Vietnamese People

I envy you though. You get to see this place (Vietnam) with fresh eyes. You will be knocked out by it. I still consider myself to be the luckiest guy in the world to be here (Vietnam) doing what I do. You are about to become a very lucky woman. Both of you - enjoy it. I am sure you will. It is a wonderful country with wonderful people An expat in Hanoi called “No Man In Ha Noi” write to his friends who will come to see Vietnam (http://ourman.typepad.com/our_man_in_hanoi/2006/05/vietnam_for_the.html )

Welcome on board! In this journey, together we will discover the real Vietnamese… …no longer the myth…. … just the true untold story… “Know people for who they are rather than for what they are” Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Let’s start our journey with a question: “What have you been told about the people of Vietnam?”

… have many ethnic groups? Yes, we have…

According to legend, the first Vietnamese descended from the dragon lord Lạc Long Quân and a heavenly spirit Âu Cơ. They married and had one hundred eggs, from which hatched one hundred children: 50 head for the mountain, 50 head for the ocean

Hanoi Capital City

Sapa  Hill-tribe communities

Vietnam is home to 54 different ethnic groups… all living together… in harmony..

Red River Delta Rural Communities

Hoi An Hue

South East Coast

Dalat

Mekong Delta Rural Communities

Ho Chi Minh City The Business Capital

…respecting the unique value of each ethic group, ….holding onto our heritage and pride throughout countless struggles and wars

The red flag in the hearts of ethnic groups

We are one, we are Vietnamese…

Vietnam, Vietnam, go, go..! ( Football game)

….we build the strong solidarity over the challenging history…

..like a bamboo tree- never stand alone, always grow strong together… “My deepest impression of Vietnam is that people always want to improve themselves and learn from each other. They demonstrate a community spirit in trying to catch up with other countries and reach a high economic growth rate” Joris Van Etten, 31 years old, comes from the Netherlands, and is working in Ho Chi Minh City (www.tuoitre.com.vn)

V for Vietnam! V for Victory!

Is there anything else that you’ve been told about the Vietnamese people?…

…patriotic and born with everlasting winning spirit? …definitely we are…

Thousand years of being invaded have created the everlasting winning spirit in every Vietnamese heart… From the victory flag flying over General De Castries’s bunker in Dien Bien Phu (1954)…

…to the red flag on April 30, 1975- The South was completely liberated… From the crazy football fans “Invincible Vietnam!”…

…to the martial spirit hidden in every Vietnamese people

…like the bamboo tree, growing in difficulty, but always rising up…so high…so straight…

Is that all about the people of Vietnam?… Definitely not… Let’s continue our journey…to see how the perceptions on the Vietnamese people change …when we first meet…

…great!one of the most friendly and warmest people in the world…*

Everywhere I go, people go out of their way to smile and say "Hello" (http://www.wade

*The thing that really stands out about Vietnam is that the people are very friendly. I will without any qualifications say that on average, the Vietnamese people are the most friendly, outgoing and welcoming people I've ever met (http://www.wademan.com/VisionQuest/ VQ_Vietnam1.htm)

man.com/VisionQu est/VQ_Vietnam1.h tm)

…and everywhere, smiles of welcome. (Lonely Planet)

…smiles of welcome…that brings us closer… From the young… …to the old…

From the North… …to the South…

This girl helps her mother sell soda's on the side of the road next to a garbage dump. It's a hard life, to say the least, but she had a ready smile and seemed a lot more happy than many richer children I've met. It makes me wonder... what is the secret of happiness? (Vinapix) From the rich… …to the poor…

The happiest country in Asia, the 12th happiest in the world - AFP

…smiles of hope…that sparkles even in difficulties…

From the cheerful smile for a shot even by strangers…

From the relaxing smile at break-time …

…to the innocent smile of a Agent Orange child victim

…to the happy smile after a long tired working day

The happiest country in Asia, the 12th happiest in the world - AFP

…and smiles of Miss Vietnam…that wipe out all sorrows… “I think Vietnamese women are hard workers, motivated and want to succeed much more than the men” According to World'Vest Base CEO Philippe O. Piette

"Vietnamese women are wonderful, they are very strong mentally despite their hard life," Nicky Gielen -artist

“All the Vietnamese girls I’ve met are sincere, emotional yet very sharp. They are totally different with other Asian girls” Matt Taylor, WPMA

The happiest country in Asia, the 12th happiest in the world - AFP

But there are much more about the Vietnamese that you may not know, or not yet discover… Finally when you really experience… Vietnamese people are mild but enthusiastic, which helps generate wonderful harmonisation … (Katsuto Momii, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nihon Unysis – Japan)

We likes caring for each others…

…helping each others…

Not only among ourselves…

…being in a group…

…make it a wonderful

…but also with the rest of the world… I don’t feel any different from a Vietnamese person. We were just talking about international integration and I think Vietnamese people are changing a lot in the way that they interact with foreigners and the differences are melting away.

