Vietnam 2018

VIETNAM

CCSC Geography field trip 2018

CITY DEVELOPMENT IN HO CHI MINH CITY Camping trip on May Rut Island

Take time machine through Cuchi Tunnels

TROPICAL DELICACIES TASTING AT MY THO

Phu Quoc & Ho Chi Minh City

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Itinerary Let’s fly and enjoy the trip!

Phu Quoc A beautiful tropical island offshore of southwest Vietnam

My Tho River cruise along Mekong River

Cu Chi Explore the history of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City The largest city in Vietnam has similar housing problems like Hong Kong.

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ITINERARY

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GEOGRAPHY OF VIETNAM Located in Southeast Asia on the east side of Indochina Peninsula, and bordered by Laos and Cambodia to west, China to the north, the Gulf of Thailand to the south. the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea to the east, Vietnam is long and thin, with an area of 331,210 square kilometers (310,070 square kilometers land; 21,140 square kilometers water; 127,330 square miles), which is slightly larger than New Mexico. Vietnam shares land boundaries with Cambodia (1,228 kilometers), China (1,281 kilometers), and Laos (2,130 kilometers) for a total of 4,639 kilometers. Vietnam’s coastline along the Gulf of Tonkin, the South China Sea, and the Gulf of Thailand measures 3,444 kilometers (excluding islands). The Vietnamese refer to the South China Sea as the East Sea. Vietnam is the 66th largest country in the world. Geographic coordinates: 16 10 N, 107 50 E. There are low, flat deltas in south and north, central highlands and hilly, mountainous areas in the far north and northwest. Elevation extremes: lowest point: The South China Sea 0 meters highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 meters.

Vietnam is a country of tropical lowlands, hills, and densely forested highlands, with level land covering no more than 20 percent of the area. The country is divided into the highlands and the Red River Delta in the north, and the Giai Truong Son

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(Central mountains, or the Chaîne Annamitique, sometimes referred to simply as the Chaîne), the coastal lowlands, and the Mekong River Delta in the south. The highest point in Vietnam is Fan Si Pan, at 3,143 meters above sea level, in the northwest.

Vietnam is a long narrow country—a sort of Southeast Asian Chile—with a coastal plain and 1,400 mile coastline on the east side of the country along the South China Sea. The south is wider than the north.

The S-shaped country has a north-tosouth distance of 1,650 kilometers and is about 50 kilometers wide at the narrowest point.With exception of the area around Hanoi and the Red River, northern Vietnam is dominated by beautiful, green, misty mountains.

Although three quarters of Vietnam is mountainous or hilly, the vast majority of people live in the lowland plains. About 28 percent of Vietnam is covered by tropical forests and woodlands, and 21 percent of the country is good for agriculture (compared to 21 percent in the United States). Most of this arable land is along the Red River and other river valleys in the north, in the Mekong Delta in the south, and along the coastal plains in the center of the country. Much of Vietnam's agricultural land produces two or three crops of rice a year, and Vietnam is the world's third largest exporter of rice.

This school trip will take you to the largest city of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, which is a symbol of cultural and political centre. Day trips to My Tho and Cu Chi will also be included to study the economic development of Mekong Delta and see the remnants of the Second World War. The most enjoyable part of the trip should be Phu Quoc Island in the southwestern tip of Vietnam.

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Phu Quoc Soak up the sun and some Vietnamese culture on Phu Quoc Island, where white sands and tropical waters entice beachgoers from all over the globe. Snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing are the most popular water sports here, though jet-skiing, wind sailing and squid fishing—yes, squid fishing—are also at your holidaymaking fingertips. Check out the early-morning Duong Dong Market for an authentic local experience.

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A FABULOUS EASTER VA C AT I O N French-style vacation on an offshore tropical island in far southeastern tip of Vietnam

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GEO FACTS Phú Quốc is a Vietnamese island off the coast of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. It's known for white-sand beaches and resorts, most of which are along the palm-lined southwest coast. More than half of the island is part of Phú Quốc National Park, which features mountains, dense tropical jungle, hiking trails and wildlife. Duong Dong is the largest town, with day and night markets selling crafts, produce and fish.

Area: 574 km² Province: Kiên Giang Province

GEOLOGY OF VIETNAM A number of sedimentary basins of various ages are located on-and offshore Vietnam (Fig. 1). Some of them have significant petroleum resources and have thus attracted interest from industry and academia.

Moreover, Vietnam is located in a position central to the understanding of the geological development of South-East Asia. The structural style and the stratigraphy of the Vietnamese basins thus provide a valuable record about the development of South-East Asia throughout the Phanerozoic and the subsequent Eocene as well as younger deformation associated with the collision and indentation of India into Eurasia and the opening of the South China Sea.

THE PHU QUOC BASIN Phu Quoc basins located in the Gulf of Thailand, SSW of Vietnam (Petersen et al. 2009, in press; Fyhn et al. 2010a, b). The Phu Quoc Basin continues onshore to the north to form part of the mountainous area between Vietnam and Cambodia. In the recently started third phase of the project, the focus remains on the Phu Quoc Basin in addition to a revisit to the Song Hong Basin on the north Vietnamese margin and onshore beneath the Song Hong (Red River) delta.

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The Phu Quoc Basin stretches in a 100–150 km broad belt from the central part of the Gulf of Thailand c. 500 km northwards to central Cambodia. The basin is Late Jurassic to Cretaceous in age but is one of the least explored basins in the region and remains to be drilled offshore. In order to assess the geological evolution and the petroleum potential of the basin, regional seismic analyses of the Vietnamese part of the basin were carried out in combination with drilling of the fully cored, 500 m deep ENRECA-2 well on the Phu Quoc island.

Data from the ENRECA-2 well were complemented by data from outcrop studies on Phu Quoc and in Cambodia.

