| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu was | | | | to demands for educational opportunities by the |
| one of most elegant women of the 20th century.In | | | | people. |
| the 1950s and 1960s,she was first lady of South | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...In 2000, Bill Clinton,who was |
| Vietnam. She was born in 1924 in Hanoi,Vietnam.In | | | | president of the United States (1993-2001), was |
| fact, she was compared with ladies such as | | | | given a hero´s welcome in Vietnam as he |
| Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (former first lady of the | | | | became the first American president to visit the |
| United States), Dewi Sukarno (ex-first lady of | | | | Asian country. |
| Indonesia), Grace Kelly ( former princess of Monaco) | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...The "ao dai" is the most |
| and Eva Duarte de Peron (former first lady of | | | | popular national costume in Vietnam. |
| Argentina).In the 1960s, Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam is one of the ten |
| popularized the traditional Vietnamese "ao dai" (long | | | | member countries of the Association of Southeast |
| dress). She currently resides in France, where she is | | | | Asian Nations (ASEAN). |
| writing her autobiography.She speaks fluent English, | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Hanoi is well known for its |
| Vietnamese and French. | | | | famous restaurants. Some of the restaurants are |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam is the home to | | | | built along the Red river to provide diners with a |
| Historic City of Hue-one of the ancient wonders of | | | | riverside view of Hanoi´s sunset. |
| the world. During the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam hosted delegates |
| Hue was the capital of Vietnam. More than 10 palaces | | | | from 21 contries at the 2006 APEC Summit. |
| in Hue provide some of the best remaining examples | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...The Phong Nha-Ke Bang |
| of Vietnamese architecture in Asia. It is the | | | | National Park is a World Heritage Site in Vietnam. |
| monument that best symbolizes Vietnam. Hue has | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...AmeliaVega, Miss Universe |
| been recognised as a World Cultural Heritage Site by | | | | 2003,went to Hanoi to attend the 2003 Miss Vietnam |
| the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural | | | | pageant. |
| Organisation (UNESCO). | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam competed at the |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Hieu Ngan Tran is one of the | | | | modern Olympic Games for the first time at the 1952 |
| Vietnam´s best known and well-loved athletes. | | | | Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. |
| She is a taekwondo athlete who competed in the | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...The 11th Taekwondo World |
| women´s featherweight category at the 2000 | | | | Championship was held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, |
| Olympic Games and won the silver medal. The silver | | | | in June 2001. |
| medal for Vietnam was the first ever won by that | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT....Like Carlos Noriega (Peru), |
| country in Olympic competition. | | | | Abdul Ahad Mohmad (Afghanistan), Jugdermedidiyn |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam is famous for its | | | | Gurragcha (Mongolia) and Salman al-Saud (Saudi |
| hospitality, and the average visitor will have no | | | | Arabia), Pham Tuan was one of the best astronauts |
| difficulty in adapting to local traditions. | | | | in the Third World. He was the first Vietnamese |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...The Vietnamese film | | | | astronaut and the first Asian in space. Pham Tuan |
| industry has been honoured at film festival and award | | | | flew aboard the shuttle Soyuz-37 in July 1980. He |
| ceremonies around the world. The prizes attained | | | | was in space for more than 7 days. Pham Tuan was |
| include the Golden Lion for best film awarded by the | | | | given a hero´s welcome when he returned to |
| Venice International Film to Anh Hung Tran´s | | | | country after completing its historic orbital space |
| Cyclo (1995) ; the Jury Prize awarded by the | | | | flight. |
| Sundance Film Festival to Tony Bui´s Three | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam is one of the |
| Seasons (1999); and the Grand Jury Prize awarded | | | | best-watered areas in Southeast Asia. Five main |
| by the Pusan International Film Festival to Luu | | | | rivers flow eastward across the country. They are |
| Hynh´s The White Silk Dress Press (1999). | | | | Mekong, Red Can, Srepok and Black. |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Madame Nguyen Thi Binh | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Hanoi hosted the Fifth |
| became the first female vice president of Vietnam in | | | | Asia-Europe Summit Meeting (ASEM) in 2004. |
| 1992. She became head of the Vietnamese | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam has rich mineral |
| women´s movement in the 1960s and 1970s. | | | | deposits (oil, coal, gas, manganese, bauxite and |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Like its Thai cousin, Vietnam | | | | phosphates), large forests, and good farm. |
| is world-famous for its traditional cuisine. At | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...The Scent of Green Papaya |
| Paris´s top restaurants, visitors can savor the | | | | was the first great Vietnamese movie of the 20th |
