Vietnam: Then and Now -Fahmida Mehreen

Vietnam – a spectacular and picturesque land thriving at the heart of Southeast Asia. Today, it is a major attraction for tourists with its white sandy beaches, vast rivers, state-of-the-art pagodas, lush green forests, and vibrant metropolitan cities. Not to mention, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World—Ha Long Bay—adds to the immense beauty of Vietnam. The emerald-green water surrounded by countless limestone islands covered in greenery is indeed a sight to behold. Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world flock to Vietnam to witness its wonders.

Looking at a broader spectrum, the country is a developing nation with an emerging economy. Besides tourism, Vietnam is heavily focused on advancing its other industries, such as manufacturing and garments. Many global brands, including Marks & Spencer and Uniqlo, source their products from Vietnam due to the lower cost of production, resulting from cheap labor and raw materials. The overall cost of living in Vietnam is reasonably lower than in most other Southeast Asian countries. However, property prices have risen remarkably over the last few decades. As a result, a home of 2,000 square feet often accommodates three generations of people.

Looking back, reaching this state of modernization has been a long and hard-fought journey for Vietnam. Its history is filled with bloodshed and hostility, which the Vietnamese people had to combat strongly and strategically to protect their sovereignty. Between 1615 and 1753, French traders began entering this region. However, in addition to trade, the widespread practice of Christianity began to pose a threat to the Vietnamese people. Through a series of conflicts in the 1800s, the French undermined Vietnam’s sovereignty. By 1867, the southern third of the country had become part of the French colony of Cochinchina. During this time, a modern education system with humanist values was introduced, and Hanoi became the country’s capital. Despite heavy growth in the farming sector with rich harvests of tobacco, indigo, tea, and coffee, the fundamental rights of the people were largely ignored. People were deeply dissatisfied with their situation and felt a sense of absolute oppression. This gave rise to one of the most remarkable figures in Vietnam and world history—Ho Chi Minh. He was a revolutionary communist leader determined to end the occupation by foreign powers. After a long period of unsuccessful confrontations between Vietnam and its occupiers, including France and Japan, the Viet Minh forces declared victory in the August Revolution following the surrender of the Japanese forces to the Allies in August 1945. Subsequently, a treaty was signed at the Geneva Conference in 1954, placing Ho Chi Minh in authority over the North and Emperor Bao in the South.

Nevertheless, the struggle didn’t end there. The Second Indochina War, which involved the USA and Vietnam, brutally tore the nation apart. It began as a conflict between the US-backed South Vietnamese government and its opponents, including communists based in North Vietnam and the People’s Army of Vietnam. The conflict lasted for about two decades, from 1955 to 1975, until North Vietnam conquered South Vietnam. By November 1967, the number of American troops in Vietnam had nearly reached 500,000, and US soldier casualties had exceeded 15,000 killed and over 100,000 injured. As the war continued, some soldiers began to question the reasoning behind this mass brutality, along with Washington’s self-proclaimed victory.

The war not only caused devastation to Vietnam but also degraded the physical and mental well-being of the US soldiers. The savagery was so extreme that many soldiers of the war suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with mutinies and attacks by soldiers against officers and noncommissioned officers. Between July 1966 and December 1973, a strong anti-war movement among American military personnel sparked vehement protests and mass confinements of personnel stationed in Vietnam, as well as within the US. One of the most atrocious actions by the Americans during the Vietnam War was the use of Agent Orange, a herbicide mixture much of which contained a dangerous chemical contaminant called dioxin. Production of Agent Orange ceased in 1970, but by then, immense damage had already been done. The release of Agent Orange across the country destroyed generations of people—the harmful pollutant not only killed people at the moment but also caused long-term consequences such as cancer, diabetes, birth defects, and other disabilities in future generations. The Red Cross estimates that over 3 million Vietnamese were affected by dioxin, including 150,000 children, many of whom were born with birth defects; some survived, many did not. Even today, after all these years, many Vietnamese and Americans remain victims of the wartime US spraying of Agent Orange and other herbicides over southern and central Vietnam. Agent Orange was sprayed over 20 times to destroy forested land, leaving vast areas unproductive to this day. To prevent further harm, efforts were made to stop dioxin from entering the food chain and affecting both adults and children in the surrounding areas, and the chemical ‘hot spots’ were cleaned up.

During the war, despite being far less equipped than the US forces, the Vietnamese soldiers employed clever tactics to defeat their enemies. One of the most notable war strategies was the formation and use of the Cu Chi Tunnel. As the US built one of its largest bases in Cu Chi, the Vietnamese fighters secretly launched their operations through a network of deeply dug, narrow tunnels. Eventually, US personnel began to notice their damaged helicopter engines, stolen food, and even soldiers being killed in their cots. Saboteurs managed to damage Chinooks and injure service members without even breaching the perimeter. All of this was orchestrated through tunnels and trapdoors! The Cu Chi Tunnel extends over 250 miles from the western outskirts of Saigon to the Cambodian border. Surprisingly, the tunnel housed bunkrooms, kitchens, and even classrooms where war strategies were discussed. The tunnel was advantageous to the Vietnamese people due to their short and lean stature.

After incalculable damage to people, nature, and land, North Vietnamese forces launched a key attack in the Central Highlands in March 1975, and on April 30, 1975, Northern Vietnamese Army (NVA) tanks rolled through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, effectively ending the war.

The country took a long time to recover from the devastation of the wars. Many people required long-term rehabilitation. International assistance from many countries helped speed up the recovery process. Today, the youth of Vietnam are highly enthusiastic and meticulous. They are striving to catch up with the modern world. They value their history but use it as a catalyst to grow stronger, rather than clinging to the past. During a recent visit to Vietnam, I was impressed to see how the people maintain a fine balance between culture and modernization. They still have room for development, but their determination and ambition at all levels are commendable. It takes a lot to move past such devastation and rebuild a country, fresh and anew.
If you plan a visit to Vietnam, be sure to visit the War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnel in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison Museum in Hanoi. You’ll get a first-hand experience down the memory lane of Vietnamese history.