Vietnam In-depth Tour Series Three

September 2nd is Vietnam's National Day. In 1945, as Japan surrendered, it also announced the abolition of the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, Emperor Bao Dai. On September 2nd, the Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh declared independence in Hanoi, the northern part of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh delivered the 'Declaration of Independence', proclaiming the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (also known as 'North Vietnam'). However, at this time, Vietnam was actually taken over by France and the United Kingdom, the victorious nations, who respectively managed North and South Vietnam. The Japanese surrender in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) was accepted by the British Southeast Asia Command. Since Vietnam was originally a French colony before the Japanese occupation, the United Kingdom later handed South Vietnam back to France in exchange for its support of British colonies in Asia. However, France's national strength and military power were insufficient to sustain its colonial rule after World War II. Additionally, with the support of the Chinese and Soviet communists, the Viet Minh essentially forced France to withdraw from colonial rule in Vietnam after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. By then, North Vietnam was firmly under the control of the Viet Minh, but due to the influence of the UK and the US and the great power games, Vietnam was eventually divided into North and South. The political center of South Vietnam is now Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Today, I visited the Reunification Palace, whose name has evolved from Reunification Palace to Independence Palace to Norodom Palace, built by the French Governor in 1869. The changes in its name reflect its functions during different periods. The victors become kings, the losers outcasts, an eternal truth. Today, it serves only as a place for people to visit. I had many thoughts: there were those who worked tirelessly for their country and people, the machinations of political power, the struggles between major and minor nations, and the worries of those whose time has come to an end. The ticket price is 6.5w (about 20 RMB). I added an audio guide for a total of 15.5w. There was no tour guide service on-site, let alone a Chinese-speaking guide (at the two history museums I visited later, I saw guides speaking Vietnamese, but no Chinese-speaking guides). Since today is National Day, I was worried about the crowd. Before going, a Vietnamese student who studied in China told me: Don't worry, don't worry, it won't be as crowded as in China. It opens at 8 am, and I arrived at 7:30 am. Indeed, it wasn't very crowded, not even as crowded as a park in China. The number of people queuing at the ticket office was only about twenty or thirty. When I came out after my visit, there were more people, but it was far from crowded. There were quite a few Western tour groups, and the history museums I visited later were even less crowded. I divided it into four main functional areas: the office area with the Cabinet Room, Banquet Hall, Reception Hall, Presidential Office, and Vice Presidential Office on either side, the Situation Room, and the Library; the leisure area with a cinema, billiards, and piano; the living area with a dining room and bedrooms; and the basement with the President's wartime office and bed, the Intelligence Room, and the War Situation Analysis Room, and the temporary radio room. It's not overly luxurious, but it's refined enough to match the center of power.