Provinces of Vietnam. Southeast (region)

The flourishing country, known to us as Vietnam, was mastered by man in the Paleolithic era. By the end of the III millennium BC. a significant part of the current state turned out to be inhabited by various tribes, in which modern anthropologists see relatives of the current Khmers and inhabitants of the islands South-East Asia. At that very time, in the far north, in the lower reaches of the great Chinese Yangtze River, lived a people who were destined not only to take possession of the hot lands of the south, but also to give them their current name. Representatives of this nationality called themselves La Viet. In the middle of the II millennium BC. the Laviet quickly settled on the fertile plains of the Red River Delta. As often happens in history, weaker predecessors were partly forced out and partly assimilated.

Somewhat later, the ancestors of modern Thais came to Vietnam, entrenched in the mountains in the north of the country. The tribes that left under the onslaught of the Laviets to the south eventually gave rise to many peoples of modern Indochina, primarily the Chams (or Tyams).

In 2879 BC a powerful leader (Vuong) named Hung (Hung Vuong) managed to unite the independent La Viet clans into a single tribal union Vanlang. It is believed that it was thanks to him that the state of Vietnam appeared on the world map many centuries later. Although Hung Vuong was more of a military leader than a monarch, he managed to retain power for his offspring, giving rise to many noble families of ancient Vietnam.

In 257 BC Vanlang was defeated by the inhabitants of the north. The leader of the victors, An Duong (most historians consider him a Chinese), created the Au Lac state with its capital in Koloa, a “snail fortress” in the northern regions of present-day Vietnam. Although the era of Au Lak quickly declined, it is considered the time of the final formation of the statehood and culture of the La Viet. Au Lak soon became part of the state of Namviet (or Nan Yue), which occupied the territory of both modern North Vietnam and vast areas South China. Interestingly, the capital of Nam Viet was located on the site of the famous southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The power of Nam Viet, which was more than enough to conquer Au Lak, turned out to be insignificant in comparison with the power of the Chinese Han Empire, which easily swallowed up a small southern kingdom at the end of the 3rd century. BC. This event marked the beginning of a long period of complete dependence of Vietnam on its vast northern neighbor. Until the 7th century the areas of the former Nam Viet were called Giaoti (in China - Jiaoch-zhi), and then acquired the well-known historical name Annam, which means "pacified south" in translation.

Although at first the Chinese, like the Mongols in Rus', did not interfere in the internal affairs of the conquered people, confining themselves to the regular collection of tribute, their dominion was accompanied by resistance that did not fade for a minute. It was in those days that the fighting qualities of the Vietnamese were formed, which so struck the aggressors of modern times. Not only men, but also women resisted. Sometimes the fearless Vietnamese even stood at the head of the uprisings. In the 40s. AD the warrior sisters Chyng Chak and Chyng Ni succeeded in expelling the Chinese from the country for three years. Two centuries later, an uprising broke out under the leadership of the heroine Chieu. Alas, the inequality of forces sooner or later doomed all the performances of the Vietnamese to defeat. As a result, by the I-II centuries. AD the country lost the last grains of independence and China began to exert a strong influence on the culture, economy, politics and religion of the conquered country - an influence that is still felt at every turn.

For eight long centuries, Vietnam was under Chinese rule. If the Middle Kingdom at that time was gradually weakening, losing control over its vast territories, then Vietnam, on the contrary, rallied and accumulated strength. In 938, the Vietnamese feudal lord Ngo Kuyen raised an uprising and threw off the hated foreign yoke. The new ruler again proclaimed the capital city of Koloa and restored the spirit and traditions of Vietnamese antiquity at the court. By the 11th century, when the Li dynasty came to power, the country, which changed its name to Dai Viet (Great Viet), was no longer inferior to the most powerful powers in terms of development. Far East. At this time, the capital of Vietnam for the first time becomes the city of Thang Long - modern Hanoi. By expelling the Chinese, the victors borrow much from their statecraft. As early as 1070, a Confucius temple was erected in Thang Long, a national academy (Khan Lam) was created, and a system of state examinations was introduced according to the Chinese model. In the XII century. Confucianism finally becomes the state religion of Vietnam, while Buddhism and Taoism begin to play the role of folk beliefs. A strengthened state completely restores its lost positions - at the end of the 13th century. it successfully repels the invasion of the Mongols and even expands its possessions by annexing the northern mountainous areas and the lands of the southern Chams.

At the beginning of the XV century. the country is once again in deep crisis. Taking advantage of the strife that arose as a result of the unpopular transformations of Emperor Li Ho Kyui, the troops of the Chinese Ming dynasty in 1407 again captured the country. This time, Chinese rule does not last long - after only 20 years, the united nation again drives out enemies. The rebel leader Le Loi proclaims the creation of the Later Le dynasty (1428-1788) and implements reforms that began the "golden age" of medieval Vietnam.

In the 30s. 17th century The state of Dai Viet, formally still headed by the kings of the Le dynasty, split into two rival destinies belonging to the Trinh and Nguyen clans. The top of each clan generously distributed land holdings to their supporters. The amount of land at the disposal of the treasury was rapidly decreasing, while the need for money for military expenses, on the contrary, was growing every day. To solve this problem, the leaders of the clans resorted to the old method - without further ado, they increased the exactions from the population. The result of the ruthless extortion of taxes was a peasant war, known as the "Teishon Rebellion" and broke out in 1771. The rebels were led by three brothers, one of whom, Nguyen Hue, proclaimed himself emperor in 1788. The last king of the Le dynasty was forced to seek help from his "brother" - the militant Chinese emperor Qianlong from the Qing dynasty. He willingly responded to the call, and the Chinese troops again invaded the country, but the Teishons quickly inflicted a crushing defeat on them in the battle near Thang Glong on January 5, 1789. It seemed to everyone that after such a success, the power of the "people's" emperor would be unshakable, but after all three years Nguyen Hue suddenly died. This was immediately taken advantage of by the head of the Nguyen clan, commander Nguyen Phuc Anh. Having gathered their own squads and relying on the help of France, the Nguyen managed to defeat the rebels. In 1804, Nguyen Phuc Anh took the throne name of Gia Long, moved the capital to Hue and became the first emperor of the dynasty, which remained on the throne until 1945.