Alluvial sandstones with an average of 10% rhyolite dominated lithic fragments make up the greater part of the up to 4 km thick sediments filling the Phu Quoc Basin. Only a few, minor, shallow marine sandstone beds have been encountered in the terrestrially dominated succession. The sandstonedominated succession is intercalated with subordinate alluvial plain and lacustrine siltand mudstone intervals. Coal fragments are abundant at specific stratigraphic levels but do not contribute to any source potential.

The thicknesses of the deposits are not affected by synsedimentary faulting, but gradually increase towards the east, where a coeval, Jurassic–Cretaceous, magmatic arc parallels the eastern basin flank (Fig. 2). This is compatible with a retroarc–foreland basin setting associated with the growth of the magmatic arc located east of the basin that also served as a primary source of sediments for the basin. A distinct basin inversion is indicated by a prominent angular unconformity that caps the Mesozoic basin fill and is associated with spectacular thrust faulting and folding (Fig. 3). The structural complexity increases towards the deeply eroded and hitherto undescribed fold belts that confine the basin to the east and west. The stratigraphic level of erosion increases towards these orogenic belts. Palaeozoic and Lower Mesozoic igneous and sedimentary rocks therefore crop out on small islands and onshore, or subcrop towards the base of the Cenozoic within the Kampot Fold Belt flanking the basin to the east. The inversion unconformity is underlain by Lower Cretaceous deposits and overlain by Middle Eocene and younger deposits, which provide only modest information on the age of the orogenic event. In order to constrain the age of inversion more precisely, apatite fission track analysis (AFTA) was carried out on rock samples from the Kampot Fold Belt collected on islands and in mainland Vietnam. The AFTA samples demonstrate a distinct cooling event that affected the region during the period from Late Paleocene to Early Eocene. The cooling corresponds to uplift and denudation of the area in response to the thrust faulting and basin inversion and thus confines the age of the orogenic event controlling the deformation.

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PHU QUOC NATIONAL PARKS A MUST-SEE DESTINATION

JEWELS OF PHU QUOC Phu Quoc National Park comprises more than half of Phu Quoc Island’s northern region, where adventurous travellers can enjoy a range of outdoor pursuits throughout their tropical vacation. Declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2010, this massive natural attraction spans over 314, 000 square metres of unique flora and fauna, evergreen forest, and dense mountain ranges. While the majority of Phu Quoc National Park is strictly protected by the Vietnamese government for research purposes, visitors can make their way to the Khu Rung Nguyen Sinh Forest Reserve via Ganh Dau Village as it’s accessible for camping, hiking, bird-watching, and photography. Nature lovers can also spot rare wildlife such as longtailed macaques, silver langurs, slow lories, otters, and hornbills.

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TRANH WATERFALL

Located about 7kms southeast of Duong Dong Town, after a short 15 minute stroll along the shaded forest path you reach what is the islands largest string of waterfalls and rock pools, also a good place for a swim when the falls are flowing, because the stream tends to dry up before the rainy season arrives each year. The entrance to Suoi Tranh contains large concrete status, fake waterfall and large wood carved signed, though the walk to the actual waterfall is worthwhile, even to just experience the dense vegetation.
 To find Suoi Tranh, take the road heading east from Duong Dong for about 7kms toward Ham Ninh Village and look out for a large wood carved sign and concrete status in what could be mistaken for an unfinished inland resort. Travel inside to the small kiosk and walk from there.

Admission to the stream is 1000d and motorbike is 1000d, however this is not always enforced or collected.

RIVERS

Hydrology of Mekong Drainage Basin

Fluvial landforms in different sections of river

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FLUVIAL LANDFORMS

USING THE ABOVE DIAGRAM TO EXPLAIN THE FORMATION OF TRANH WATERFALL.

EXPLAIN THE FORMATION OF MEKONG DELTA.

MODIFICATION OF FLUVIAL LANDFORMS What human activities are found along Mekong River?

How do they affect the river environments?

Is flooding a common hazard in Mekong Delta?

Are there any flood preventive measures you can observe during the trip? Explain your answer.

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GANH DAU

For most foreign visitors, Ganh Dau means one thing: Bai Dai Beach - the long stretch of idyllic yellow sand that lures in tourists from all over the world. The attractions for fun-seekers are hard to resist: you can visit an amusement park and safari here, play golf, gamble at the Phu Quoc Casino, snorkel and scuba dive or enjoy sunset cocktails at one of the beach front resort bars. In fact, you can do just about everything that the average Vietnamese can only dream about.

COASTS Vietnam has long coastlines (3,260 km), with rich coastal depositional and erosional features, creating spectacular sight-seeing natural wonders.

Date of visit: D I S C U S S I O N 1. What kind of coastal landforms can you identify during the trip?

2. What are their characteristics? Take photos to illustrate.

3. Explain their formation.

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HAM NINH Nestled by the mighty Ham Ninh Mountain Range, the Ham Ninh region is famous for its fishing village, floating restaurants, mountain trekking, picturesque streams and seafood.

In the past, Ham Ninh was a place where many fishermen went to seek shelter from the storms. Slowly a community was established that centred around fishing and diving for pearls. The original inhabitants lived in either thatched bamboo huts on their boats and led a simple life.

Today Ham Ninh is a commune in transition. With the influx of tourists and the development of the islands infrastructure and power grid, Ham Ninh has seen sizeable growth. There are more restaurants, hotels, shops and even a few gas stations now than a decade ago. The main economy here is still based on fishing however a lot of locals are transitioning to servicing the booming tourist industry. Rustic bamboo thatched homes still do exist hoover they are slowly being replaced by the concrete variety.

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V I E T N A M E C O N O M I C S T RU C T U R E

Historically an agricultural country, Vietnam’s economy was dependent on wet rice cultivating. Upon consolidating power after the Vietnam War, the Government collectivized farms and factories and employed millions in government services. Vietnam’s centralized economy remained plagued with restrictions on economic trade for a decade. The country struggled under the fetters of trade embargoes placed by the US and Europe after the War. However, the Sixth Party Congress introduced some momentous economic reforms in 1986, which resulted in a socialist-oriented economy.

