Entry Requirements for tourist visa to Vietnam:

• Passport and Visa are required for tourist travel to Vietnam.
  
  
• Vietnam Visa requirements:
  
  
  1. Valid, signed US passport with blank pages for visa and valid 6 months beyond trip. If your passport does not meet these requirements, see our passport services.
     
  2. One Vietnam Visa Application Form completed and signed.
  3. One Visa Connection Cover Sheet.   
     
  4. Two passport photographs.
  5. Copy of Travel Itinerary
     

• Passport and Visa are required for business travel to Vietnam.
  
  
• Vietnam Visa requirements:
  
  
  1. Valid, signed US passport with blank pages for visa and valid 6 months beyond trip. If your passport does not meet these requirements, see our passport services.
     
  2. One Vietnam Visa Application Form completed and signed.
  3. One Visa Connection Cover Sheet.   
     
  4. Two passport photographs.
  5. Copy of Travel Itinerary
     
  6. A letter of invitation from sponsor (either host company or individual approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) explaining the relationship to the applicant and the purpose of travel. In addition, the letter must indicate the length of stay, place of stay, and contact information.
  7. Letter from your employer or sponsoring company, on company letterhead, introducing the applicant, indicating the applicant’s employment status/position held in the company, and clearly stating the purpose of visit to Vietnam. The business letter must also indicate who will be financially responsible for the applicant and must provide detailed contact information in host country.
     

Vietnam Consular Fees and Processing Time:

$ 65 Per Visa for 5 business days processing time/single entry tourist visa to Vietnam.
$ 95 Per Visa for 3 business days processing time/single entry tourist visa to Vietnam.

$ 150 per Visa for 7 business days / one to three months multiple business visa to Vietnam.
$ 200 per visa for 7 business days / six months multiple business visa to Vietnam.

• Visa Connection fee: 

$ 75.00 per visa (add 20.00 for rush). 

Shipping fee:

• Shipping Fee

  Select desired return option on the Visa Connection cover sheet OR include a pre-paid FEDEX air bill for the overnight return of your passport.
   

  Payment:

  • Include a check or money order payable to U.S. Visa Connection or put your credit card information where requested on the Visa Connection Cover Sheet.
    
    

U.S. Visa Connection
 22118 Provincial Blvd.
 Katy, TX 77450

CALL TOLL FREE 
 877-VISA-DOC (877- 847- 2362)
 visahouston@yahoo.com

Information about Vietnam

Geography of Vietnam

Tourist spots around Ha Noi

Hoan Kiem Lake. Considered the heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is its symbol. Ngoc Son temple on the lake is dedicated to the God of literature, General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongolian enemy in the 13th century and the Pitron Saint of physicians. A large tortoise carcass of 2.1 m long and 250kg heavy that lived some 400-500 years is still kept at the temple. Ngoc Son temple is linked with the Bank by a beautiful curved bridge called The Huc (Morning sunshine). Just at the beginning of the bridge is a stone brush tower. It is located on a small hillock with three carved Chinese characters "Ta Thanh Thien" (writing on the blue sky). At its foot is Dai Nghien (Ink-stab). Many central and municipal bodies as well as busy trade streets are located around Hoan Kiem Lake. In the centre of the Lake there is an islet where the Tortoise Tower stands. The monument of King Le Thai To is situated on the Western Bank of the lake.

Hanoi Old citadel. Hanoi Old Citadel was destroyed and restored many times. At present, only the Northern Gate of the citadel on Phan Dinh Phung street still remains. On its walls, there are traces of bullets left by the French army attacking Hanoi. On Dien Bien Phu street stands the Hanoi flag-tower (60m high), consisting of three layers made of Baked bricks. It was built in 1812 in a prism shape with spiral stairs leading to the platform. It is also a symbol of the capital. Inside Hanoi Old Citadel traces of the grounds of destroyed palaces still remain.

The Ba Dinh Square zone. This zone is situated south of West Lake and North of Hanoi Old Citadel and is well-known for the following historical sites:

- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It was opened on September 2, 1975, standing on the historical Ba Dinh square. This architectural structure has a rectangular form and evokes a lotus. Its upper part was made in the style typical of a traditional Vietnamese pagoda. The Mausoleum is opened daily for people coming to pay their homage to president Ho Chi Minh.