19th century: Vietnam under French rule

Looking for a way to deal a decisive blow to their opponents, the feudal rulers of Vietnam in the middle of the 17th century. began to resort to the help of Europeans, who could not boast of numbers, but had military technologies unknown to Asians. If the Trinh clan entered into a military alliance with the Dutch, then the Nguyen preferred to take advantage of the support of the French. Their decision turned out to be correct: the Dutch quickly lost interest in Indochinese affairs, and Cheeney was left without "military advisers". The British at that time were too busy conquering India. The French, not feeling pressure from other European competitors, made the Nguyen conclude a very advantageous treaty, which provided for the first territorial acquisitions of France on the peninsula. It happened in 1787, but soon the Great French Revolution broke out, followed by the years of the Napoleonic wars. All these "misunderstandings" made France forget about Eastern affairs for a long time. Once again interested in the "Indochinese question" in the 20s. In the 19th century, Paris realized that there were not enough forces for a full-scale invasion. Over the next 30-plus years, France operated in Vietnam mainly by the method of intrigue, the threads of which were concentrated in the hands of missionaries and all kinds of adventurers. Meanwhile, the Nguyen dynasty, having gained power, did not at all seek to pay generous "dividends" to its overseas allies, leaning away from sin to politics " closed doors". In France, they understood that it was impossible to open these “doors” without guns, and for the time being they took a wait-and-see attitude. Favorable conditions for the invasion developed only by 1858. The successful completion of the 2nd Opium War against China for Europeans, in which France took an active part, allowed Napoleon III to send impressive forces against Vietnam - 2.5 thousand infantrymen on 13 ships armed with the latest technology. Spain also took part in the expedition, putting up one warship and 450 soldiers. On August 31, 1858, the combined forces under the command of Admiral Charles Rigaud de Genoui approached the port of Da Nang. The next day, before the expiration of the ultimatum, the city was taken by storm.

The French invasion from the first days ran into fierce resistance from the imperial troops and the local population. The failures forced the commander to change tactics: instead of fruitless attempts to dismember the country in its central part, he decided to win a foothold in the south. This path gave the conquerors huge advantages, because in the territory they occupied there was the most necessary thing - water and food. The abundance of waterways in the Mekong Delta made it possible to control the country with the help of gunboats, and the key role of the region in the production of rice made it possible not only to feed its soldiers, but also to put the uncompromising emperor Tu Duc on a “starvation ration”. The next blow was directed at the Zyadin fortress, not far from which, on the banks of a full-flowing river, there was a conglomerate of 40 settlements - the future Saigon. In February 1859, the invasion troops defeated the Vietnamese troops and captured the fortress. Despite the defeat, the Vietnamese did not lose their presence of mind - they quickly gathered reinforcements and kept the foreigners under siege for three whole years. The fact that in 1860 the French had to fight on two fronts also played into the hands of the patriots: they were forced to transfer part of their expeditionary forces to China, whose authorities also stubbornly refused to obey the will of the West.

In February 1861, French forces concentrated off the coast of Vietnam, including 50 warships and 4,000 troops. infantry corps under the command of Admiral Charne. Under the onslaught of this rati, resistance was broken, and on June 5, 1862, Emperor Tu Duc was forced to conclude an agreement that gave the French three southern provinces of the country - Zyadin, Dinh Tuong and Bien Hoa; an indemnity of $4 million and the right to trade in the ports of Vietnam. In the occupied territories, a colony of French Cochinchina arose with a center in Saigon.

A year later, France asserted its dominance in Cambodia. Three southwestern provinces of Vietnam - Vinh Long, An Giang and Ha Tinh - were sandwiched between French possessions. The rivers that connected the two parts of the French colonial possessions, were under the control of Vietnam, which did not suit Paris in any way. Inviting the emperor to voluntarily "cede" three provinces and not having received consent, the French in June 1867 resolved the issue by military means. Huge possessions were in the hands of the colonial authorities, which they disposed of at their own discretion. They organized a system of administrative control headed by the governor. At the same time, on the ground, the French were only at the head of the provinces, and the lower positions - from the prefect to the village headman - were occupied by the Vietnamese. During the first ten years of French rule (from 1860 to 1870), rice exports from the Mekong Delta quadrupled. New ports and shipyards were built, the Indochina Bank was established, and Saigon became a flourishing European city. For the "opponents of progress" in 1862, the famous hard labor prison was built on the island of Condao in the South China Sea ...

Meanwhile, the north of Vietnam, or Tonkin, as the Europeans called it, continued to attract the eyes of newcomers. In annexing these territories, the most important role was played by the entrepreneur-adventurer J. Dupuy, who in 1872 led a trading expedition to the basin of the Red (Hong Ha) River. Not forgetting about personal gain, Dupuis had to fulfill the secret assignment of the colonial administration: to ensure the presence of "French interests" in Tonkin and provoke the Vietnamese authorities to hostile actions. The latter gave rise to another military expedition. In October 1873, Major F. Garnier joined Dupuis with a detachment of 180 marines. Reinforced from Cochin China, this small force captured Hanoi and the principal cities of the five provinces within three weeks. At the same time, the crowded city of Ninh Bin surrendered to a detachment of ... 10 people! The reason for these miracles was a large number of opponents of the emperor in the north of the country. Major Garnier himself died in battle, but his expedition became another "eastern victory" for France. In 1874, another treaty was concluded with Vietnam, which allowed France to subjugate all the foreign trade of the "Annamites" to its control and deploy its troops in Tonkin "to guard the consulates." The number of this contingent was constantly increasing and by the beginning of the 1880s. reached such a size that it made it easy to complete the occupation of the country. However, here the French had to face an obstacle - as it turned out, Qing China also claimed a tidbit. Considering North Vietnam as its own "patrimony", Beijing was not afraid to enter into conflict with a powerful European power. The Franco-Chinese war lasted for a year and ended, as you might guess, with the victory of modern European weapons. The new success of France coincided with the death of Emperor Tu Duc. In August 1883, French troops occupied the imperial capital of Hue, and five days later the "Treaty of Arman" was signed, establishing French dominance throughout the country. At the same time, Kochinchina (South Vietnam) remained a colony, and Annam ( Central Vietnam) and Tonkin (Northern Vietnam) were declared protectorates, nominally subordinate to the emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. In 1884-1885. agreements were signed between France and China, according to which Beijing fully recognized French acquisitions and renounced any claims to the lands of Indochina. In 1887, Vietnam and Cambodia were united in the Indochinese Union, and in 1899 Laos was added to it, which became a French protectorate by 1893. Thus, France became the owner of huge Asian possessions. However, she did not have to rest on her laurels for long: in the mountains and jungles of the conquered peninsula, pockets of guerrilla warfare flared up, which escalated into the 20th century. to the national independence movement.