Between 1990 and 1997, Vietnam achieved approximately 8% yearly GDP growth, and 7% GDP growth between 2000 and 2005, becoming the world's second fastest progressing economy. Agricultural dependency in the financial output had shrunk from 25% in 2000 to 20% in 2007. Poverty level had also declined and Vietnam had succeeded in creating job opportunities for the vast labor force. However, the economic slump in 2008-2009 made it difficult to continue with the job generation endeavors. To stem high inflation, Vietnamese authorities increased the benchmark interest rates. Hanoi is targeting at a growth rate of 7.5 to 8% till 2011-12.

Vietnam’s economic structure is classified into the following sectors: Primary Sector: From 1994 to 2004, agriculture and forestry grew at a yearly rate of 4.1% and contributed 21.8% to the GDP in 2004. The agricultural output declined but employment in this sector remained comparatively higher. In 2005, 60% of the labor force was concentrated in agriculture, forestry and fishing; although agricultural produce was responsible for merely 30% of exports. The reduction of government monopoly on rice exports converted Vietnam into one of the world’s largest rice exporter.

Secondary Sector: Since years, Japan has been aiding Vietnam to develop its auxiliary industries. From 2008 till date, Japan has given approximately US$180 million as aid to finance SMEs. The country has already built supporting industry zones in several places including the Que Vo district and the Bac Ninh province. There is a high prospect of developing supporting industries, such as garment, textile, leather, electronics, IT, automobile and engineering. Priority is also being given to livestock and aquaculture industries. Latest technology and business solutions are being employed to serve the increasing domestic and export demands.

Tertiary Sector: By 2010, the insurance sector was expected to account for 4.2% of the GDP via increase of life and non-life insurance premiums to $2 billion and $562 million.

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FISH SAUCE FARM A seaside farm producing an exotic delicacy in Vietnam

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), Vietnamese consume more than 300 million liters of fish sauce every year, 75 percent of which is industrial fish sauce, i.e. sauce made through industrial production lines, while the other 25 percent is made the traditional way.Traditionally made fish sauce is favored as it fits the taste of the majority of Vietnamese, their long lasting habits and culture. However, its market share has narrowed because of low output and higher prices than industrial fish sauce. The number of Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association’s members has fallen from 80 in 2014 to 58. The others had to leave the market because they could not survive the stiff competition. One of the reasons that traditional fish sauce workshops find it difficult to expand is their geographical position. The workshops have to be located near the sea. Each coastal province has famous fish sauce brands and hundreds of fish sauce production workshops. Locals prefer the fish sauce locally made.

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KHU TUONG PEPPER FARM

Vietnam, the world’s top black pepper exporter, expects shipments of the spice this year to fall 26 percent from 2009 to around 100,000 tonnes as stocks carried over were relatively low, an industry official said on Monday. A decline in exportable pepper could push up prices, after the average pricein 2009 fell by a quarter to $2,607 a tonne from $3,446 the previous 24

year, traders and industry officials said. “Last year pepper exports reached a very high volume so the stock carried over to this year is small. Thus we expect exports to be on par with output of around 100,000 tonnes,” Do Ha Nam, chairman of the Vietnam Pepper Association, told Reuters.

Last year Vietnam shipped a record 136,500 tonnes of pepper, up 51 percent from

2008, when sales of 90,300 tonnes generated $311 million, government statistics show. Nam said farmers in southern Vietnam were expected to start harvesting their pepper crop soon, after the week-long Tet festival to mark the Lunar New Year that ends on Feb. 21.

Vietnam exports most of its spice and also buys Cambodian spice for reexport.

Vietnam is among world’s leading honey exporters in both volume and value. Honey, as an important export item, has penetrated demanding markets like the US, EU and Japan.

However, honey exports are dropping sharply in terms of output, quality and prices and at the risk of losing market due to its low quality. According to the statistics of the Vietnam Beekeepers Association, Vietnam has around 1.5 million honey bee colonies and about 35,000 breeders focusing in northern, central highlands and Mekong Delta regions. Honey bee production has gradually shifted from small and scattered to intensive farming. Each breeder raises around 50-100, even 500-600 colonies. Bee keeping cooperatives and clubs have been set up to help improve production value and facilitate consumption. The Mekong Delta region has over 300,000ha of orchards and biological diversity forests such as U Minh Thuong, U Minh Ha, and Tram Chim, which are ideal for bee breeding. U Minh and Huong Tram honey brands were much sought after by customers and demand often exceeded supply.

Vietnam currently ranks 6th in the world and second in Asia in honey exports.

Around 90% of honey output has been exported to the US and the remaining

volume to the EU, Japan, Indonesia, and Canada. Its quality has been valued by all importers. However, the country is facing the risk of losing both domestic and exports markets. Export volume fell rapidly last year. This can be attributed to the exporters’ lack of technical and marketing knowledge and their unhealthy competition which leads to the low quality of export products.

Dinh Quyet Tam, chairman of Vietnam Beekeepers Association, said in 2013 Vietnam exported honey at a competitive price with India, but since September this year, it is 7-10% cheaper than India and falls into the lowest level on the world market. Most of Vietnam’s raw and unprocessed honey is exported to the US. Its poor quality is a reason for the limited quantity of honey export to potential but demanding markets like the EU. Moreover, dependence on the US market leads to many disadvantages.

Last year, market demand in the US suddenly declined, and as a result, Vietnamese honey exports to the country dropped sharply in the first nine months of this year. According to director of Dak Nguyen Hong Company Nguyen Viet Cuong, in order to boost exports to the EU, the quality of honey in the value chain which consists of keepers, collectors and exporters must be improved.

Date of visit: D I S C U S S I O N Compare and contrast the three economic activities found on Phu Quoc Island.

