Vietnam Today
Vietnam is a place of lush, natural beauty, from the low-lying deltas of the south to the mountainous central highlands to the staggered layers of the rice terraces in the north. Over a thousand miles long and only 31 miles wide at its narrowest, with a total area slightly larger than New Mexico, Vietnam is home to an estimated 95 million people, with the majority born after 1975. Visitors will discover a vibrant culture: one that includes an elegantly crumbling European heritage and a deliciously exotic street-food scene. This is certainly the time to visit: Vietnam is a country obsessed with the future, rushing headlong toward a dream of first-world prosperity with an irrepressible energy. Despite centuries of war and poverty, the Vietnamese people have an obvious enjoyment of life. As in many places the locals add so much: their warm smiles, curiosity, and humor are what make a visit here so unforgettable.
Government
Since 1975, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has been a one-party state, with the only legal political party being the Communist Party of Vietnam. Independent candidates are eligible to run for office but, as took place in the 2016 elections, most are not permitted on the ballot.
In Vietnam, the prime minister is the head of government, responsible to the 500-seat national assembly, while the president is the head of state. Both are part of a 16-member Politburo, the nation's highest decision-making body, with the power to implement policy approved by the Communist Party's National Congress and parliament. The machinations of power are murky, and little reported in Vietnam, where the government or Communist Party directly or indirectly owns most of the media. The government faces many challenges, including the widening gap between rich and poor, territorial disputes with its large and populous neighbor, China, and the pollution and environmental degradation that accompany modernization.
Economy
Vietnam has one of the world's fastest growing economies. Development is most visible in the major cities, where soaring glass-and-chrome skyscrapers, new roads, bridges, and tunnels continue to be built alongside a plethora of new upmarket restaurants and five-star hotels. The other side of Vietnam's economic story is told outside the cities, where 70% of the population is still engaged in agriculture, often small-scale enterprises that provide only a subsistence living.
The vast economic divide continues to increase. The rise of urban overcrowding has led to rapidly growing shanty towns, particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, though residents’ access to basic services is better than in many Asian cities. Meanwhile, private jets and high-end vehicles are now must-have accessories among the country's elite, and Rolls-Royce and Prada are the latest luxury brands to establish a presence in Hanoi.
Such displays of wealth are in stark contrast to the situation post-1975, when the nation was plunged into poverty after the imposition of a Soviet-style closed market economy. Realizing things weren't working, the government introduced doi moi (renovation) economic reforms in 1986, which included opening up a socialist market economy at home, allowing free trade, and renewing diplomatic relations to encourage foreign investment.
The Legacy of War
Vietnam has been fighting off foreign forces for centuries, including China, France, and the United States. It was once part of Imperial China, before reverting to self-rule in the mid-1400s. France colonized Vietnam in the mid-1800s until the fall of France in World War II. In 1954 the Geneva Accord dictated the country be divided into the Communist North Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam. The governments of the North and South considered themselves rulers of the entire country, and tensions escalated until the United States. joined what became all-out conflict, known as the Vietnam War outside of the country, and the American War within.
Despite the ongoing visible affects of the American use of Agent Orange, including third-generation birth defects and environmental devastation, the Vietnamese have moved on from the atrocities of the period of war that stretched from 1955 to 1975. (A Vietnamese victims’ rights group failed to have their case heard in the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009, though efforts for compensation continue.) It comes as a surprise to some travelers that little resentment toward Americans remains among the general Vietnamese population, who are more interested in the future than the past. It is also the case that the government has encouraged this attitude. And with about 40% of the population aged under 25, the end of the Vietnam war in 1975 is practically ancient history. Vietnam's young people are more concerned with becoming rich (and sometimes famous), in order to buy the latest iPhones, cars, and fancy new apartments.
Some visitors to Vietnam are offended by the various Vietnamese museums and memorials dedicated to the last war, but it's important to remember that these government-owned facilities are designed to reinforce the government’s own position domestically. The use of propaganda is still very much in evidence, for example in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, where graphic images are displayed alongside explanatory text that presents the North Vietnamese side.
Family
Vietnamese life still revolves around the family, even in the rapidly developing big cities. Modern Vietnamese society, like 1950s America, asks young people to study hard, complete a university degree, and then, as soon as possible, start a family. Children are often overindulged, and older people are shown respect in a way that's not seen as often in Western society today.
A two-child policy exists in Vietnam. Enforcement is not as harsh as in China, but employees of state-owned enterprises who have a third or subsequent child are fined for their fertility, usually in the form of losing monthly bonuses and being denied promotions. Children are considered a blessing, sons more so than daughters because sons can carry on the family name through their children. (Vietnamese wives don't assume their husband's family name.) The eldest son is responsible for caring for his parents later in life, although often all the children contribute financially to the care of their parents. Most people still follow the tradition of expecting a new bride to move into her husband's family home after marriage, even nowadays with an estimated 70% of women of working age in paid employment.
If you're traveling with kids, expect them to be fussed over and touched (cheek pinches are common). If you're of grandparenting age, expect to be shown solicitous and attentive respect, and to be applauded for being healthy and wealthy enough to travel. However, if you are a childless or single woman of a certain age, you may be asked about your "bad luck."
The importance of family is illustrated by the mass migration of the population at Tet, the lunar new year. Everyone returns home for this important once-a-year national vacation, leaving the cities more or less deserted and transport systems gridlocked. It’s also evident from the practice of ancestor worship, which is still widespread regardless of religion.
Traffic Gridlock
First-time visitors to Vietnam, who usually arrive in densely populated Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, are justifiably terrified by the traffic: the sheer volume of motorbikes and the seeming lack of any road rules whatsoever inevitably creates a first impression of utter chaos. This is only reinforced upon observing trucks and buses hurtling along poorly maintained highways, with their drivers leaning heavily on their horns to clear a path through the throngs of motorbikes.
As a matter of fact, road rules do exist, though not all make sense, such as the different speed limits imposed for motorbikes, and cars and trucks. The chaos in the cities is tempered by the fact that all this traffic moves quite slowly, only partially because of the number of vehicles sharing the roads. After a time, you will realize that the relentless tooting is actually more of a friendly "coming through" or "hey, I'm right here" rather than an outburst of aggression.
Motorcycle helmets became compulsory in Vietnam in 2008, but the death toll remains high, with an estimated 30 to 40 people dying on the roads every day in car and motorcycle accidents. Although traffic police, with their beige uniforms, are a common sight in the cities, motorcyclists still flout the rules quite openly, speeding, driving the wrong way, and wobbling about in obviously drunken states. In the cities, the traffic is best navigated by taxis, which edge their way slowly through the mess with minimal damage to the occupants. The traffic is also a compelling reason to schedule some time outside of the big cities (especially Hanoi) in order to discover the other, slower pace of Vietnam.