XX century: in the fire of wars and revolutions

At the end of the 19th century, a patriotic movement called Can Vuong - "In Defense of the Emperor" gained great weight in Vietnam. Its participants from among the officials and scientists were peace-loving, moderate in their demands, and saw their ideal in a constitutional monarchy. In the rural outback, on the contrary, there were enough people who were inferior to the city "freethinkers" in education, but who did not miss the opportunity to arrange a plentiful bloodletting of the hated teys ("people of the West", i.e. the French). Hoang Hoa Tham, the leader of the resistance in the Yenthe region, was the most widely known among such daredevils. Companions treated him with great respect and called him De Tham - "Commander Tham". A born military leader and an unsurpassed connoisseur of the area, De Tham for a long time, like a splinter, haunted the French with lightning raids. In 1894, the colonial authorities were forced to offer De Tham something like autonomy, giving him full control over the territory of four volosts. Such a handout did not suit the old partisan, and the jungle war unfolded with new force, ending only with the death of De Tham in 1913. The comrades-in-arms of the fallen commander, like many other rebels, took refuge in China, where the Qing authorities, wanting to annoy the French, turned a blind eye to their presence.

As in British India, leadership in the Vietnamese liberation movement at the beginning of the 20th century. gradually began to pass into the hands of energetic young people who received a Western education, but did not break away from their people. Many of them were fond of the then fashionable radical political doctrines. Among these "revolutionaries of the new generation" belonged the son of a rural teacher Nguyen Ai Quoc, known throughout the world under the name of Ho Chi Minh. The active political activity of the "father of Vietnamese independence" began in 1922 in Paris, where he created the Intercolonial Union of Colored Peoples, which became the progenitor of the current Communist Party of Vietnam.

By the beginning of 1930, there were already three communist organizations in Vietnam and the border regions of neighboring countries - the Communist Party of Annam, the Communist Party of Indochina and the Communist Union of Indochina. A significant contribution to the popularity of the "faithful and omnipotent" doctrine in Indochina was played by the Comintern, tirelessly nurturing the cadres of the Vietnamese communists (at the end of the 1920s, more than fifty "Annamites" studied Marxist wisdom in Moscow), on February 3, 1930, a unifying a conference of three parties, culminating in the creation of the Communist Party of Vietnam, immediately renamed the Communist Party of Indochina. Although Ho Chi Minh did not participate in the forum, he made a great contribution to the common cause of the Vietnamese communists. With his direct participation in May 1941, a militant organization of the party arose - the League of Struggle for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh). In 1940, Japanese troops entered the territory of Vietnam. Despite this, unlike the Philippines, Malaya and Singapore, French Indochina formally continued to remain under the control of the colonial administration: Tokyo was forced to observe "decency" in relation to Vichy France, which made peace with the countries of the Nazi axis. In March 1945, in an effort to free their hands to organize the “last line of defense”, the Japanese finally removed the French from power in the colony, but their time in Vietnam was coming to an end: on August 15 of the same year, the island empire capitulated. The situation was immediately taken advantage of by the Viet Minh guerrillas, who emerged from the jungle and took control of the entire country in just 11 days. On September 2, 1945, in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the establishment of an independent Democratic Republic Vietnam (DRV). Less than a month later, French troops began to arrive in Saigon, but active fighting 1st Indochinese War began only in December of the following year. Both opponents were strong enough, and the scales leaned in one direction or the other. During the first three years of the war, the Communists lost control of South Vietnam, where in 1949 a state was established, led by Emperor Bao Dai, a pro-modernist who wore European clothes and married a Christian of humble origin. After the establishment of the communist regime in China, the military assistance of Mao Zedong tipped the scales towards the DRV. France was saved from a quick defeat by the United States, which for the first time openly appeared on the stage of the Indochinese historical drama. Only in June 1954, after the defeat of 13 thousand. army corps near the town of Dien Bien Phu in northwestern Vietnam, the French government agreed to negotiations. The Geneva Peace Agreement divided Vietnam into a special demilitarized zone along the 17th parallel. The agreement provided for the gradual unification of the country, taking into account the interests of the population of the South. Violating the terms of the agreement, the leader of the Saigon nationalists Ngo Dinh Diem in October 1955 proclaimed the creation south of the 17th parallel independent republic Vietnam, becoming the first president of the new state. The "Saigon regime", rapidly acquiring the features of a dictatorship, already in 1957 found itself in a state of war with numerous guerrilla groups of its opponents. In 1959, Hanoi openly proclaimed a policy of uniting the country by military means and provided the southern partisans with all-round support. Supplies of weapons from the north went along the famous "Ho Chi Minh trail", laid bypassing the demilitarized zone through the territory of Laos and Cambodia. By the end of 1960, the partisans controlled a third of the territory of the south. They even formed their own government, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, better known as the Viet Cong. Seeing the inability of their president to resist the "Reds", the Saigon military conspired, which ended in 1963 with the overthrow and murder of Ngo Dinh Diem. In an effort to regain positions lost in the fight against the communists, the subsequent leaders of the republic, Duong Van Minh, Nguyen Khanh and Nguyen Van Thieu, relied on American help.

American war

Leaders free world"viewed South Vietnam as an obstacle to the expansion of the sphere of influence of the USSR and the PRC and considered it their duty to maintain the strength of this barrier. In the first years after the French left Asia, US aid to Saigon was expressed mainly in military supplies and financial injections. A few military advisers from across the ocean were engaged in planning operations and provided technical assistance. The first regular units of American aviation were transferred to South Vietnam in 1961. The situation changed dramatically in August 1964 after the mysterious battle between the American destroyer Maddox and the North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. Without denying the very fact of the collision, Hanoi claimed that the American ship had violated maritime border DRV. The US government, by contrast, portrayed what happened as a treacherous attack that took place in international waters. The reaction followed immediately. On August 5, 1964, American naval aviation for the first time struck the territory of North Vietnam. The main consequence of the "Tonkin Incident" was the resolution of the US Congress, allowing President Lyndon Johnson the direct use of American soldiers in Southeast Asia. After some hesitation, the White House decided to use the received right, and in the spring of 1965 the first two battalions of the American marines went to Vietnam. At the same time, regular bombardments of the territory of the DRV by US aircraft began.