Fish sauce Factory

Pepper Farm

Honey Production Farm

Characteristics (based on your observation)

Locational advantages (Explain why the farm / factory is located there)

Challenges (What are the problems faced by the entrepreneurs / farmers)

Solutions (Suggest solutions to solve their problems.)

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MY THO A classic fishing village in Mekong 28

Southwest of Ho Chi Minh City, buses emerge from the city’s unkempt urban sprawl and into the pastoral surrounds of the Mekong Delta’s upper plains. The delta is too modest to flaunt its full beauty so soon, but glimpses of rice fields hint at things to come, their burnished golds and brilliant greens interspersed with the occasional white ancestral grave. Seventy kilometres out of Ho Chi Minh City lies MY THO, an amiable market town that nestles on the north bank of the Mekong River’s northernmost strand, the Tien Giang, or Upper River.

My Tho’s proximity to Ho Chi Minh City means that it receives the lion’s share of day-trippers to the delta, resulting in a scrum of pushy vendors crowding round each tour bus that arrives.

Nevertheless, the town comes as a great relief after the onslaught of Ho Chi Minh City, its uncrowded boulevards belying a population of around 220,000, and you can easily escape the melee by hopping onto a boat or wandering into the backstreets.

This daily influx of visitors seems appropriate, given the town’s history. Chinese immigrants fleeing Formosa (modern-day Taiwan) after the collapse of the Ming dynasty established the town in the late seventeenth century, along with a Vietnamese population keen to make inroads into this traditionally Khmer-dominated region. Two centuries later the French, wooed by the district’s abundant rice and fruit crops, rated it highly enough to post a garrison here and to lay a (now-defunct) rail line to Saigon; while the American War saw a consistent military presence in town. Today My Tho’s commercial importance is as pronounced as ever, something a walk through the busy town market amply illustrates.

The river’s traffic – which ranges from elegant sampans to vast, lumbering cargo boats, unpainted and crude – is best viewed from Lac Hong Park at the eastern end of 30 Thang 4 street, where you’re sure to catch sight of the most characteristic feature of the boats in the delta – feline eyes painted on their prows. In the evenings, especially at weekends, this corner of town is packed as families stroll up and down, interspersed with sellers of balloons, popcorn and even tropical fish. At night, young lovers huddle on their motorbikes, while men play shuttlecock football on the street under the intent gaze of a statue of nineteenth-century antiFrench hero Nguyen Huu Huan, who studied in My Tho.

Date of visit: D I S C U S S I O N 1. What characteristics of the delta did you observe during the trip to My Tho? Are there any similarities or differences between Zhu Jiang Delta and the delta you visited?

2. Explain the locational advantages of Mekong Delta leading to prosperous growth of economic activities you mentioned in question (1)?

3. What kind of economic activities are found in Mekong Delta?

4. Explain the locational advantages of Mekong Delta leading to prosperous growth of economic activities you mentioned in question (3)?

5. Why can the Mekong Delta be sustainably developed?

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In order to combat better-supplied American and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War, Communist guerrilla troops known as Viet Cong (VC) dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels, including an extensive network running underneath the Cu Chi district northwest of Saigon.

Fall of Saigon

1975

During the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early ’70s, Saigon was the headquarters of U.S. military operations. Parts of the city were destroyed by fighting in 1968. On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon, and the city was subsequently renamed Ho Chi Minh City.

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CU CHI TUNNELS In order to combat better-supplied American and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War, Communist guerrilla troops known as Viet Cong (VC) dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels, including an extensive network running underneath the Cu Chi district northwest of Saigon. Soldiers used these underground routes to house troops, transport communications and supplies, lay booby traps and mount surprise attacks, after which they could disappear underground to safety. To combat these guerrilla tactics, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces trained soldiers known as “tunnel rats� to navigate the tunnels in order to detect booby traps and enemy troop presence.

Now part of a Vietnam War memorial park in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), the Cu Chi tunnels have become a popular tourist attraction.

DIGGING THE CU CHI TUNNELS Communist forces began digging a network of tunnels under the jungle terrain of South Vietnam in the late 1940s, during their war of independence from French colonial authority. Tunnels were often dug by hand, only a short distance at a time. As the United States increasingly escalated its military presence in Vietnam in support of a non-Communist regime in South Vietnam beginning in the early 1960s, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops (as Communist supporters in South Vietnam were known) gradually expanded the tunnels. At its peak during the Vietnam War, the network of tunnels in the Cu Chi district linked VC support bases over a distance of some 250 kilometers, from the outskirts of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border.

"Tunnel rats," as American soldiers who worked in the Cu Chi tunnels during the Vietnam War were known, used the evocative term "black echo" to describe the experience of being in the tunnels.

As the United States relied heavily on aerial bombing, North Vietnamese and VC troops went underground in order to survive and continue their guerrilla tactics against the much better-supplied enemy. In heavily bombed areas, people spent much of their life underground, and the Cu Chi tunnels grew to house entire underground villages, in effect, with living quarters, kitchens, ordnance WAR IN THE CU CHI TUNNELS In addition to providing underground shelter, the Cu Chi tunnels served a key role during combat operations, including as a base for Communist attacks against nearby Saigon. VC soldiers lurking in the tunnels set numerous booby traps for U.S. and South Vietnamese infantrymen, planting trip wires that would set off grenades or overturn boxes of scorpions or poisonous snakes onto the heads of enemy troops. To combat these guerrilla tactics, U.S. forces would eventually train some soldiers to function as so-called “tunnel rats.� These soldiers (usually of small stature) would spend hours navigating the cramped, dark tunnels to detect booby traps and scout for enemy troops.

