Did you know ... Vietnam

Up the Saigon River

Good Morning, Vietnam!

• Vietnam has a population of 90 million people. Of those,13 million live in Ho Chi Minh City, the capital formerly Saigon. Seven million live in Hanoi. 
• Sixty-five percent of the population is Buddhist, 12 percent are Muslim and 10 percent Catholic, a legacy of the French.
• There are 10 universities in Ho Chi Minh City. Sixty percent of city dwellers are literate, while only 20 percent of rural residents can read and write.
• HCM City is prosperous and vibrant with five-star hotels, an opera house, flower-filled plazas and brand-name stores such as Chanel, Gucci and Armani. Bargains can be found at the outdoor market.
• There are millions of motorcycles and some luxury cars in the city. The tallest building, the Bitexco Financial Tower, is 68 stories at 260 members. 
• The monthly salary of a factory worker is $120.  He may work five or six days of the week.
• Much of the surrounding countryside is flat and agricultural, mostly producing rice and exotic fruit such as rambutan, mango, milk fruit, pepper-shaped apples and all kinds of vegetables.
• The Communist flag with hammer and sickle hangs outside many buildings. The party has 5 million members in HCM City alone.
• Vietnam was under Chinese rule for 1,000 years before the French came in.