Large neon advertisements on the Saigon River reflect
the region's Capitalist tendencies. |
In South Vietnam we can see the effect of contact with the West upon
the Vietnamese culture. In short, the South, especially Saigon [officially
Ho Chi Minh City], can be called the "Shanghai of Vietnam." This
is not uncharacteristic of the South. The southerner has always moved
south to avoid the controls of Confucianism, communism and socialism.
However, to assume they have embraced capitalism as we know it is a mistake.
While the northerners are very conservative with their money, southerners
can be very carefree with theirs—in a capitalistic way.
Southerners are not afraid to take risks and therefore
can be characterized as the "entrepreneurs" of Vietnam. They have
experience with the West and use it wisely. An example: during the
war it is said that when the South Vietnamese officials wanted a program
or military operation that the Americans opposed, they conducted a ceremony
and awarded medals and decorations to the opposing officials and usually
accomplished their goal.
The pleasant weather in the south helps to create a relaxed
population who, nevertheless, are very industrious. A significant
point to consider is that in 1954 hundreds of thousands of northerners
moved to the south to escape communism and eventually gained control of
key positions in the southern government, thereby intensifying the potential
for eventual conflict. It has been said that the Americans never
really fought for the South Vietnamese but for the displaced northerners.
Suffice to say the North and the South are distinctly separated in temperament.
The cultural differences come from the acceptance of outside ideas by the
southerner that leads to internal differences in political issues.
In short, the Vietnamese have had little time to sort out their own difficulties
for over 100 years.
Monday, Jan. 4, 1999
After our morning arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, we transferred to the Bong Sen Hotel in District 1. Later we took a tour of the city including a visit to Reunification Hall, the former south Presidential Palace, the Old Post Office--considered by many to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the city; Notre Dame Cathedral, and the grounds surrounding the now-razed U.S. Embassy.
Photo: Tan Son Nhat Airport
Photo: First meal
in Vietnam
Photo: Presidential
Palace
Photo: View
from the hotel roof (Saigon River)
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 1999
Our morning lecture with Dr. Vietri was followed by lunch at the Continental Hotel where Graham Greene's book, The Quiet American, was written. Later we went to the War Relics and History Museum and then met with officials from the Foreign Ministry's occupational training program, the Center for Foreign Affairs and Language Training (CEFALT). In the evening we took a dinner cruise along the Saigon River.
Photo: The
Continental Hotel
Photo: UM
students with CEFALT officials
Photo: Along
the River
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 1999
Our national guide, Tran Dinh Song, led a morning conversation on religion in contemporary Vietnam. We left for Tay Ninh, the birthplace of the Cao Dai religion, arriving in time for the colorful noontime prayer service at the Great Cao Dai Temple. Then we traveled by bus to the famous Cu Chi tunnels. The tunnels are
one of the few remaining structures from the American war in Vietnam, and they have been widened and reinforced for exploration by Western visitors.
Photo: Cao
Dai Temple
Photo: Inside
the temple
Photo: 12
meters underground in Cu Chi
Photo: One
of 3,000 national war memorials for fighters against America, France and
Cambodia
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