastronomical wonders inside. The city is often thought to be just a little more "wicked" than Saigon and has had the reputation of housing gambling establishments and other places of dubious entertainment. Some of the better night clubs are located in this area.
The majority of Vietnam’s Chinese population lives in this area. It has been almost traditional that the Chinese segregate themselves in Vietnam.
The best way to see Cholon is to hire a cyclo for a number of hours, ride through the streets and stop at will. Be sure to settle the price of the cyclo in advance. Cholon is a charming place to spend an afternoon and evening. There are a few schools in this area which have had mostly American teachers for the pupils, so do not surprised if a friendly "Hi!" comes from one of the youngsters you run into. Having taught in this city, I can assure you that you will probably never meet a more hospitable people. For that matter, the same thing applies to most Vietnamese.
There are two particular things of interest to see in this suburb of Saigon which may be reached by taxi. One is the tomb of Marshal Le Van Duyet, who served under the Emperor Gia-Long. The burial place was destroyed under the direction of the Emperor Minh Mang in 1831. He also had the coffin symbolically lashed because of his displeasure with Le Van Duyet. Gia-Long, Minh Mang’s father, has asked Le Van Duyet to help his son and advise him, but Minh Mang only hated Le Van Duyet all the more. The tomb was rebuilt by Thieu Tri, Minh Mang’s successor.
Also in Gia-Dinh is the tomb of the Bishop of Adran of France. The tomb bears an inscription telling of the friendship between the French prelate and the Emperor Gia Long.
Bien-Hoa may be reached by a modern four-lane highway built under the American Aid program. It is about 20 miles from Saigon and is located on the banks of the Dong-Nai River, bordering the famous hunting regions of Cum Tien plateau and the Lagna plain.
The interesting things to see in Bien-Hoa are the Buu-Son Temple and the Art School. Located in the Buu-Son Temple is a 15th century granite statue of Cham origin. It was hidden for several centuries in a tree trunk. The Art School is one of the most important in Vietnam, and many fascinating pieces of sculpture and ceramics can be purchased here at reasonable prices. It is most interesting to see the talented Vietnamese artists at work. They specialize in pottery and bronze.
Vung Tau
(Cap St-Jacques)
and Tri An
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Vung Tau, located approximately 77 miles from Saigon by road, is a popular seaside resort particularly liked by the French residents of South Vietnam. It is still frequented by hundreds of cool, calm, and collected Saigon residents on weekends even though the road they drive on is subject to Viet-Cong terrorism at any minute. The beach at Vung Tau is not nearly as beautiful as the one at Nha-Trang, but is far more accessible to the weekend holiday enthusiast. There are many Americans stationed there. The traveler arriving in Vietnam by sea will get a glimpse of this area as he comes into the Dong-Nai River and heads up the river to Saigon.
The Tri An waterfalls, a real sight to see in the rainy season, are also located in this area.
Located in the Central Highlands just 145 air miles from Saigon, Dalat can be described as the resting place for all South Vietnam’s local travelers. It is a delightfully cool area in the mountains and a welcome respite from the tropical heat that most of the country endures.
Dalat is a romantic, gracious, and stately town with an elevation of 4,920 feet above sea level. It is surrounded by pine woods and flowering gardens. The air is clean, fresh and very invigorating. There are lovely houses with beautiful lawns and gardens. Orchids are a specialty here. The beautiful lake was man-made for water sports and relaxation. Tennis courts and one of the best golf courses in Asia are located there.
Dalat is the home of the Vietnamese Military Academy, the Armed Forces Staff College, the Geographic Institute of Vietnam, and the University of Dalat, the only private university in South Vietnam. The Triga Nuclear Reactor is also in Dalat. It was placed in operation in 1963 under an Atoms for peace grand form the United States.
The Dalat Market, built with American Aid, is one of the most modern in Asia. The choice fruits and vegetables grown in Dalat and shipped throughout the country are at their peak of perfection in this fine market.
The city also boasts a most unusual zoo. Animal cages and pits are situated in clearings in the woods similar to the animals’ natural habitats.
