Programs in Vietnam

Vietnam, which is officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Vietnam varies from its other counterparts in Southeast Asia in that it was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. The country was later colonized by the French in the mid 19th century. This colonization eventually left the nation politically divided into two countries until the Vietnam War concluded with a communist victory in 1975.

Much of the food in Vietnam uses very little oil and a plethora of vegetables. The main dishes are often based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Students will most likely be familiar with the common dish, phở, pronounced “fa”. This dish is a noodle soup with sliced beef and onions. Students will also probably recognize some of the traditional Vietnamese garments worn by many of the women, called “Áo Dài” (au –y-eye). This is often the required uniform for many girls in high schools across Vietnam.

There are many lessons for the American student to learn with a trip to modern Vietnam. Students will discover the industriousness of the Vietnamese people and experience first-hand of their friendliness and interest in sharing their culture. They will also see the devastating effects of war even 30 years after the fact. It is an amazing place to teach students about the complexities of foreign policy decisions and the historical assumptions that undergird them. Students can visit the Chu Chi tunnels outside of Ho Chi Min City and the War Remnants Museum in the city itself. In Hanoi, they can visit the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner of war facility as well. It is also an amazing place to examine the perseverance and resiliency of cultures. Finally, students will have the opportunity to experience a modern communist country and see how Vietnam has had to adapt its political and economic views to compete in a modern globalized world.

Finally, Vietnam has almost 2000 miles of coast line, and some of the most beautiful mountains and scenery in the world. It makes an ideal place to not only enjoy the unique lessons that can be experienced there but the geographic beauty as well.

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