Child standing in front of a statue of Ho Chi Minh
Statue of Ho Chi Minh in front of Ho Chi Minh City Hall. A small child wearing a suit poses in front of the statue.
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Guards and police looking at by Cu Chi tunnels
Vietnamese military engineers constructed an immense set of linked tunnels close to Saigon [Ho Chi Minh City], from which they could both escape from and kill American troops.
Group picture of police Cu Chi tunnel area
The Cu Chi tunnels were constructed to protect Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War, to provide havens from which they could attack their enemies. The small size of the tunnels can be seen in the adjacent shoe.
Posters in War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Museum exhibits--Vietnam--Ho Chi Minh City
The Hmong people, who live in adjacent parts of China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, have retained much of their traditional culture, despite rapid change around them.
In Vietnam, "Honda" has become a generic term for motorbike. Thus, one can find Kawaski Hondas, Yamaha Hondas, and even "Honda Hondas"!
Fresh-plucked chickens sold in East and SE Asia come with heads and feet, since they are consumed as well.
Dalat served as the summer capital during Vietnam's colonial period, owing to its pleasant climate. During the Vietnam War, both sides treated Dalat as neutral ground.
Memorial to martyr monks at Long Sơn Pagoda Nha Trang
The memorial is around the perimeter of the base on which sits the Buddha on Long Sơn Pagoda.
Buddha on Long Sơn Pagoda, a Buddhist temple in the city of Nha Trang on South Central Coast of Vietnam.
Bottom of the feet of the Giant Reclining Buddha on Long Sơn Pagoda
Giant Reclining Buddha on Long Sơn Pagoda
A universal holiday in a non-religious country
Rapid modernization has resulted in tangles of electric wires, transformers and the like in Vietnamese cities.
Although the fishing nets are made of synthetic fabric, they still require constant maintenance.
Fishing is one of Vietnam's main sources of revenue, providing many of its coastal citizens with a source of income and many tourists with tasty fish! The striped catfish and different kinds of shrimp are especially prevalent.
To bolster its legitimacy while monopolizing political power, the Vietnamese Communist Party touts economic progress that has been made.
Vietnamese girl embroidering in sheltered workshop
As many as four million people were exposed to Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant dropped by American aircraft in the Vietnam War. Possibly a million persons' health suffered, as did this girl.
"Old" and "new" means of cultivation show in this image. Rice growing requires constant attention for maximum yields. Perhaps the farmer in the front lacks capital necessary to buy or lease a tractor like the other farmer.
"This beautiful little bridge is emblematic of Hoi An. A bridge was first constructed here in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters. Over the centuries the ornamentation has remained relatively faithful to the original Japanese design. The French flattened out the roadway for cars, but the original arched shape was restored in 1986." (from Lonely Planet)
To provide festive decoration, people of Vietnam and many other regions use light shades made from varied colors of paper.
The city of Hoi An in Vietnam is known for its makers of paper lanterns.
The city of Hoi An in Vietnam is known for its hand-made paper lanterns.
If electricity for pumps is lacking and motorbikes don't need much fuel, use a simple gas pump instead!
Although less than ten percent of Vietnamese follow Buddhist teaching, pagodas can be found in many parts of the country, like this lovely example.
During the war, the Americans used the name China "Beach to refer to the beautiful 30km sweep of fine white sand that starts at Monkey Mountain and ends near Hoi An. Soldiers would be sent here for some R&R from bases all over the country."
Vietnam's western boundary is marked by a ridge of mountains. As one ascends roads toward the border, the extensive paddy fields come into full view.
Fishermen use these small boats for shrimping and crabbing, as well as fishing.
Young children dig into their lunch at this orphanage, run by Buddhist nuns.
The deep and warm tone of kesu, a magnificent bowl gong, lingers over the worship space of this new Zen Buddhist monastery, which houses close to 100 monks and nuns. Here the faithful can make offerings and perform prostrations under the patient attentive eye of the Zen priest. The Altar is known for its large Buddha, flanked by statues reminding us of the twin Buddhist virtues of wisdom and compassion.
This abbot presides over a Buddhist orphanage. Many of the children were medically affected by Agent Orange, a powerful chemical used as a defoliant during the Vietnam War.
This young Buddhist nun has decided to dedicate her life to Vietnamese orphans.
The sign asks for donations to Buddhist causes
Roadside shrines of this sort exist widely in Vietnam. Most honor ancestors or local gods.
Bullet marks on bronze vessel at the Pavilion of Splendour in Huế
Bronze vessels in front of the Pavilion of Splendour in the imperial city of Huế
The imperial palace at Hue, in central Vietnam, was almost completely destroyed in the 1968 Tet offensive. Much of it has been rebuilt since then, however.
Detail of the Citadel Gate, Imperial City, Huế
The Pagoda of the Celestial Lady (Vietnamese: Chùa Thiên Mụ; also called Linh Mụ Pagoda) is a historic temple in the city of Huế in Vietnam. Its iconic seven-storey pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city, and the temple has often been the subject of folk rhymes and ca dao about Huế. (from Wikipedia)
A junk and two small fishing boats sail near one of the many limestone remnants scattered around the bay.
Halong Bay has become Vietnam's best-known tourist site. The irregular limestone rocks scattered around the harbor can provide navigational challenges.
The prominent hammer and sickle indicates the Communist Party of Vietnam, which holds power.
This railroad track reflects an important part of Vietnamese history. During the Vietnam War, assistance came to the north via rail. However, the gauge on Chinese tracks was wider than Vietnamese; hence, the extra rail.
Fresh-plucked chickens sold in East and Southeast Asia come with heads and feet, since they are consumed as well.
Despite the heavy weight of these basins, they will be transported by a single bicyclist - irrespective of heat
This semi-rural factory produces pitchers and pots from local clay, using these kilns
Professor Ludwig steaming eggroll wrappers
Eggroll wrappers in Vietnam are steamed before being stuffed as eggrolls.
Artisans in this village specialize in producing bamboo privacy mats.
Nem/egg roll wrappers drying. These are used in creating one of the region's culinary specialties.
Despite increased industrialization and links to major manufacturers, Vietnamese artisans continue to produce mats like these.
Hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese families live on houseboats, testimony to high population density and long-standing preferences.
The southern part of Vietnam, watered by the Mekong River and many tributaries, is criss-crossed by streams. Ferries are a must!
Floor tiles dry in the sun in front of the seller's combined shop and home.
After the woman has sliced a slab of sticky clay, it is forced into a tile mold
In a laborious, dirty and health-threatening fashion, cooking and heating coal is formed into briquets by hand.
Pink concrete or marble often marks graves of Vietnamese who died in what's called the "American War" there.
An estimated 1.1M Vietnamese soldiers died in the protracted war for independence and unification. They are often buried in cemeteries like this.
According to official government estimates, two million civilians and 1.1 million Vietnamese soldiers died in the conflicts with France and the USA. These tombs mark the final resting sites of many soldiers.
Unlike Vietnamese cemeteries devoted to war dead, this graveyard includes a variety of civilians, whose affluence is shown by the size and nature of the graves.