In January 1966, some 8,000 U.S. and Australian troops attempted to sweep the Cu Chi district in a large-scale program of attacks dubbed Operation Crimp. After B-52 bombers dropped a large amount of explosives onto the jungle region, the troops searched the area for enemy activity but were largely unsuccessful, as most Communist forces had disappeared into the network of underground tunnels. A year later, around 30,000 American troops launched Operation Cedar Falls, attacking the Communist stronghold of Binh Duong province north of Saigon near the Cambodian border (an area known as the Iron Triangle) after hearing reports of a network of enemy tunnels there. After bombing attacks and the defoliation of rice fields and surrounding jungle areas with powerful herbicides, U.S. tanks and bulldozers moved in to sweep the tunnels, driving out several thousand residents, many of them civilian refugees. North Vietnamese and VC troops slipped back within months of the sweep, and in early 1968 they would use the tunnels as a stronghold in their assault against Saigon during the Tet Offensive.

TOURISM IN THE CU CHI TUNNELS In all, at least 45,000 Vietnamese men and women are said to have died defending the Cu Chi tunnels over the course of the Vietnam War. In the years following the fall of Saigon in 1975, the Vietnamese government preserved the Cu Chi tunnels and included them in a network of war memorial parks around the country.

Visitors to Vietnam can now crawl through some of the safer areas of the tunnels, view command centers and booby traps, fire an AK-47 rifle on a firing range and even eat a meal featuring typical foods that soldiers living in the tunnels would have eaten.

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Date of visit: D I S C U S S I O N 1. Which part of the Cu Chi Tour interests you? Why?

2. Describe the challenges faced by American combat soldiers in South Vietnam? What conditions and factors blunted the effectiveness of the American military?

3. As a tourist destination, suggest codes of behaviour that the tourists can follow in Cu Chi area.

4. Use 30 words to describe your reflections after visiting Cu Chi Tunnels.

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Weather and climate of Vietnam Vietnam’s climate is tropical in the south and monsoonal in the north with a hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March). Annual rainfall ranges from 1,200 to 3,000 millimeters, and annual temperatures vary between 5 degrees C and 37 degrees C. In the summer air masses from the Indian Ocean pass over Vietnam, releasing moisture they have picked along the way’ Rains tend to fall in short afternoon downpours during the rainy season, when the countryside is lush and green and beautiful but many of Vietnam's roads (only 10 percent of which are paved) become difficult to negotiate or impassable.

The rain shadow effect effects the large mountain ranges in Vietnam with windward slopes facing the South China Sea receiving the most rain.

Vietnam coincides more or less with the rainy seasons in Thailand, Cambodia and Burma (from June to October). But is different from the rainy season on the west coast of Malaysia (from September to November) and from the one in Singapore, Borneo, Indonesia and the east coast of Malaysia (November to January).

The rainy season in southern China is generally most intense in June and July.

In the winter a cold high pressure zone over Tibet clashes with a low pressure zone over Australia, bringing cold, dry winds to Vietnam.

In the north the highs are in the upper 60s or low 70s and the lows at night are in the 50s.

Beginning in November, people in Hanoi begin doning sweaters and leaves fall from trees.

When the weather is dry road travel is easier but the countryside is often brown and dusty.

The typhoon season is from May to January and Vietnam sometimes gets hammered by these tropical storms. The rainy season in 36 Loreconda 29/02/16

Climatic graph of Ho Chi Minh City

C L I M AT I C T Y P E

Describe and explain the climatic characteristics of Ho Chi Minh City.

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HOUSING P RO B L E M S I N H O CHI MINH CITY

After changing from central-plan regime to marketoriented policy, houses in Ho Chi Minh City developed very fast as a boom. But most houses in the market are targeting mid and high-income class for big profit.

H O U S I N G S H O R TA G E

Because of increasing population, housing shortage is a permanent problem in Ho Chi Minh City.

Consequently housing price goes up rapidly. The real estate price has big difference between the unofficial market and official market. The house in the city centre has the extremely or very high price. The supply of low-income houses is about 5,000 apartments per year. Therefore, it is far below the housing need of 30,000 apartments per year. Long construction time remains the shelter shortage because it takes at least 1 year for construction of a five floor apartment building.

LOW-INCOME HOUSING The percentage of low income people in the city population is about 50% (of 3.5 million low income inhabitants). Most of these households had the very poor conditions of housing: narrow, deteriorated house, bad environmental hygiene, etc. The increase in construction cost and urban land price are the most important factors in making the housing solutions less affordable for the low income.

The affordable price of a multi-family apartment varies from 120-200 million VND per unit (VND 15,000 = USD 1). The housing rental of 50 square metres flat in private sector differs from 500,000 to 2,000,000 VND per month upon its facilities. Most of low income people could support the initial payment of 50-70 million VND for new apartment and repayment period of 10-15 years.

(Extract from an article written by Duong Lanh, Saigon Real Estate Consulting Company, Ho Chi Minh City)

STRATEGIES TO SOLVE THE HOUSING PROBLEMS IN HO CHI MINH CITY ADMINISTRATION REFORM

Simplify the land and housing registration procedures to speed up the authorisation of land deed. That will create the legal background for housing development conformity to the master plan of the city and the development of the mortgage market.

HOUSING FINANCING

The government has promulgated decree 71/CP of preferential policies for housing investment in Vietnam. This decree encourages all economic sectors to invest in housing for sale and for rent. State budget will support in the infrastructure system cost. The local authority permits the delay payment in land using cost to optimise the capital requirement in the housing project construction.

NEW URBAN DEVELOPMENT

The city authority has encouraged developers investing in infrastructures of the new towns to reduce the population density in the old towns that are causing the overload to the existing infrastructure.

TECHNICAL AND CONSTRUCTION ASPECTS

- Encourage to apply low cost building materials, fast construction technique - Diversifying the housing types, upgrading housing technique - Priority to clean and cost-effective technology - Combine the housing solution with the social problem such as labour and employment, culture and community, energy and environment.

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Heritage

City

PRESERVATION HO CHI MINH CITY

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Vietnam's two largest regions are taking very different approaches to urban development.

