Here is some history over the places we will visit in Vietnam:
Mekong Delta
The delta use to be controlled by the Cambodia until the 18th century. Cambodia still considered the area to be theirs, sending forces into attack Vietnamese villages to prove this point. In 1979, the Vietnamese sent forces to Cambodia where they overthrew the Khmer Rouge (Cambodian Community Party) from power.
In 1975, collective farming was first exposed this area by the government. Saigon had a shortage of food, leading many citizens of Saigon down this delta to buy rice from the area’s farmers. The government wanting to prevent profiteering, making unfair profit, by confiscating rice bags more than 10kg, black-market rice. The checkpoint confiscation of the rice was removed in 1986.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/mekong-delta/history
Imperial Palace
The capital of the Southern Kingdom was in Hue. Emperor Gia Long ordered thousands of workers to begin building the city with walls and a moat in 1805. It was completed in 1832 under Emperor Ming Mang. The Imperial City had a place called “Forbidden Purple City” within it that was reserved for the emperor and the emperor’s family. The last Vietnamese Emperor was in reign until the mid 1900’s. The city was taken by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in 1968 (Tet Offensive). Today, the buildings of the city are being preserved and restored. You can still see some bullet holes from the war in the stone walls of the city.
http://www.vietnam-beauty.com/vietnam-world-heritages/historical-heritage/3-historical-heritage/29-hue-imperial-city.html
http://www.vietnamtourism.com/Hue/e_pages/kth_kinhthanh.htm
Thien Mu Pagoda (Heavenly Fairy Lady Pagoda)
Lord Nguyen Hoang was traveling in Hue when he heard of the local legend of about an old woman. The woman appeared and told everyone that a lord would build a Buddhist pagoda where people could pray for the country’s prosperity. Hearing this legend, Lord Nguyen Hoang built the pagoda where the woman was said to appear. This pagoda is large, seven stories high.
Around 1963, the pagoda served as grounds for the Buddhist movement against President Ngo Dinh Diem, who favored Catholics and discriminated against Buddhists in the army. Hue had a large concentration of Buddhists. At this pagoda, Buddhists would protest, make barricades, and perform hunger strikes.
http://www.vietnam-beauty.com/cities/hue/29-hue/75-thien-mu-pagoda-heaven-fairy-lady-pagoda.html
Ponogar Temple
This is a group of temples created by the Cham people of the Champa Kingdom in the 8th century. These temples were a place where the Cham could worship their goddess Lady Po Nagar. The Vietnamese came to this area and also used the temple for their worship of Mother Goddess, who was similar to Lady Po Nagar. This area is well-visited, about 700,000 people annually.
http://vietnamnews.vn/life-style/232519/giant-cham-temples-of-po-nagar-are-spiritual-heart-of-nha-trang.html
Long Son Pagoda and Gautama Buddha
The pagoda was built in 1886. It was built in a different place and was transferred to today’s location after a cyclone damaged it in 1900. The Long Son Pagoda area connects to another area with a pagoda (Hai Duc) that has a giant concrete statue of Gautama Buddha. The Buddha has pictures at its base that feature monks who sacrificed their lives to protest Ngo Dinh Diem and the regime, who discriminated against Buddhists. To look at the Buddha up close and get a stunning view of Nha Trang, you climb 153 steps up a hill.
http://cushtravel.com/the-historical-significance-of-long-son-pagoda-and-other-notable-attractions/
C Pham says
Great research job! This would help you familiarize since we’ll be visiting all of these places.
Kristina Lor says
Looks like we will see a lot of Chinese influence aritecture in Hue, the forbidden purple city reminds me of the forbidden city. And it’ll be cool if we locate some bullet holes too!