Dalat, by far, has a reputation as being the paradise for hunters in Vietnam. Within two hours, there is wonderful hunting land full of game, including stag, roe-deer, peacocks, pheasants, boar, black bear, ox, panthers, tigers, and elephants. It is best to have a professional hunter as a guide in Vietnam. During the Viet-Cong insurgency, it has been risky for American to hunt there as often they turn out to be the hunted. Several American servicemen have lost their lives on hunting trips in Vietnam–not to tigers, but to the Viet-Cong. When the conflict in Vietnam is settled, this area can be a playground for all of Asia.
A beach that is praised most is the one in Nha-Trang. A range of mountains frame the beach and make one think of Hawaii. The bay encircles coral reefs, and the sand is a beautiful white. It is delightful to see the native children, swimming naked and running along the beaches, completely uninhibited by the cares of the modern world or the pains of war going on nearby. Boat trips are popular for a visit to the nearby islands, especially skin diving in the clear waters around them.
The Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries is located in Nha-Trang and studies the conditions for fishing along the coast and draws up catalogs for the many scientific processes dealing with fishing and fish by-products, such as fish flour, which plays an important role in the Vietnamese diet.
The Po-Nagar sanctuaries are located on a high hill near Nha-Trang. They were built during the earliest Cham civilization and date back to the 7th century. They are one of few original buildings still standing in Vietnam despite the ravages of time , climate, and wars.
This city was once one of Vietnam’s most beautiful, noted for its tasty lobster and crab. Today, it has lost some of its beauty and charm because it seems to be more a city at was than Saigon, 385 air miles to the south.
It is the site of America’s largest air base in Vietnam and also is an important port which has been described as equaling the beauty of the Bay of Naples. The French School of the Extreme Orient has excavated at the nearby Cham towns of Mi Son and Tra Kieu and found a highly advanced culture in existence as far back as the 6th century, and believe the Khmer civilization sprang from here. There is a museum showing the relics uncovered by the French group. Marble Mountain, across the river from Da-Nang, offers interesting sightseeing and hand-made marble objects.
Approximately 400 air miles north of Saigon, Hue is the former capital of the Annamite Empire. An aristocratic and elegant city, Hue is noted for its beautiful women. It is near the 17th parallel where the North and South Vietnam are divided.
Hue is called the Imperial City and is a place where if one takes a little time it is possible to learn a great deal about Vietnamese civilization. At Vau-Ban, the walls of the former mighty citadel, over two and one half miles long, surround the place where the emperor and his entourage lived. One enters it through huge bastioned doors on the banks of the Perfume River.
The Imperial tombs are located close to Hue. Here are two artificially-built hills which were built to defend the city against evil spirits and also an ancient Cham pyramid. It has been said that these tombs are far more magnificent than the renowned counter parts in China. The six most famous tombs are those of the Emperor Gia-Long, Minh-Mang, Thieu-Tri, Tu-Duc, Dong-Khanh, and Khai-Dinh.
The second largest university in South Vietnam is also located in Hue.
An area that is representative of the mountaineer kingdom and its people is Ban-Me-Thuot. It is located about 165 miles north of Saigon. The people of the highlands are quite different from those in the lowlands. They have been ignored by many, discriminated against by most and have grown to be the "special children" of the American Special Forces and American Aid personnel. American missionaries have also taken an intense interest in these people, formulating written languages for them and ministering to their physical and spiritual needs. More information may be found in Chapter 3.
In the event that it is impractical to travel to this area, examples of the mountain people can be found near Dalat. It should be recognized, however, that the mountaineers around Dalat are far more used to the outside world than those of the remote areas.
NORTH VIETNAM
AS I HAVE not visited any cities in North Vietnam, my accounts of that area will be information gathered from published books and pamphlets and from interviews with friends with the International Control Commission who have visited North Vietnam on official business.
Hanoi is a beautiful city situated on the Red River about 60 miles from the port of Haiphong. It served as the capital of the Annamite Empire until the 18th century.