…with the nice motor taxi driver…

…with the Vietnam’s traditional “non la”

..with the online friends from Vietnam

…with the ethnic people on the r0ad

…with the warm home-stay host…

..with the taste of a phoenix wing-shaped quid of betel and areca nut

When you really understand us…. The Vietnamese people are known for their tremendous industry… They're very hardworking and entrepreneurial*

Hard working to achieve the goal of “ building Vietnam into a strong country with wealthy people and an advanced society”

wet m o m fr ich e t s is , wh rk hard g n i k or ilization e to wo paddy w d r Ha rice civ s peopl in the 3 rice p ire ins requ take pa w on to orld and e’re noof the w W orters exp

* Condoleezza Rice – Secretary of President of The United States (Roundtable with Asia Print Journalists – Jan 2006)

…hardworking like a bamboo tree, evergreen in the

“…. They are very poor in material wealth, but loving, generous and very hardworking…Working hard …We could learn a lot from them!” *

From

the se

a…

..On the paddy

…to the m

ountain

..From very early morning…

..in the factory

* Anna Wilson, a volunteer in Vietnam - http://www.serveyourworld.com/articles/9/1/Teacher&%2339%3Bs-Journal-Volunteering-in-Vietnam

..till night…

“…Vietnamese people are keen on learning and learn very fast…” Bénédict de Cerjat - The ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam

Studiousness is a traditional characteristics of Vietnamese people.

No matter where we live… ..no matter what religion we follow…

..no matter how old we are…

..we’re always eager to learn and have the burning thirst for knowledge…

“They place a tremendous priority on education” Robert Rubin - The Treasury Secretary

…daring to dream and do great things… The past generations dared to dream and took action for the freedom of our country Trần Hưng Đạo - Grand Commander-in-Chief

Ho Chi Minh, founder and president of the Republic of Vietnam

• His multiple victories over the mighty Mongol Yuan Dynasty under Kublai Khan are considered among the greatest military feats in world history • In 1984, a forum of historians from around the world, held in London, nominated Trần as one of the top 10 generals in world history.

He married nationalism to communism and perfected the deadly art of guerrilla warfare. (Times)

The present generation is willing to welcome and overcome new challenges… “I can see that Vietnamese people have a desire for better development to keep pace with other countries in the region and the world” world (Bénédict de Cerjat - The ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam)

..It’s the everlasting young, dynamic spirit that gives us strength to paint the country’s picture…  66% of Vietnam’s population under the age of 34 (~ 50 million people).  28 per cent are under 15years of age

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, born in 1990- 2nd world youngest chess grandmaster, with 2542 ELO rating

I’m impressed by the Vietnamese young generation” (said Mr . Sanjeev Chowdhury Canadian Embassy- TNNews, with his Vietnamese

…enhanced with the entrepreneurial spirit that exists everywhere…  Young new leaders to continue elevating Vietnam’s position “The dynamic and vitality I feel on the road, when I see the Vietnamese people. That’s the impression from discussions with Vietnamese leaders. They prove to be dynamic and flexible in making economic decisions. I also met with a group of women’s leaders of Vietnam, who are very dynamic and intelligent” Kofi Annan – Secretary of United Nations

An ebullient transaction at the stock exchange in HCMC

 Young entrepreneurs account for half Vietnam’s GDP

(Asian Economic News Jan 31 2000)

 70% of non-state business and 25% state businesses are managed by business leaders under 40 I love the entrepreneurial excitement, economic growth, and real opportunity that exists here- Jonal (USA)VietnamWorks.com Managing director

Enrique, Spanish creative director for Saatchi & Saatchi in Ho Chi Minh city.

“I think Vietnamese are very clever, entrepreneur, and always willing to learn new things”

Nguyen Minh Hieu (1981)- Director of DreamVietTop 20 Asian U25 Businessmenwww.businessweek.com

And when you yourself get to know us more… “There is no question that the biggest asset in Vietnam is intelligent workers. They are ingenious”May,1999, Former American Congressman Lou Frey Jr.*

…yes, we made the usual become great… What could you exploit from a coconut tree?… …beverage..?

…candy?

…Food?

…bag? Famous Ben Tre coconut candy

…building house?

*http://www4.colgate.edu/scene/may1999/vietnam.html

Anything else …?

…cultivated plant?

Let’s see the way the Vietnamese exploit from the coconut… Creative and artistic crafts , for • Exports • Creating jobs for handicapped people • Making use of the reusable material • Getting over poverty

High-tech applications • Reduce pollution • Environmentally friendly • Getting over poverty

BIOSOIL from coconut dust

Coconut wine

Concrete from coconut tree and jute

…it’s no longer your 1st impression, it’s your perception… ..Vietnamese

friends are very open-minded, sincere and kind Dan Perskins*

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 Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan addressing the formal session of the SOM 1-APEC

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Joined ASEAN in 1995

Successful hosting of the 7th Francophone Summit, the 6th ASEAN Summit, and the 5th ASEM Summit and APEC 2006

Joined APEC in 1998

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Member of Francophone,

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Try efforts to join WTO in near future

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and State President Tran Duc Luong having a talk at the Presidental Palace

Towards a dynamic community for sustainable Development and Prosperity

…we are confident that a bright future will beckon from a range of perspectives and that both sides will benefit …*

Warm welcome Mr. Bill Clinton

War is left in the ground

The American experts of the “Rainbow” operation team in the Operations “Smile” for Vietnamese children * Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien writes exclusively for Vietnam Economic Times on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US

Let's close the chapter of war and reconciliation… and begin the period of full engagement ( Senetor Max Baucus to the Asia Society- http://asiasociety.org/speeches/06dc_baucus.html)

Our journey reaches it destination…Future in PEACE Hanoi City - UNESCO Prize of City for Peace (1999)

But we think… this is an endless trip… …to a better mutual understanding between us! SMILE AND VIETNAM SMILES WITH YOU!