Why Vietnam?

Why Vietnam?

    Vietnam – An Ideal Case Study to Explore and the Hidden Charm to Visit

    Vietnam is one of the countries that have a long and multi-cultural history. With thousands years of formation and development, Vietnam is always a fascinating case study for many fields such as History, Business/Economics, Art, Language and Culture, Political Affairs, Communications…

    Please find out some reasons why amongst so many countries in the list for your study abroad programs, Vietnam is the one worth being put on the top.
     

    1. A long history with invaluable lessons

    Vietnam has a history span of more than 2,000 years, more than half of which was in war time against big countries in the world. Therefore, Vietnam’s history has in it a treasure of invaluable lessons from Communications, Marketing, PR to Military and Political Affairs, Education and many other fields. More interestingly, those lessons depend on your point of view. They will be different if you see them in the view point of a politician, a business start-up, a communications specialist, or a journalist, etc…
     
    After you have come to Vietnam and studied more about our country’s history, we look forward to hearing your own opinion about what has happened in Vietnam and what you have learnt from it.

    2. Learn how a country shakes off and steps up after the wars.

    During the history span of more than 2,000 years, Vietnam had undergone many wars against big countries in the world. After you have come and studied more about Vietnam’s history, maybe you can let us know your own explanation why this nation had to bear such events?

    The nearest war in Vietnam was just 40 years ago. After the war, Vietnam started to build up the country from scratch and it has changed a lot since then. In terms of economic development, now, with the gross domestic product (GDP) estimated from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations equivalent to $546 billion, Vietnam's economy ranks 35th in the world and 5th in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines (Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO), April 2015).
    From the country which was lack of food and had to rely on food aids from other countries, now we are the world’s No.3 rice exporter, No.2 coffee exporter, No.4 natural rubber exporter,  No.5 tea exporter …  Vietnam’s educational and health care systems have also experienced big changes in the recently years.

    (Read more: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Vietnam’s Rise)

    Please come to Vietnam to learn about how Vietnam rebuilt the country after 40 years. It must be a very good case study for you to look into in terms of what this country has done, both right and wrong, and what it has achieved so far.

    3. Racial & Cultural Diversity
    Vietnam is the homeland for 54 ethnic groups who have been living quite peacefully together within the past 2,000 years. These 54 ethnic groups stood side-by-side throughout many wars against foreign invaders then together joined hands in building up the country. This must be a very long but interesting story for you to study and get your own answer: Why could the 54 ethnic groups be so united over such a long period of time and how could they do what they have done?

    Each of the 54 ethnic groups has their own special cultural and racial identity, which contributes to the cultural diversity of this beautiful land. It’s worth exploring more about the unique culture of these 54 “brothers” in the big family Vietnam.

    4. A Safe and Tourist-friendly Destination
     
    While hostilities and terrorism are happening in many nations in the world, Vietnam seems to be out of that fear. The stability of politics, society and economy is a credit point for Vietnam to be considered as your destination. Moreover, recently, the Vietnamese government has green-lighted several proposals, including waiving visas for more nations. Vietnam currently applies one-sided free-visa rules for seven countries, including Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia, and scraps visas for nine Southeast Asian countries including Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. This action of governors is creating more favorable conditions for foreigners to travel to Vietnam.

    Moreover, everywhere you go, you will be welcomed by friendly smiles and kindness from the locals. The memory will be reminded in your heart whenever you think about Vietnamese people.

    5. A Breathtaking and Stunning Landscape
     
    Vietnam is a one of the most famous destinations in Southeast Asia with magnificent beaches stretching from North to South such as Ha long Bay – one natural wonder of the world, My Khe Beach – considered the most beautiful one in South East Asia, and Phu Quoc island district - a heavenly lush beach with fine white sand. These places undoubtedly leave a deep impression on travellers after each visit.
     