A beautiful lake marks the center of the city. It is surrounded by gardens and is a meeting place for weary people after a day’s work.
Only a few traces remain of the old citadel which was built by the Emperor Gia-Long between 1805 and 1812. It was destroyed in 1892. The Mirado, the Royal Pagoda, the North Gate, and other old ramparts still stand.
There are still many pagodas dated from the 8th to the 10th centuries hidden away in the city. Some of the most famous are the Island of Jade, Van Mieu, the One Column Pagoda, the Temple of the Dark Warrior, and the Pagoda of the Grand Buddha.
Several small villages, famous for making paper and pottery, are located near Hanoi.
Haiphong is an inland port located 25 miles from the Gulf of Tonkin. It is one of the principal industrial and commercial cities of the north and is important as a transit port. The city was built in 1874. A lot of public works have been undertaken there, such as the draining of marshes, building of wharves, etc. The industrial development has grown, mainly because of the closeness of coal mines and also because the Hanoi railroad which is extended to the Chinese province of Yunnan, has its terminus at Haiphong.
The Bay of
Ha-Long (Along)
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A great deal has been written in Vietnam about the Bay of Ha-Long. Considered one of the world’s unique marvels, it is a huge "sea" studded with thousands of islets and isles covering an area of approximately 1,000 square miles.
If you can imagine a vast mountainous area with cliffs and crests which suddenly fell down into the sea leaving just the summits of the mountains protruding above the level of the sea, and eroded by the slow work of waves, then you can have a fairly accurate picture of the bay. There are large islands with ruffled beaches, surfs against steep cliffs, crags sticking up like pyramids, towers, pillars, monumental arches, and giant porticoes, all mixed together in a stretch of more than 60 miles. Some are named, such as the Toad, the Sail, and the Unicor. A few of the most fascinating sites include the Grotto of Wonders, Grotto of Surprise, the Circus of Surprise, the Three Circuses, and the Tunnel of the Customs House.
From an industrial point of view, the most interesting might be the coal mines of Hongay. The huge steps going up the sides of a mountain to the mine can be seen from a boat in the bay. There are numerous open-air coal mines, considered to be among the most important in that area of the world. Looking from a boat, it is said that the 10,000 or so workers look like ants, boring, hewing, and cutting the gigantic blocks. The coal is thrown into carts which are transported on an inclined plane, and a network of railways, to two artificial deep water harbors, Hongay and Campha-Port.
According to experts, in the geological eras a stupendous earthquake occurred in North Vietnam which caused the upheaval of rocky masses of calcareous formation. These are found in the Bay of Ha-Long as well as inland in the Lang-Son and Cao-Bang regions and the Red River delta. There, they look like continuous walls or big lonely peaks along the fertile plain, where they have gradually been embedded by the deposits left by the Red River during thousands of years.
The Bay of Ha-Long means "Dragon’s Den" in the native language. It is said to be named after a huge sea monster of such dimensions that it causes a change of tide when entering or leaving its den.
There is an especially picturesque road which runs through the main tourist centers of the higher regions along the Chinese border. It goes through such mountain towns as Lang-Son and Cao-Bank, which are surrounded by pretty suburban villages. In one area, where the road stops at Cho-Ba, there are series of lakes called the Ba-Be lakes. They are five miles long and are overlooked by steep mountains ranging between 2,000 and 6,000 feet in altitude.
There are two mountain resorts, Tam-Dao and Cha-Pa which attract people from the cities during heat waves.
Tam-Dao is 40 miles from Hanoi and is 3,000 feet above sea-level, and overlooks the plain of the Red River delta.
Cha-Pa, located just 20 miles from Hanoi, is supposed to be the most delightful resort in all North Vietnam. It is located at 5,000 feet above sea-level and overhung by a 7,000 foot mountain peak. The resort is located amidst the highest mountains in Indochina.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
THERE ARE many unusual things to see and do that may never be found listed in the guide-books. Experience is the best teacher. Included here are a few places and experiences that our family enjoyed most in Vietnam.
