Vietnam

In Vietnam, ever-shifting geographies and changing cultural currents define the traverse of the landscape. Between 2,000 miles of coastline and the mountain chains that run parallel, French-colonial vestiges, modernist cityscapes, and historic rural communities coexist in harmony.

Looking at a map of the region, the condensed nature of Vietnam’s borders is striking. At its narrowest, just 30 miles of landmass separate the South China Sea from the forested mountains of the Annamite Range, beyond which lie the neighboring nations of Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam’s constricted size makes its physiography evermore impressive—traveling just a short distance can take you from the dizzying heart of a populous city to secluded temple monuments enshrined by verdant jungle.

Two cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City enlighten visitors about Vietnam’s history and modern rebuilding. Over a thousand years old sits Hanoi, in the north, is the nation’s capital. This elegant and romantic city is an admixture of French and Chinese colonial architecture and modernist styles and is renowned for its world-class culinary scene. In the south, Ho Chi Minh City promises an urban collage of new and old, with Buddhist temple shrines standing a stone’s throw from towering skyscrapers.

Entering the Mekong Delta, the mountainous uplands dissipate into vast stretches of horizontal paddy fields. Here, agriculturalists rely upon traditional methodology to cultivate rice and sugar cane, herds of the national animal, water buffalo, gather among the wetlands, and intricately detailed pagodas stand testament to the nation’s deeply rooted spiritualism.