By the end of 1965, the number of American troops fighting in Vietnam exceeded 180 thousand people. In addition to the American, military units of Australia, South Korea and Thailand were deployed in Vietnam. The most combat-ready American units were engaged in the search and destruction of Viet Cong units in the northern provinces of the Republic of Vietnam, as well as along the border of Laos and Cambodia. Other military contingents guarded important sea and air ports, military bases and territories cleared of partisans. In the spring of 1966, the Viet Cong began to receive help from like-minded people. Units of the North Vietnamese army, armed with first-class Soviet and Chinese "gifts", began to penetrate into South Vietnam from the territory of the DRV. In response to this, the American command had to urgently create a chain of fortified points along the southern border of the demilitarized zone. During 1965-1967. military operations in Vietnam were becoming more and more "hot" in nature, while cruelty against peaceful peasants was allowed by all participants in the conflict ... Having exchanged quick blows, the opponents retreated to their bases for regrouping, and then everything was repeated with exhausting monotony. The American command was forced to transfer more and more reinforcements to Indochina. Expeditionary force casualties mounted, and U.S. public opinion began to ask the government uncomfortable questions about the advisability of war.

Despite some tactical successes, none of the parties to the conflict managed to gain the upper hand. In January 1968, having concentrated all their forces, the army of the DRV and the Viet Cong delivered a sudden blow to the Americans in several directions at once. The operation, timed to coincide with the lunar New Year's holiday, went down in history as the "New Year Offensive", or "Strike on Tet". Despite the monstrous loss of life, the communists achieved important results: the American troops were demoralized, and for the first time in the White House they thought about how to get out of this impassable bloody quagmire. By this time, the international prestige of the United States was crying bitter tears, and anti-war speeches in the country itself threatened to develop into actions of open defiance. When General W. Westmoreland, commander of the American forces in Vietnam, demanded another 200,000 soldiers from Washington, promising to put an end to the bloodless Viet Cong, President L. Johnson refused. On March 31, 1968, the president addressed the country, announcing the cessation of the bombing of the DRV, readiness for peace negotiations and the end of his own political career after the end of his term.

Beginning in 1969, the United States headed for the "Vietnamization" of the war. This meant that from now on the main burden of the fighting was to fall on the shoulders of the Saigon army. Despite this, American troops continued to fight in Vietnam until the beginning of 1973. In 1970, the fire of the war flared up even more, and the fighting spread to the territory of Cambodia and Laos. Gradually, it became clear to everyone that the victory had been lost once and for all. The Viet Cong controlled 4/5 of the territory of the Republic of Vietnam. In the offensive of the North Vietnamese army, which began in the spring of 1972, more than 120 thousand people participated with the support of armored formations. The American command was still trying to influence the situation by resuming the bombing of North Vietnam, but already on January 27, 1973, an agreement was reached in Paris, according to which the United States completed the withdrawal of its troops from Indochina four months later.

The departure of the Americans did not yet mean the end of the war. In the ranks of the South Vietnamese army, there were about a million fighters, and in terms of its firepower, it surpassed the troops of the DRV by seven times. American aid to Saigon for two recent years its independent existence amounted to 4 billion dollars. Although the troops were withdrawn, 26 thousand American advisers and specialists remained and continued to work on the territory of the country. Despite this, the offensive operation "Ho Chi Minh", launched by the troops of the DRV and the Viet Cong in March 1975, ended with the fall of the Saigon government on April 30th.

The outcome of a long-term civil war was predetermined by the decision of the government of South Vietnam to rely on overseas soldiers. Whatever the Viet Cong was, it won in the eyes of the population in comparison with the regime that let outsiders into the country. The Americans themselves not only had no respect for the culture and traditions of Vietnam, but also turned the country into a testing ground for new products of their military-industrial complex. All this came at a heavy price. Only the combat losses of American troops in Vietnam amounted to almost 50 thousand people killed, while the wounded numbered in the hundreds of thousands. The war left a deep mark on the historical memory and culture of America. More than three decades after the end of the war, in 2007, about 2,000 US servicemen continued to be considered missing in Indochina...

Postwar years

On April 25, 1975, five days before the fall of Saigon, general elections were held for the National Assembly of a united Vietnam. By the end of the year, the winners managed to carry out the nationalization of banks and large private businesses in South Vietnam. Having achieved the uniformity of the economy in accordance with socialist principles, on July 2, 1976, the authorities officially decided to reunify the country and create the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV). In the same year former capital The Republic of Vietnam was united with the adjoining city of Tholon into a single agglomeration, named after the leader of the Vietnamese revolution - Ho Chi Minh City.

With the support of the Soviet Union, the new state managed to achieve worldwide recognition. On September 20, 1977, the country became a full member of the UN. Relations with the USSR were formalized in 1978 by the Treaty of Friendship and Partnership. The leadership of the PRC, on the contrary, was extremely dissatisfied with Vietnam, which "changed" Beijing and Moscow and actively interfered in Chinese policy in Southeast Asia. In 1978, the Vietnamese troops occupied a significant part of the territory of Cambodia and overthrew the ruling Khmer Rouge regime, supported by China. In addition, by carrying out socialist transformations in their own country, the Vietnamese communists affected the interests of ethnic Chinese, who traditionally occupied key positions in the field of trade - especially in the South. This led to a mass exodus of Chinese from Vietnam, during which more than 300,000 people left the country.

On the morning of February 17, 1979, units of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China invaded the border regions of North Vietnam. Easily breaking the resistance of the border guards and local militias, the Chinese troops occupied Lao Cai, Lang Son, Mong Cai and other Vietnamese border cities. A short-lived and very strange war began, during which aviation was not used, diplomatic relations between the warring countries were not interrupted, and their contacts along the party line did not stop. Already on March 5, China announced its "victory" and began the withdrawal of troops, which ended on March 16. Perhaps he played a role in making such a hasty decision. Soviet Union which put strong pressure on Beijing. The choice of sides in the conflict, which received the ironic nickname of the "first socialist war", is still not known for certain. The conflict complicated relations between Vietnam and China for a long ten years. The tension that reigned on the border of the two countries, from time to time resulted in armed clashes. Despite the resulting "pacification", there are still disagreements between China and Vietnam over the ownership of the islands. South China Sea.

The authoritarian methods that prevailed in the leadership of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the era of the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Poland, Le Duan (1969 - 1986), led to the fact that in the mid-1980s. The country's economy was in deep crisis. The death of the all-powerful leader and the example of the Soviet "perestroika" prompted the leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party to proclaim in 1986 the course of "Renewal" (Vietnamese doi moi), which included measures to liberalize the economy. Fortunately for the country, the Vietnamese leaders nevertheless preferred to be guided on the path of transformation not by the Soviet, but by the Chinese experience...

