| Vietnam,oneofTaiwan-sclosestneighbors,isacountrywhoserichculturalheritageandabundantnaturalbeautydeservesunderstandingandappreciationfromtheoutsideworld.IthasbeengoingthroughadifficulttimesincetheendoftheVietnamWar,aswellasthecountry-sunificationwhichfollowedin1975,anditseconomicrecoveryhasmovedslowlyasaresult.Theonlyleftoversfromthewarthatnowserveasfodderforreminiscencesarethetanks,jetfightersandphotographsdisplayedintheMilitaryMuseum,locatednotfarfromtherestingplaceof UncleHo, aslatePresidentHoChiMinhisknownbysomelocals.Itseemsthattheshadowofwarhasbeenliftedandonlytheimagesremaininthemindsofthosewholivedthroughthewarandsurviveditsaftermath.Fortunately,itdidnottakealongtimefortheVietnamesegovernmenttorealizethebenefitsofopeninguptotheoutsideworld.Theeconomybegantotakeoffmorethanadecadeago,andtourismsurgedaswell,coupledwithincreasedforeigninvestmentfromcountrieslikeSingapore,JapanandSouthKorea.Lastyear,therewere286,324TaiwanesetouristswhovisitedVietnam,accordingtotheVietnamNationalAdministrationofTourism;makingTaiwanesethefourth-largestgroupofforeignvisitorsaftertheChinese,AmericansandSouthKoreans.FormostvisitorsfromTaiwan,Vietnamholdssomenostalgicvalue,andisasweetreminderofTaiwan-sownpast.Noodlestandswithyokes,fruitsandvegetablespiledinbamboobasketscanbeseenonthesidewalks.FriendlysmilesandhagglingvendorsarecommonsightstothosewhohavegonethroughwhatmanystillthinkofasTaiwan-s goodolddays ofthe1970sand1980s.InHoChiMinhCity,locatedinthesouthofVietnam,theweatherandthelifestyleresembleTaiwan-sownsouth,suchasthecountyofPingtung.Coconuttrees,flowersandfernsareeverywheretobeseen. ItisjustlikeTaiwan:Itisahomeawayfromhome, saidWenShou-ren,ajewelrydealerwhomovedfromTaiwantoHoChiMinhCitymorethaneightyearsago.Hehasnoplanstomoveback. Thepricesaremuchlowerhere,whichiswhyIchoosetostay. Inthecity,thestreetsusuallybecomepackedat6a.m.withscootersandpeoplebustlingontheirwaytowork--ascenethatTaiwanesepeopleplayedoutinmanyoftheROC-sindustrialprocessingzones.Asduskfelleverydayintheleaduptothemid-autumnfestivalthisyear,hundredsofpeoplewouldrushtothelocalmarketsforsomelast-minuteshoppingtobuythingsforfriendsandfamily.LikeinTaiwan,mooncakesandpomeloswerefavoriteitemsontheshoppinglistsfortheimportantfamilyholiday. |