Saigon
Animal and
Bird Market
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An extremely interesting place to spend a few hours in the morning is at the Pet Market near the American Embassy on Ham Nghi street. Vendors sell the pets right on the side-walk, and an amazing variety of animals and birds are sold. Even deer may be found there. Occasionally when one loses a pet in Saigon, the owner searches the market, as the pet may well turn up for sale.
Also located on Ham Nghi Street near the American Embassy is an area known as Saigon’s "Wall Street." The busiest places are located near the French National Bank and the Bangkok Bank just behind the National Bank of Vietnam.
Here, businessmen from all walks of life gather early in the morning at the cafes and in small groups on the sidewalks to make deals and observe market prices and exchange rates. The businessmen hustle about from one place to the other, and timing is important if they are to settle a deal at just the right moment. Many of them are paid agents. This is reminiscent of the early days of the U.S. Wall Street trading methods.
One may spend a full morning watching the business dealings of a country being transacted over a cu of coffee or a glass of beer, right under your nose. There is no official stock exchange in Vietnam.
Nguyen-Hue, Saigon’s Flower Street, is fun to walk down at any given hour, but it is really in its glory during the Vietnamese New Year, Tet celebration. Sometimes the whole street is closed off and flower venders take over completely, selling the plants, shrubs, and flowers that are a must in every Vietnamese home during Tet. Shutterbugs should make a special effort to be in Saigon during this time.
DINNING OUT
THERE ARE many good restaurants, but after two years’ experience in Saigon, three favorites emerge for excellent food and reasonable prices.
MAYFAIR—40 B, Gia-Long. Quiet atmosphere, excellent service, great soups, and
steaks.
MY CANH—Floating Restaurant on Saigon River. This restaurant was recently the scene of a Viet-Cong bombing. It was soon back in operation, true to form in Vietnam. It has been a pleasant place to forget the day’s troubles and cool off right after sunset, watching the boats and people go by. Excellent Chinese food.
INTERNATIONAL—91 Cong Ly. Good Chinese food and a representative evening of Vietnamese entertainment as the loveliest singers in Vietnam sing for about fifteen minutes each. When they leave, they rotate to other restaurants and clubs. Excellent French and Chinese menu.
OTHER ENTERTAINMENT
NHA-TRANG—Cyclo races. Great fun at night. Hire your cyclo and agree on the price in advance. Have your friends do the same. Fastest cyclo driver gets a bonus at the end of the long four-lane beach road. Most people race from one beach bar to the next, which are numbered from 1 to 14 instead of named. Some Americans like to put the driver in the seat and drive the cyclos themselves!
FRANCOIS’S. A place not to miss in Nha-Trang is Francois’s. It is a mangy-looking place located down by the boat landings at the village of Cau-Da. On first glance, it looks as if the Board of Health should close it, but food like this is not to be found elsewhere, especially the lobster. Francois picks them out himself and is known to stock only the best. Actually, they are really crayfish in this area. They are huge, meaty, and tender, never stringy. The "natives" joke that the Americans should leave by ten because the Viet-Cong come in to eat their lobster then.
VUNG-TAU. Go to see Irene, the owner of Irene’s bar. She is the "girl next door" personified. A real beauty of Greek and Vietnamese heritage, Irene has supported her whole family including her disabled father and mother and their ten children, by running a bar.
The unusual thing about Irene is that she is a legend in those parts with the Americans. Despite her occupation and her beauty, she is a very nice girl whom the American men have protected like a sister.
THU-DAU-MOT—near Saigon. See the lacquer craftsmen at work creating objects of beauty in its many painstaking stages. See the manager at Thanh-Le on Tu Do Street for further information.
TAY-NINH—about 60 miles NW of Saigon. Try to see the ceremonies at the Cao-Dai temple. This is a very fascinating religion which had the French writer Victor Hugo as one of its patrons.
HUE. A ride down the Perfume River with a couple of musicians on your boat and dinner served from hibachis is an evening to be remembered. Be sure and check on security, or it might end up as a venture you would like to forget!