1990s not very favorable to Vietnam. With the collapse of the USSR, the country lost its main support, and integration into world economy aggravated by US hostility. However, all the difficulties only stimulated the implementation of reforms, allowing the world to show another "miracle": from a poor totalitarian country, Vietnam suddenly turned into a self-sufficient and rapidly developing power, whose economic growth could not be slowed down even by the devastating Asian crisis of 1997-1998. The new era brought a change in foreign policy priorities: in 1991, ties with Beijing were completely normalized, and three years later, diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States were restored. In 1995, Vietnam became a member of the authoritative ASEAN organization, and in 1998, a member of APEC. In 2004, the next summit of the ASEAN member countries was held in Hanoi.

The provinces of the South-East of Vietnam go to the coast of the South China Sea. Dense mangroves are gradually shrinking, giving way to tourist areas, new towns and villages.

The provinces of the Southeast of Vietnam are located north of, on the plain, only on their eastern border is southern edge Tainguyen (Central) Plateau. Between the plain and the plateau - the territory of gently sloping hills. In the most elevated place of the provinces of the Southeast, heights reach 700 m. Many small rivers flow from the Tainguyen Plateau. Flowing through flat terrain, bringing silt and sand, the rivers created a vast accumulative plain, stretching from the border with Cambodia to the confluence of the rivers in

Here is one of the most important rice-growing regions of the country. The nature of these places has been largely changed by man, who over many centuries has created an extensive system of rice fields, canals and channels that communicate with each other. Considerable damage was done to the people and tropical forests of the Southeast during the Vietnam War of 1957-1975. This was especially evident during the full-scale US military intervention in 1965-1973. In order to destroy the dense vegetation in which the Vietnamese guerrillas were hiding, the US Air Force sprayed various mixtures of defoliants and herbicides over the jungle, of which the agent orange substance is the most famous, the victims of which were up to 3 million people.

Nature

In order to protect nature and preserve rainforest several national parks have been created in the north, northwest and east.

The largest of them is Kattien with an area of ​​​​over 700 km 2. It is located 100 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Its territory suffered greatly during the war from herbicides, in some areas the vegetation has not fully recovered until now. Dong Nai flows through the park - the second largest river in South Vietnam after the river. Its numerous tributaries also begin here, almost all of which dry up during the dry season. There are a lot of swamps and lakes formed by seasonal floods in Dong Nai.

In the park, they are trying to save the rapidly disappearing populations of the Asian elephant, the Malayan and white-breasted bear, the wild gaur bull, the Indochinese tiger, the clouded leopard, and the red wolf. Most of them have survived in the amount of a few individuals. A large number of primates live in Kattien - yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, silver langur, little loris, as well as crabeater monkeys and civet. A wide variety of birds: green peacock, Siamese lofur, hornbill, Javanese marabou, pygmy falcon.

The main threats to the flora and fauna of the Southeast are illegal expansion of agricultural land, deforestation and poaching.

Another national park- Condao - is located on the archipelago of the same name in the South China Sea. Here, on the island of Pulo Condor, there is a historical prison created by the French, who captured the archipelago in 1861 and later transferred the prison to the authorities of South Vietnam. The prison was known for the extremely harsh conditions of the inmates, who were kept in tiny solitary cells, nicknamed "tiger cages". In the modern history of Vietnam, Con Dao Prison is called the "school of struggle", which many of the country's communist leaders went through. The reconstruction of the "tiger cage" is an exhibit of the Museum of War Victims in Ho Chi Minh City.

The provinces of the South-East of Vietnam are jungles for hundreds and hundreds of kilometers. major river there is only one here, its overflow is quite enough to turn the whole area into one big swamp. Only the coastal part of the Southeast is relatively dry, and large cities are located here.

Around Ho Chi Minh City

The province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has the longest coastline, which determines its specificity. Many along the seashore fishing villages, in many of them fishing is carried out in the old fashioned way: by artels, going out to sea on rather fragile boats, since large and new villages are beyond their means.

Recently, however, the Tan Tian district has played a much larger role in the provincial economy. Industry is developing rapidly here: the district has its own deep-water port that accepts ships ("handysize" up to 50 thousand tons). This became possible after the authorities of the city of Ho Chi Minh City transferred the port of Saigon with all the equipment here, and the vacant area

being built up residential buildings and administrative buildings. And the gas-fired thermal power plant located right there provides 35% of all Vietnam's electricity.

The center of the province - the city of Vung Tau - for 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War remained a place from which hundreds of thousands of "people in boats" who did not want to live under the communist regime fled the country. The city is a place of pilgrimage for Mahayana Buddhists who come to Thich-Ka-Fat-Dai, or the Buddha Altar. Catholicism is also very common in these places, as evidenced by the main attractions of Vung Tau - the 32-meter statue of "Christ Vung Tau" on Mount Nuino, at an altitude of 760 m, considered the highest statue of Jesus in Asia, as well as a 25-meter white marble statue of the Virgin Mary and a catholic church that looks like a ship under sail.

The biggest holiday of Vung Tau is Whale Day: the old Vietnamese tradition of worshiping Nam Hai, the god of whales, who protects fishermen from sea monsters and storms, is alive in the city, in whose honor a temple with the skeleton of this mammal was erected.

Binh Phuoc Province is known as the site of extremely fierce battles directly between the US Army and the Vietnamese guerrillas. The largest number of missing American soldiers falls on two districts of this particular province. There is dense jungle interspersed with impassable swamps. It was here that the famous battles of 1967 at Ong Than and 1972 at Lok Ninh took place. The Americans suffered heavy losses, and for every American who died, there were several Vietnamese killed. In 1974, the decisive battle between the armies of North and South Vietnam unfolded here, called the Battle of Phuoc Long and showed that the United States had ceased any military support for South Vietnam.

The city of Teinin, the administrative center of the province of the same name, is the place where the Caodai religion was born in 1926, whose full name translates as great path third age of salvation. Kaodai appeared to people in the form of the Holy Eye and is a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, ancestor worship, Catholicism and the practice of spiritualism. All the Vietnamese authorities were suspicious of the Cao Dai, which is not surprising: the Cao Dai created their own armed forces. Today, religion operates freely, with most of the temples being replicas of the first "sacred residence" in Tainin.

Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in the country. In 1887-1901. he was the capital of French Indochina, and in 1955-1975. - the capital of South Vietnam: then it was called Saigon, then it was renamed in honor of the founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. Today Ho Chi Minh City is the most important economic and transport center in the south of Vietnam.

general information

Numbers
Square: 23,590.73 km2.
Population: 16,064,000 people (2013).
Population density : 680.9 people / km 2.
Provinces and the city of central subordination (area, km 2 / population, people / population density, people / km 2) : Ba Ria Vung Tau (1,989.5 / 1,150,200 / 578.1), Binh Duong (2,694.43 / 1,802,500 / 668.9), Binh Phuoc (6,871.5 / 932,000 / 135.6), Dong Nai (5,907.2 / 2,921,000 / 494.5), Ho Chi Minh City (2,095.5 / 8,146,300 / 3,887.5), Tay Ninh (4,032.6 / 1,112,000 / 275.7) (population - 2013) .
highest point : 736 m., Ba-Ra city (Binh Phuoc province).
Remoteness (Ho Chi Minh City) : 1719 km south of Hanoi.

Climate and weather

Economy

Attractions

Natural

• Cattien National Parks (1992), Con Dao (1993), Bu Guia Map (2002) and La Go Ha Met (Logo Samat) (2002)
• Dong Nai Biosphere Reserves (2011) and Kanzo Mangroves
• Con Dao Archipelago
• Swanson waterfall
• Binh Chau thermal springs
• Phuoc Bu and Vinh Cu Nature Reserves
• Black Maiden Mountain

historical

• The former prison Pulo-Condor (1861-1975)

Cult

• Hoi Khan Buddhist Temple (Binh Duong, 1741)
• Sacred Eye Caodai Temple (Teinin, 1933-1955)

Ho Chi Minh city

• Reunification Palace (Independence, 1868)
• Saigon Cathedral Mother of God (1877-1883)
• The building of the Main Post Office (end of the 19th century)
• Vinh Nghieh Pagoda (1964-1971)
• Cu Chi Tunnels (1960s-1970s)
• War Victims Museum (1975)
• Skyscraper Financial Tower Biteksko (262.5 m, 2007-2010)
• Museums: Vietnamese History, Revolution, Southeast Asian Armed Forces, Southeast Asian Women, Fine Arts, Nyarong House Museum

City of Vung Tau

• Thang Tam Pagoda (1820)
• Temple of the Woman (Fr. Honba, 1881)
• Villa Blanche (1898-1902)
• French cannon field (XIX century)
• Hai Dang Lighthouse (1911)
• Thich-Ka-Fat-Dai Temple (Buddha Altar, 1963)
• Home of Pure Nirvana (Temple of the Reclining Buddha, 1969-1974)
• Statue of Jesus Christ (1974)
• Quan Am Pagoda (1976)
• Statue of the Virgin Mary (1992)
• Whale Temple Long Ong Nam Hai

Curious facts

• In the IX-XIII centuries. The Kon Dao archipelago was part of the Khmer Empire. When it collapsed under the blows of the Thai tribes, the archipelago remained uninhabited for a long time, until in the 17th century. the Vietnamese did not begin to settle here. These islands are a symbol of the early stage of resistance to European colonization, one of the first examples of armed struggle. In 1702, the British East India Company established a base on one of the islands of the archipelago with warehouses for the company's ships sailing between India and China. They did not take an interest in the opinion of the Vietnamese living on the island. Three years later, the Vietnamese managed to organize themselves, killed all the sales agents of the company, destroyed the base and expelled the workers.
• The War Victims Museum was opened in Ho Chi Minh City (then called Saigon) in 1975, the same year that the Vietnam War ended. The museum's exposition includes American military aircraft and helicopters, a tank and ammunition. There is also a photo exhibition showing the effects of using Agent Orange and other defoliants. Among the exhibits is the guillotine: the French and South Vietnamese used it to execute prisoners. This is one of the most popular museums in the country: about 500 thousand people visit it every year.
• The home of pure nirvana in Vung Tau is famous for its 12-meter mahogany reclining Buddha statue, a 12-meter snake-shaped boat filled with water with fish, and a three-ton bell 2.8 m high and 3.8 m in diameter. Below it you can put a note with a wish or a donation and hit the bell to make the wish come true.
• Adherents of the Cao Dai religion claim that the supreme being Cao Dai chose Vietnam to appear to people, since representatives of all world religions preached in Vietnam during its history and therefore they are better than others to perceive the new teaching. In the Cao Dai religion, there is a cult of spiritual mentors, including Joan of Arc, William Shakespeare, Vladimir Lenin, Louis Pasteur, Winston Churchill, writer Victor Hugo: the books of the latter were read by literate Vietnamese, perceiving him as a symbol of freedom and hope. In addition, the writer he himself loved to participate in seances.On the sacred drawings in the temples of kaodai there are all the above characters.
• The region of Southeast Vietnam was the center of resistance to US and South Vietnamese troops. From those times, the Ku-Chi tunnel system (named after the neighboring village) has been preserved: labyrinths 187 km long - from Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) to the Cambodian border. The tunnels were dug for 15 years, often just by hand. The tunnel system has several levels, including countless entrances, living quarters, warehouses, weapons workshops, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. The width of the main tunnel is 70 cm, and the height is 90 cm. The tunnel withstood the shelling of heavy artillery and the explosion of a 100-kilogram bomb. The Americans could not climb into the narrow tunnels, and those who nevertheless squeezed through did not return from them.

Despite its relative remoteness, Vietnam is among the leaders of the Asian tourism business. Airlines connect the tiny country with almost the entire world. Many of its provinces are ready to provide tourists with the highest level of service, seasoned with local exoticism, which makes the rest here unique.

fragrant pagoda

Such a beautiful and delicious name has an annual festival held in the Vietnamese province of Hatai. You can determine its date by the lunar calendar. Since the events within the framework of the festival last for several months, many tourists manage to visit it.

The Fragrant Pagoda is one of the most ancient Buddhist shrines in Vietnam and a historical monument. During the festival days, thousands of pilgrims not only from different regions of the country, but also from the world, gather at the walls of a unique religious building. Many of the pilgrims believe that praying for relatives and friends at the walls of the pagoda will help protect the family from various cataclysms, get support for the whole year from good spirits.

Journey to Cham Tower

This beautiful building is located in the province of Phu Yen, the city of Tui Hoa. Any guest who comes to this resort from afar can see the Cham Tower, as a special lighting system is used. And tourists are waiting here for a sitting Buddha of enormous size.

Tuyhoa is ideal for a quiet family holiday, there are excellent wide beaches with golden sand and calm seas. Perhaps a tourist accustomed to the stormy nightlife and rich excursion program, it will get a little boring here. But the place is ideal for people of age who know how to enjoy the unhurried flow of life, contemplation beautiful scenery and exotic nature.

