introduce vietnam to the world
Vietnam is one of the most delightful places in south-east Asia. Although many foreigners still imagine Vietnam through the lens of war, it is in reality a country with evocative history; century-deep culture; warm-hearted, hospitable, intelligent people and spectacular landscape. Over two decades have passed since Vietnam was officially united, and in that time it has done a remarkable job of healing its wounds. Today, this gracious and graceful country is an outstanding travel destination for visitors around the world. Vietnam has a history as rich as anywhere on the planet. Legend has it that Vietnam's origin lay in the harmonious union of Lac Long Quan, King of the Sea, and Au Co, Princess of the Mountains. However, real life was not so paradisiacal; as Vietnam's early history-like its recent history-is characterized by a nearly continuous struggle for autonomy. Vietnamese civilization is as sophisticated as that of its mighty northern neighbor China, from where it drew many of its influences under a thousand-year occupation. Later came the French and the humbling period of colonialism from which Vietnam was not to emerge until the second half of the 20th century. The Americans were the last in a long line of invaders who had come and gone through the centuries and, no matter what was required or how long it took, they too would be vanquished. Along with the sublime history, the richness of Vietnam is evident throughout its culture. Vietnamese is exceptionally flexible and lyrical, and poetry plays a strong role in both literature and the performing arts. The country has a rich tradition of folk literature, based around the typical 6–to-8-verse poetic form named ca dao, which usually praise beauty, humanism, the love of goodness…. To the present day, ca dao still has had a tremendous vitality and lived on. Written literature first appeared around the 10th-century and developed notably with prominent ancient authors such as Nguyen Du,