Before locals could mourn the recently demolished Ba Son shipyard, an important marine heritage site in Ho Chi Minh City, plans to redevelop the site with luxury condos had already broken ground.

The site is any developer’s dream: A stretch of prime riverside land in one of the region’s fastest growing cities. With 16 new towers going up in place of the 150-year-old shipyard, the project is set to change the city’s skyline forever.

Despite a 2013 proposal to preserve Ba Son as a historic complex and its recognition as a National Historic Monument, the shipyard was sold off to a South Korean developer for $5 billion this year.

“Ba Son’s land is very valuable for developers in Ho Chi Minh City, and it wasn’t put into the conservation zone. If it was, nobody would be able to develop new projects there,” says Dr. Ngo Minh Hung, a Ho Chi Minh City-based architect and urban development expert who is passionate about preserving the city’s architectural heritage.

Ba Son is the latest to long list of local buildings that faced the wrecking ball. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Development Management Support Center, over 200 French colonial-era villas have been demolished or substantially altered between 1994 and 2014. “[The government] is trying to prepare the policy but they’re working very slowly. Protecting and preserving the buildings is not a priority in Ho Chi Minh City. They want to develop more than preserve, but in Hanoi, you can see that they’re trying to preserve the streets of the Old Quarter,” says Dr. Hung.

In Vietnam’s largest city, the focus is on new development and modernization. Dr. Hung thinks that this kind of progressfocused mindset could cause Ho Chi Minh City to lose its cultural identity, a mistake that many Asian cities make when developing too fast.

“They should take a step back and assess what the identity for Ho Chi Minh City is and figure out if they want to make it different in comparison to other cities, Dr. Hung notes. “Or in the future, Ho Chi Minh City will just look like Hong Kong or Shanghai, no more Saigon.”

43

Date of visit: D I S C U S S I O N 1. What are the housing problems in Ho Chi Minh City? Describe what you observe during the trip.

2. How does the Vietnamese Government help to alleviate the housing problems?

3. Are these measures effective? How do you know?

4. Suggest some examples of sustainable city development that you observe in Ho Chi Minh City.

Date of visit: D I S C U S S I O N 1. What is/are your favourite heritage building(s) in Ho Chi Minh City? Why?

2. Do you think the heritage buildings are well-preserved? Describe the conditions of the buildings.

3. After reading the article, what do you think about the preservation policy in Ho Chi Minh City? Are there any room for improvement?

4. Explain the importance of heritage buildings in a city.

45

Water Puppet Show

In Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the most popular water puppet show is unquestionably the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre. Located inside of a giant sports complex between Tao Dan Park and the Reunification Palace, the Golden Dragon show regularly sells out.

WATER PUPPET SHOW Unlike the shadow puppetry found in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, the puppet shows held throughout Vietnam take place over a waist-deep pool of water.

Habetur emergere

It's worlds away from the modern entertainment experience: puppets move jerkily along the water's surface, their puppet-masters hidden from view behind a screen and the murky water. Musicians on either side of the pool provide vocals and music with traditional instruments.

A Typical Vietnamese Water Puppet Show

Don't expect realistic movements or intricate costumes found at puppet shows in other parts of Asia. The wooden puppets used in Vietnamese water puppet shows are handmade and can weigh up to 30 pounds each!

The stage and puppets are awash in vivid colors; colored lights and a foggy mist over the murky water add to the mystery.

In the keeping of tradition, Vietnamese water puppet shows are typically performed with no English. The language makes little difference; the theatrics of the colorful puppets and the constant wonder of how the performers can hide beneath the water is enough to keep the water puppet shows entertaining!

At the end of each performance, the eight puppeteers typically come out of the water to take a dripping bow.

Cujuspiam

H o w V i e t n a m e s e Wa t e r Puppets Work The secret of how water puppet shows work has been kept quiet for centuries. The puppeteers even have their own dialect and codewords to prevent someone from overhearing talk of a particular technique.

Trying to figure out exactly how puppeteers can control the intricate movements blindly is part of the magic of each water puppet show.

Great shows of skill include passing objects from puppet to puppet and other c o o rd i n a t e d m o v e m e n t s which have to be done by instinct rather than sight.

CCSC Vietnam Field Trip 27/3-2/4/2018 47

TOURISM IN VIETNAM A manual for students of Tourism and Hospitality Studies

D I S C U S S I O N 1. What were the top 6 source markets of visitor arrivals to Vietnam?

2. Refer to the following table, what was the trend of visitor arrivals to Vietnam from 2013 to 2017?

Rank

Feb/2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

1

901,812

4,008,253

2,696,848

1,780,918

1,947,236

2

619,705

2,415,245

1,543,883

1,112,978

847,958

1,907,79 4 748,727

3

147,806

614,117

552,644

491,249

443,776

432,228

4

141,098

574,164

433,987

338,843

364,873

298,126

5

137,697

798,119

740,592

671,379

647,956

604,050

6

111,508

616,232

507,301

438,704

388,998

398,990

Hong Kong

9,287

47,721

34,613

?

14,601

10,232

Total

2,862,087

12,922,151

10,012,735

7,943,651

7,874,312

7,572,35 2

All

Country

• Vietnam is expected to welcome the biggest-ever 13 million international arrivals in 2017, posting the highest-ever growth of 30 percent against 2016.

• Vietnam is set to make total tourism revenues of over 500 trillion Vietnamese dong (some 23 billion U.S. dollars), contributing around 7 percent of its gross domestic product this year.

• Vietnam hosted more than 11.6 million international arrivals in the first 11 months of 2017, up 27.8 percent on-year, with the highest growth of 55.3 percent in the number of visitors from South Korea, followed by China (up 44.9 percent) and Russia (34.8 percent).

• In 2017, Vietnam received over 10 million foreign visitors, including 2.7 million Chinese tourists, posting respective rises of 26 percent and 51.4 percent.