Mysteries of Zhejiang Province

The builders of the local hydroelectric power station had a hand in the amazing natural complex, consisting of a thousand islands. The flooding of the lowland area led to the formation of an artificial lake with numerous small islands.

Enterprising Vietnamese instantly adapted the place to the needs of tourists, dividing the lake into separate tourist areas, each of which is thematically different from its neighbors. In the southeastern part of the lake, Mingshan Hill and its beautiful landscapes attract attention. The northwest has its own tourist highlights, caves. The central part of the lake is the kingdom of animals, many of the lakes are named after them. Tourists are given the opportunity to engage in extreme entertainment, including taking to the skies in an airship or parachuting.

Model of thermal power plant in Ha Tinh province

Small square in a provincial town

This page contains information about several provinces of Vietnam, which are less frequently visited by tourists, but are interesting for their achievements in the Vietnamese economy, culture, geographical location, prominent people and other parameters.

Vietnam has 57 provinces and four cities of central subordination: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong and Da Nang. The largest province in terms of population is Thanh Hoa - 3.5 million, the smallest Bac Kan - about 300 thousand inhabitants.
In Vietnam, the governing body of the province is the People's Committee, which solves the strategic and current tasks of developing the economy, infrastructure, and overcoming emergencies.

Ha Tinh

This is one of the most inconspicuous and poor provinces, but at the same time it has large mineral resources. Population 1 million 300 thousand Located at the latitude of the southern tip Chinese island Hainan. The average annual temperature is 24 C. The rainy season lasts from August to November. During this period, Ha Tinh suffers from severe typhoons, resulting in human casualties and causing great damage to rice fields, coffee plantations, and buildings. The rest of the time is the dry season. At Ha Tin, Vietnam narrows to just 65 km. Nearby is Laos, to which two roads lead, including one of them - to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.
The great Vietnamese poet Nguyen Zu was born and lived in Hatini in the 19th century. Also, at one time, the general secretaries of the Communist Party of Vietnam were Ha Hye Thap and Chan Fu - immigrants from Hatini.

Mineral resources: iron ore (Thach Khe deposit, 544 million tons), titanium - 5 million tons, gold, manganese, coal, zirconium.
Transport: Railway, paved roads, sea port. 5 kilometers from the province of Ha Tinh, in the city of Vinh,
there is an airport that accepts cargo and small passenger aircraft.
Agriculture: rice, coffee, cashews, pineapples.
Fisheries: shrimp plantations, sea fishing and freshwater fish farming.
Projects requiring investment: shipbuilding, brick, roofing, cement, rubber plants, thermal and hydroelectric power plants, brewery, plants and factories for the production of ceramics and porcelain, ceiling panels, electric cable, leather shoes, fertilizers,
vegetable oil, canned vegetables and fruits, seafood, a meat processing plant, tourism facilities, such as the seaside resort of Kyalo and the mountain resort of Son Kim.

In December 2006, the construction of a geothermal power plant with a capacity of 1200 MW was launched based on the use of underground heat. The first unit will start operating in 2011, the second - in 2012.

On July 6, 2008, the construction of the largest metallurgical plant of the Taiwanese company Formoza Group began, which invested $8 billion in the project.

Thanh Hoa

Thanh Hoa is the largest province in terms of population. It is home to 3.5 million people. In terms of area, it is in 6th place.

Thanh Hoa is rich in historical monuments. In the Middle Ages, she played a big role in the Vietnamese state. The most famous countryman of Thanh Hoan is Le Loi, who played a big role in the history of Vietnam, who led in the 15th century liberation war against the Chinese Ming dynasty and later became the king of Vietnam. During the war, the provincial capital, the city of Thanh Hoa, was completely bombed by the Americans.
Thanh Hoa has seaside resort Sham Sean.

Quang Ngai

Quang Ngai Province is located in middle Vietnam. The area is 5177 square kilometers, the population is 1.2 million. There are seven textile factories. Great potential for the development of beach tourism. Da Nang International Airport is 130 km away.

Lam Dong

The province of Lam Dong is located in a mountainous area South Vietnam. The area is 10137 sq. km, the population is about 1 million people.
Adm. center - Dalat. There is no access to the sea. This area is known, first of all, for its unusual climate for Vietnam. The air temperature does not rise above 25 C. Thanks to this, fruits and vegetables of middle latitudes grow here, grapes are grown and wine is produced.
The Vietnamese nuclear research reactor is located in Dalat. Furnishings and clothes are made from wool. A good wool sweater can be bought here for $2.
Lush flower festivals are held annually, which also attract many tourists.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau

The province of Baria-Vung Tau is one of the smallest in terms of area, only 1965 square kilometers, yes, and in terms of population too - 800 thousand people. Baria-Vung Tau "feeds" not only half of Vietnam, but also part of Russia. From JV "Vietsovpetro" located here, Russia receives about $1 billion annually. Oil and gas in this province is produced offshore. In the late 70s and early 80s, with the help of the USSR, hydrocarbon reserves were explored and their production began.
Adm. the center of the province, the city of Vung Tau, is located on Cape Saint-Jacques, so named by the French. Near this cape all the ships going to the largest port of Vietnam, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) pass. The resort of Vung Tau has existed since the days of French colonization.
Vung Tau is home to a colony of Russian oil specialists numbering about 1,000 people.

Tay Ninh

Tai Ninh is located 99 km from Ho Chi Minh City, to the north of it. The province juts out into Cambodian territory. The population is just over 1 million.
Known for its Moc Bai market, where Vietnamese and Cambodians trade. In the province is Big Temple Cao Dai is one of the religions of Vietnam.
Tai Ninh is an agricultural province.

Can Tho

Kan Tho Province is located on the right bank of the right bank of the Mekong Delta. Her adm. the center, the city of Can To, is considered the capital of the Mekong Delta. In total, there are 8 provinces in the delta. The area of ​​Can To leaves 2962 square kilometers, the population is 1 million 811 thousand.
The main occupation of the inhabitants is the cultivation of rice, vegetables and fruits, poultry.
There are quite a lot of hotels in Can To for a town of this size. Russians rarely visit it.
In 2008 Can Tho will host the Mekong Delta Rivers and Banks Festival, which will include minor festivals such as the Vietnamese Cuisine Festival in February, Lantern Festival on April 30th, Boat Races in late April, Fruit Festival. In September 2008, a new airport will open in Can To, and a new bridge will open in December.

Binh Duong

The province is adjacent to the city of Ho Chi Minh City from the northeast. It houses several industrial zones and free economic zones. Thanks to this, the province ranks second after Ho Chi Minh City in terms of exports of goods, ahead of the country's capital, Hanoi.