    In addition, three quarters of Vietnam's territory is made up of mountainous and hilly regions.  The newly discovered Son Doong Cave in Vietnam is the now biggest cave in the world. The precarious mountain pass with mountains on one side and water on the other side or the charming Mekong Delta River promises to make your stay an unforgettable experience.

    Beside the natural beauty, travellers can be impressed by the beauty of architectural buildings and cities. The architecture of Vietnam is affected by both Eastern Culture and Western Culture.  Therefore, visitors can be fascinated by not only Buddhism pagodas but also the churches built after Gothic architecture or villas constructed since the French colony. Apart from modern buildings, the old streets filled with ancient-styled houses, the ancient town of Hoi An, the traditional market will probably make you feel excited.

    6. Cuisine Diversity
     
    Vietnam is famous for its diverse and abundant culinary. The food in Vietnam is characterised by its benefit for health and a balance of tastes. Each region in Vietnam has its own typical taste. While the Northern dishes tend to be fresh and gentle as the characteristics of Trang An people (the former name of Hanoi), the Central counterparts seem to be spicy and sweet as the features of hot weather and local hospitality there. On the other hand, the sweet and sour taste of the South dishes is attractive not only to Vietnamese people, but also to foreign tourists.

    Pho (beef noodles), Banh mi (bread), Nem cuon (spring rolls) and many other Vietnamese dishes have been regarded as one of the most delicious, must-try dishes in the world.

    7. Pleasant Climate
     
    Located in the tropical monsoon zone, Vietnam's climate is characterised by four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Each of them has their own features which would surprise you on arriving.  Similar to culinary, the climate also differs from the North to the South. While Northern people are enjoying the chilly wind of the early winter, the sun is shining in the South. Especially, the warm weather of Vietnam provides a good condition to grow various types of fruits, which attracts to Western tourists.

    8. Hospitable & Friendly local People

    Everywhere you go, you will be welcomed by friendly smiles and kindness from the locals. Vietnam has been known to be amongst the most tourist friendly countries with positive feedbacks from nearly all foreigners. It can be said that the friendliness and hospitability of the people here is one of the main reasons for visitors to come back to this beautiful country. The memory of warm, nice and friendly locals will surely be reminded in your heart whenever you think about Vietnam.

     

    9. Low Cost
     
    Vietnam has always been a popular destination amongst budget traveler. It is easy for you to find affordable street food of great taste and budget hotels or guest houses right at the capital of Vietnam. In case cost prevents you from travelling, Vietnam would be an ideal place to travel at an extremely reasonable price compared to other regions. According to movehub.com, a reliable website for expats in the world, Vietnam is ranked in group of low living expense in the world, which is half of the living cost in New York. 

    Besides, due to the low living cost, students coming to Vietnam to study can enjoy quite a lower tuition fee than in their home country.

    10. “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Vietnam’s Rise”

    In 2012, the Foreign Policy Magazine summarised the list of ” from the report “Sustaining Vietnam’s Growth: The Productivity Challenge”. The things include:

    1. Vietnam has grown more rapidly than any other Asian economy except China.
    2. Vietnam is moving out of the paddy fields.
    3. But Vietnam is a leading global exporter of pepper, cashews, rice, and coffee.
    4. Vietnam is not “China+1.”
    5. Vietnam is a magnet for foreign investment.
    6. Vietnam has more advanced road infrastructure than the Philippines or Thailand.
    7. Vietnam’s young generation is going online.
    8. Vietnam is becoming a top location for outsourced and offshore services.
    9. Vietnamese banks are lending at a faster rate than their Chinese, Indian, or ASEAN counterparts.
    10. Vietnam’s demographic dividend is waning.

    Further to the developments as in 1. above, these things may surprise you and if you are finding a country to explore and give your own judgements, Vietnam should really be that one.

    If you have any questions related to developing a study abroad rogram in Vietnam, please contact us at +84.4.6658.8383 or info@bispedia.com. We look forward to hearing from you to jointly develop a successful program.