49

Fast Facts

1. What is the geographical location of Vietnam? What are the surrounding countries?

2. What are the top 5 tourist attractions in Vietnam?

3. What is the currency of Vietnam?

50

DISCUSSION: TYPES OF TOURIST ATTRACTIONS According to the table below, what are the types of tourist attractions we have visited?

Itinerary

Type of tourism attractions & evidence

Day 2 Ho Quoc pargoda Day 2 Han Ninh Fishing Village Khu Tuong Day 3 Phu Quoc National Park May Rut Island Day 4 Phu Quoc Prison Day 4 Phu Quoc Sao Beach Day 5 Mekong Delta Day 5 Water Puppetry Day 6 Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral War Remnants Museum The Post Office Cu Chi Tunnels Other

51

Factors encouraging or prohibiting the development of tourism 1. Do citizens of Hong Kong need a visa to visit Vietnam?

2. How many ways could citizens of Hong Kong apply for a visa to Vietnam?

3. What kinds of information can be found on the visa?

4. What are the factors encouraging or prohibiting the development of tourism in Vietnam?

(Consider the sociocultural, economic, political and environmental aspects.)

52

AC C O M M O DAT I O N IN VIETNAM Vietnam Hotel Association established on 10 January 2010 is a significant progress of Vietnam hotel system. The Association has made a close coordination with Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to promote the hotel system. The system of tourist accommodation establishments operate conveniently and effectively in order to create a common voice for the system, and coordinate with competent authorities to provide training course for human resources, protect natural resources and the environment, ensure security and safety, especially agree on the price, improve the quality of the hotel system to meet the higher demands of the tourists.

For the last 10 years, the system of tourist accommodation establishments have made strong developments in quantity and quality, contributing in the development of Vietnam Tourism Sector and successfully serving many significantly national and international events in Vietnam. In 1998, the Tourism Sector had only 2,510 tourist accommodation establishments, but in October 2010, there are up to 11,000 hotels with about 230,000 rooms.

From 2010 to 2015 the number of hotels and luxury accommodation from three to five stars has doubled and bolstered the competitiveness and attractiveness of Vietnam’s tourism sector.

Accommodation

Gaia Phu Quoc Hotel

Sen Viet Hotel

Rating Type of accommodation Type of room

Facilities and amenities

No. of restaurants

Accessibility

Overall Impression

53

TRENDS IN H O S P I TA L I T Y I N D U S T RY

2016

2015

Individual tourists, Tour groups and Business travellers together comprised over three quarters (77.6%) of total guests staying in high-end hotels in 2016. Looking at 4-Star and 5-Star hotels separately, the three segments made up for 83.1% and 71.8%, respectively.

Average occupancy rate and RevPAR by Star Ranking

ÂŹ 5.6% increase in occupancy rate ÂŹ 8.0% increase in RevPAR

54

Annual revenue breakdown (2014 - 2016)

Compared to 2015, sales mix in 2016 changed slightly with the proportion of Room sales increasing from 59.0% to 61.5% corresponding to the reduction of F&B Sales which fell from 32.0% to 31.1% and Other Sales dropping by 1.7%.

VIETNAM: THE NEXT MICE TIGER IN BUSINESS TOURISM? Read the news article and answer the following questions.

Destinations in Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur have become familiar with MICE tourists; therefore they want to discover a new destination in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam. Vietnam is becoming a prospective MICE tourism destination in Southeast Asia.

When it comes to the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) sector, Singapore and Malaysia are widely regarded as the “MICE tigers” of the Southeast Asian region. Hot on their heels is another rapidlyrising economy in this region, Vietnam, which envisions emerging as a serious threat in the coming years.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), MICE tourism brings in up to four or five times more than other types of tourism, because this segment of travellers tends to spend more.

Vietnam has also cast its eyes on this lucrative pie having played host to many big events such as APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) 2017, ASEAN Summit 2010, and ASEAN Tourism Forum-ATF 2009.

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has stated that Vietnam is emerging as a safe destination in the world and an attractive place for foreign investors.

The country’s tourism sector is also actively looking into refining their infrastructure and services to improve their ability to host largescale MICE events.

While the major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh have been the obvious go-to destinations for corporate companies and

business travellers to Vietnam in the past, cities in the central region such as Danang, Hoi An and Nha Trang are becoming increasingly affable choices.

In 2016, Vietnamese cities like Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh added to their array of 4 and 5-star international hotels. Nha Trang’s airport was also recently expanded to include more regional and international flights.

“Business travellers typically outspend the holiday traveller by four or fivefold. So we see plenty of opportunities in MICE tourism, and with the world economy getting back on its feet, there is a renewed demand for exhibitions, meetings and events. Vietnam has great potential in MICE tourism which we have to actively and strategically explore, in order to entice more international organisations to host their events on our shores,” said Vietjet founder and CEO, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.

One way to do this, she adds, is to improve accessibility into Vietnam’s major cities apart from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which offer greater unexplored natural beauty and cultural experiences for travellers seeking more authentic experiences in business and leisure (B-leisure).

Much investment needed for MICE

Despite a great deal of opportunities to develop MICE tourism, Vietnam is facing difficulties to make use of it. Vietnam has difficulties in infrastructure and organisation experience. In particular, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have yet to have any modern international conference centres that can compared to those in Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia.

55

To develop MICE, Vietnam should not rely on only 3 to 5 star hotels in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and some other provinces, particularly the

travel companies, five-star hotels and the Vietnam Airlines to be its members. However, shortcomings still remain because tourists lack

number of international tourists to Vietnam is surging. Vietnam also has yet to establish a professional institution to co-ordinate activities of MICE.

information about Vietnam and has yet to develop a marketing strategy good enough to develop MICE. It needs professional conference organisers (PCO) and the MICE market need managing separately with other conventional markets, stressed Mr Thong.