| true taste of Vietnamese cuisine. | | | | century. This film was nominated for the Best Foreign |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam has long been | | | | Language Category at the 1993 Academy Awards. |
| famous for its magnificent temples and palaces. | | | | The movie enjoyed the highest-grossing opening in |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam has one of the | | | | Vietnam film history. |
| lowest unemployment rates in the Third World. | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam has eight idols:Anh |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...The development of | | | | Hung Tran (film director), Pham Tuan (astronaut), |
| traditional Vietnamese sports is vital to the | | | | Thuy Tran (modeling agent), Nguyen Thi Phoung |
| preservation of Vietnamese culture. Takraw, or kick | | | | (ecologist), Hieu Ngan Tan (sportswoman), Madame |
| volleyball, is a traditional sport in Vietnam. In this | | | | Ngo Dinh Nho (former first lady of Vietnam), Tony |
| sport, a ball is passed from player to player by hitting | | | | Bui (film maker) and Nguyen Thi Binh (vice president |
| it with the head and feet. Takraw also is widely | | | | of Vietnam). |
| played in Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...More than 20 million people in |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...The bio-diversity of Vietnam | | | | Vietnam ride a bicycle. |
| is one of its greatest riches.The country has six | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam has an area about 1 |
| world´s biosphere reserves: Can Gio Mangrove | | | | per cent as large as that of the United States. |
| Forest, Cat Ba, Cat Tien, Kien Giang, Red River Delta, | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Le Duc Tho was a diplomat |
| and Western Nghe An. | | | | who always worked for a unified Vietnam. He was |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...The United States of | | | | born on October 14, 1911, in Phan Dinh Khai,Vietnam. |
| America recognizes Vietnam as an independent | | | | Certainly, Le Duc Tho worked with Henry Kissinger |
| country since 1995. In 1996, president Bill Clinton | | | | (secretary of state of the United States) to end |
| appointed Douglas Peterson to serve as United | | | | Vietnam war, and in 1973 the two men were |
| States ambassador to Vietnam. | | | | awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The award citation |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam is world-famous for | | | | said, "On January 23 of this year a ceasefire |
| its animal wildlife. This wildlife -which includes | | | | agreement was concluded between the United |
| elephants, buffaloes, tigers, monkeys, rhinoceroses, | | | | States and the Vietnamese Democratic Republic.At |
| snakes and turtles- attracts thousands of tourists to | | | | its meeting on October 16 the Nobel Committee of |
| Vietnam each year. | | | | the Norwegian Storting decided to award the Peace |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam maintains diplomatic | | | | Prize for the 1973 to Henry Kissinger and Le Duc |
| relations with 140 countries in the world, including | | | | Tho, the two chief negotiators who succeeded in |
| France, China, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Canada, | | | | arranging the ceasefire after negotiating for nearly |
| South Korea, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, | | | | four years..." |
| Russia and Malaysia. | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam has been chosen to |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ha Long Bay is generally | | | | host the 2008 Miss Universe. Vietnam won the right |
| considered to be the most beautiful scenery in the | | | | to host the 2008 Miss Universe by one vote over |
| whole of Vietnam. It consist of 1,969 islands and | | | | Japan. |
| islets situated in the Gulf of Tonkin. This zone is | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...President George W.Bush |
| known for its spectacular seascape of limestone | | | | became the first U.S. president to visit Vietnam in the |
| pillars. It is one of the most popular spots in Asia. Ha | | | | 21st century. |
| Long Bay has been recognized as a World Natural | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam is about 8 times the |
| Heritage Site by UNESCO. | | | | size of Switzerland. |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam joined the United | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam competed at the |
| Nations in 1977. | | | | 2006 Asian Games in Doha,Qatar. It finished 19th in |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...Hanoi is the capital city of | | | | the medal count, with 23 (3 gold), trailing China, South |
| Vietnam. It is the most important economic, industrial | | | | Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Iran, Uzbekistan, |
| and cultural center in the country. | | | | India, Qatar, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...The best-known Vietnamese | | | | Arabia, Bahrein, Hong Kong, North Korea, Kuwait and |
| works of art the thousands of pagodas found | | | | Philippines. |
| throughout the country. | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT...Vietnam is famous for its |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT...The education has received | | | | beautiful beaches along the Pacific Ocean: Bai Chay, |
| increased emphasis in Vietnam since the country | | | | Tran Phu, Nha Trang,China Beach,Mui Ne Beach,Hon |
| became independent in 1976. Certainly, Vietnam has | | | | Chong Beach and Bai Tam. |
| greatly increased the number of schools in response | | | | DID YOU KNOW THAT... |