Quang Ninh is a province located in the very northeast of the country, and you will certainly find yourself in it if you want to see the famous landmark of Vietnam - Ha Long Bay. We remind you that halong bay included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, Ha Long is not the only attraction of Quang Ninh. On the territory of this province there are also 2 national reserves - Yenti and Kyt Thuong. For example, Yenta - nature reserve, the central attraction of which is the eponymous sacred mountain, around which there are several beautiful pagodas and temples, and Ky Thuong - a reserve in the central part of the province, which is a rich collection of flora and fauna of the country.

Quang Ninh is generally considered one of the most mountainous provinces in Vietnam, where many dense forests grow. In terms of tourism, the province is very developed, its infrastructure is mainly aimed at the development of coastal zones, so in the Halong Bay area you can find many accommodation options for every taste - from hotels of various stars to guesthouses and bungalows. The most convenient way to get here is from Hanoi.

Jean-Marc Astesana/flickr

Lamdong

Lam Dong is a landlocked inland province of Vietnam. However unique climate The area has given rise to many natural attractions that deserve the attention of tourists. Among other things, it is here that one of the most Europeanized cities in Vietnam is located - Dalat with its graceful colonial architecture. The province is spread out in the middle of a large plateau, there is a place for lakes, waterfalls and rocks. The former French colony - the city of Dalat - is also located high in the mountains, thanks to which an amazing microclimate always reigns here. This is the only part of Vietnam where it is never too hot or too cold.

If you find yourself in Dalat, be sure to visit the Datanla waterfalls, located just 5 km from the city. You can get to them not only by public transport like a bus, but also in a very exotic way - by cable car, along the way great views secured. The height of Datanla is about 350 meters, and the waterfall itself has as many as 3 cascades!

Since Dalat, the largest city in the province, is a fairly popular resort destination, there are enough hotels for every taste, and you will have to get here with a change in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

Subharnab Majumdar/flickr

Binh Thuan

Binh Thuan is the southeastern province of Vietnam, where the famous resorts are located. Phan Thiet And Mui Ne. Despite the fact that the province is considered one of the driest, if you are ready to endure the heat, then the place can offer you a lot of exotic attractions. Beyond the coastal tourist area definitely worth seeing, for example, the red and white dunes of Mui Ne and the lotus lake. These places resemble a real desert, and are located only 30 km from the resort and the sea.

The hotel base of the resort is represented by both large chain hotels and cozy home pensions, there are also options to stay in bungalows or villas. The Vietnamese Phan Thiet is located 200 km from Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh City you will have to get around by public transport or taxi, since there is no local airport in Phan Thiet or Mui Ne.

Francesco Paroni Sterbini/flickr

kienjiang

Kyen Giang is the most southern province Vietnam, its distinguishing feature is the presence of many bays, bays and beaches, since it is located on the coast Gulf of Thailand. In addition to the mainland of Vietnam, the province of Kien Giang also includes many inhabited and uninhabited Vietnamese islands, incl. the famous resort area of ​​the island Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc is not only a resort, but also a national park of the same name, so there are many natural attractions here. This combination of excellent beach holiday and viewing opportunities interesting places makes Phu Quoc a desirable resort among the rest. And although the infrastructure here is not yet developed at the same level as in the continental resorts of Vietnam, nevertheless, it pays off with the pristine beauty of the local nature and a more relaxed pace. You can get to Fukuoka with a change in one of major cities Vietnam, there is a local airport.

ronan-crowley/flickr

Khanh Hoa

Khanh Hoa is the southeastern province of Vietnam, quite visited by tourists, since it is located famous resort Nha Trang as well as many interesting sights. In addition to the mainland of Vietnam, the province also includes coastal islands, which are also an independent attraction of the area. One of these islands is considered the island of Khon Lao. It is remarkable, first of all, for the fact that here in natural environment many species of monkeys live, and the open-air park is free to visit, so tourists can join the wildlife by visiting this island. Hon Lao is located a few dozen kilometers from the coast, the most convenient way to get here is by ferry.

Khanh Hoa Province is all the more suitable for the development of resorts, since the climate here is quite even, there is no pronounced rainy season, and the proximity sea ​​water gives the coast a certain coolness. In general, the region is considered one of the most favorable in terms of climate in Vietnam. Hotel base of the famous resort province of Khanh Hoa - Nha Trang - has, perhaps, better infrastructure for tourists throughout Vietnam, there is also an airport to which direct flights from Russia are carried out.

Aleksandr Zykov/flickr

Quang Nam

Quang Nam is practically the geographical center of Vietnam, which does not prevent the province from having access to the sea. Quang Nam entered our rating of the most visited provinces in Vietnam due to the fact that the famous temple complex is located here. Michon And old City Hoi an. Both of these objects are included in the list world heritage UNESCO, therefore, despite the transport difficulties, getting here definitely makes sense. The province and several paradise islands belong, in addition, there is also a place for thermal springs on Lake Phu Ninh, it would seem that what you should not expect in Vietnam is hot underground springs!

You can get to the sights of the province by train, the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh line passes here, or along the A1 highway if you rent a car. By the way, the province has pronounced rainy seasons that fall in September-November, so these months independent trip better to postpone.

ND Strupler/flickr

For reference:

In addition, we will briefly tell you in which provinces some more sights of Vietnam are located:

• One of the cultural, historical and tourist centers of Vietnam is the city hue- located in the province of Thua Thien-Hue, Central Vietnam;
• Pagoda Long Sean(white Buddha) is located in the province of Khanh Hoa near the resort of Nha Trang;
• towers By Nagar also located in Khanh Hoa province near Nha Trang;
• towers Poshanu located in the province of Binh Huang, not far from the resorts of Mui Ne and Phan Thiet;
• national park Phong Nha Kebang located in Quang Binh Province (not to be confused with Quang Ninh);
• national park Batma located within the province of Thua Thien-Hue;
• national park Tamdao is located immediately on the territory of several provinces of northern Vietnam - Tuen Quang and Vinh Phuc and is a massive mountain range with unique flora and fauna.

Provinces of Vietnam - each, in its own way, is unique and has its own unique features. Some rich coastal resorts and exotic islands, some with mountains and national parks, some are famous for their special climate and many cultural heritage sites. Now you are better oriented in the provinces of Vietnam and will be able to more consciously choose the place on the map of Vietnam that will be most interesting to you, and now you will definitely not miss those sights that will be located next to the Vietnamese resort you have chosen.

Practical and eventful travels for you!