Mr Thong said the image of Vietnamese MICE tourism is partly promoted after the Vietnam Meeting and Incentive club has gathered major

56

It is urgent to found a professional organisation

DISCUSSION 1. Can Vietnam become a top MICE tourism destination in Asia? Why? (Consider the following factors: geographic location, transportation, infrastructure, availability of physical and human tourism resources)

2. What are the possible benefits that MICE can bring to Vietnam?

(You may look at the contribution of MICE to the economy, hotels, transportation and attractions)

3. What are the challenges faced by the government and tourism promoters in developing MICE? Suggest possible solutions to tackle the challenges.

4. What are the positive and negative impacts of developing (MICE) tourism in Vietnam?

(Consider three different aspects: economic, social and cultural, environmental)

57

4. What are the positive and negative impacts of developing (MICE) tourism in Vietnam?

(Consider three different aspects: economic, social and cultural, environmental) IMPACTS Economic impacts

Social impacts

Cultural impacts

Environmental impacts

58

Positive impacts

Negative impacts

What do you think about Vietnam?

(Recall your experience in the country and interaction with the local people, hotel staff and tour guide)

REFLECTIONS As a tourist, what should we do to minimize the negative impacts brought to host?

Do you enjoy travelling? What is/are the best part(s) of the trip?

After the study trip, will you revisit Vietnam in the future?

ROOM ARRANGEMENTS Name in English

Name in Chinese

Class

Sex

Room

SIU MIU LAM

蕭妙琳

5B

Female

1

LAM SZE MAN

林林詩敏

5B

Female

1

CHUNG YUI CHi

鍾睿智

5C

Male

2

CHEUNG HIN WA

張軒華

5D

Male

2

LI KWOK CHUN

李國駿

5A

Male

3

LEE SIU CHAK CHEUNG SHUE HIM ALEXANDER

李兆澤

5A

Male

3

張澍謙

4C

Male

4

⽢甘願

4A

Male

4

YIP CHUNG HIN

葉仲軒

4C

Male

5

HUNG TSZ CHAI

洪祉⿑齊

4B

Male

5

LEE SUNG ON

李崇安

5C

Male

6

LAU YU CHAU

劉劉雨酬

5C

Male

6

CHAN WING TUNG

陳潁桐

4D

Female

7

Chan Yin Man

陳彥汶

4D

Female

7

CHONG TUNG HEI

莊童曦

5C

Female

8

YAU RACHEL LING KA

游令家

5E

Female

8

NG WANG KI

吳泓棋

5E

Male

9

LAM TSUN HEI

林林浚晞

5E

Male

9

CHENG YIN HO

鄭⾔言皓

5E

Male

9

YEUNG KIT YEE LILIAN

楊潔宜

4C

Female

10

KWAN CHUNG YI TINA

關頌沂

4D

Female

10

Wong Yik Fung

汪益豐

4D

Male

11

HUI SHAU YIP

許守業

4D

Male

11

⾼高亞

4C

Female

12

YAU WING TUNG

邱詠桐

4C

Female

12

NG HENRY

吳⽇日熙

5E

Male

13

HU TIM WA

胡添華

5E

Male

13

CHAN CHEUK YI

陳卓爾

4C

Male

14

YU HOI WAI

余凱威

4C

Male

14

IP TAK CHING ELVIS

葉德政

4A

Male

15

CHU CHUN KI

徐俊棋

4B

Male

15

LO CHUN YI

羅隽兒

5A

Female

16

Kwok Ching Yi

郭靖怡

5C

Female

16

TSANG ANSON

曾析正

4A

Male

17

KWAN SHUN MAN

關舜⽂文

4A

Male

17

LEUNG YAU CHING TOM

梁佑政

4D

Male

18

Cheung Yat Wai LUI WIN LEE TSANG CHI HO CHANG PUI KWAN

張逸維

4D

Male Male Male Female

18 19 19 20

KAM RITZ

KO AH

60 CCSC Vietnam Field Trip 27/3-2/4/2018

GROUPING PHỞ

NƯỚC MẮM

TSANG ANSON

曾析正

4A

YIP CHUNG HIN

葉仲軒

4C

KAM RITZ

YEUNG KIT YEE LILIAN

楊潔宜

4C

YU HOI WAI

余凱威 4C

CHAN CHEUK YI

陳卓爾

4C

CHEUNG SHUE HIM ALEXANDER

張澍謙 4C

YAU WING TUNG

邱詠桐

4C

KO AH

KWAN CHUNG YI TINA

關頌沂

4D

HUI SHAU YIP

許守業 4D

CHAN WING TUNG

陳潁桐

4D

LEUNG YAU CHING TOM

梁佑政 4D

CHUNG YUI CHi

鍾睿智

5C

Chan Yin Man

陳彥汶 4D

CHEUNG HIN WA

張軒華

5D

LI KWOK CHUN

李國駿 5A

NG HENRY

吳⽇日熙

5E

LEE SIU CHAK

李兆澤 5A

NG WANG KI

吳泓棋

5E

LO CHUN YI

羅隽兒 5A

HU TIM WA

胡添華

5E

LEE SUNG ON

李崇安 5C

LAM TSUN HEI MR. LUI

林林浚晞

5E

CHONG TUNG HEI MISS CHANG

莊童曦 5C

⽢甘願

⾼高亞

4A

4C

CÀ PHÊ KWAN SHUN MAN

關舜⽂文

4A

IP TAK CHING ELVIS

葉德政

4A

HUNG TSZ CHAI

洪祉⿑齊

4B

CHU CHUN KI

徐俊棋

4B

Wong Yik Fung

汪益豐

4D

Cheung Yat Wai

張逸維

4D

SIU MIU LAM

蕭妙琳

5B

LAM SZE MAN

林林詩敏

5B

Kwok Ching Yi

郭靖怡

5C

LAU YU CHAU

劉劉雨酬

5C

YAU RACHEL LING KA

游令家

5E

CHENG YIN HO MR. TSANG

鄭⾔言皓

5E

61

NOTES

62

NOTES

I S T I U S M O D I V O L U N TAT E S