- Uncle Ho's (Ho Chi Minh) house-on-stilts. The house is located in the compound of the Presidential Palace ( former Residence of the Governor General of Tonkin). It is made from wood, in the style typical of the houses of mountain ethnic minorities. Next to the house are century old trees, by the side of a beautiful lake. President Ho Chi Minh lived, worked and hold meetings with top leaders from 1954 until he passed away in this house (September 1969).

- Ho Chi Minh Museum. This five-storey architectural project is situated behind Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It was opened on September 2, 1990 on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the President. In this Museum many objects and documents relating to Ho Chi Minh are kept.

The West Lake zone. West Lake has an area of over 800 hectares. It is a former section of the Red River. There are many legends about this lake. Formerly this lake was called "Dam Dam" (Misty lake). Around the lake, stand many palaces of feudal kings and lords. Numerous ancient and beautiful pagodas and temples are also seen in the surroundings of West Lake. In the old times, in the area around West lake there were craft villages specializing in paper and silk production, etc., and villages providing the city with flowers or vegetables. At present, many hotels, restaurants and villas have been built around the lake. In future, this place will be the recreation and tourist spot of Hanoi.

- Co Loa Citadel (Spiral-shaped Citadel), in Dong Anh district, suburban area of Hanoi.

There are ruins of a fortified palace with walls arranged in a spiral that was built in the 3rd century B.C. to serve as the capital of King An Duong Vuong. Of the nine coils of the spiral, which covered an area of more than 5 square kilometers, there remain only the vestiges of three, which in certain places are now about 2 metres high and 15 metres wide. In the centre of the citadel some buildings with valuable sculptures, are still found such as temples dedicated to King An Duong Vuong and his daughter, Princess My Chau, whose love for her husband caused the fall of the kingdom.


- Opera House. The Hanoi Municipal Theatre also known as the Opera House was built by the French in 1911 after the architecture of Paris Opera House. This theatre is the stage for the most interesting and important performances in Hanoi.

- Labour's Culture Palace was built with the help of the Soviet Union, and inaugurated in 1985 on the site of the former Exhibition House. The large hall has 1200 seats and a round stage. The small hall has 250 seats. There are also many places reserved for 24 clubs with various activities.

- Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. The traditional water puppet shows are staged with original and interesting programs. It is a folk art particular to the people cultivating wet rice fields in North Vietnam. The artists hidden behind a curtain while immersed in water manipulate the puppets through an apparatus put under in the water surface, which serves as the stage.

- Traditional Art Club. Scenes from the most interesting Vietnamese traditional plays are sown here.

- The Cathedral of Hanoi (St. Josheph's Church), built in 1886 in Gothic style, is the most beautiful and largest church in Hanoi. Near the Cathedral is the office of Hanoi's bishop, and in front of it is the Madonna Monastery.

- Cua Bac Church. Its architecture is slightly influenced by that of Vietnamese pagoda and temple.

- Museum of the Revolution, No.25, Tong Dan Street. Various relics of the Vietnamese people's patriotic and revolutionary struggle.

- Museum of History, No. 1, Pham Ngu Lao Street. Rich collections of archaeological findings of great scientific and artistic value, including some relating to the era of the Hung kings, about 4,000 years ago represent the evolution of the Vietnamese nation.

- Museum of the Army, Dien Bien Phu Road. Great periods of the armed struggle of the Vietnamese people are reflected.

- Women's Museum. No.36, Ly Thuong Kiet Street. Here thousands of objects on historical tradition of Vietnamese women in the cause of building and safeguarding the country are displayed. Moreover, there is a special section dealing with the wholehearted support of world's women towards Vietnamese women.

- Museum of Fine Arts. No.68. Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. Artistic works of great value, ranging from bronze drums (first millennium B.C.) to sculptures, paintings, engravings, and lacquer works by contemporary artists are displayed, not to mention folk art.

- Mot Cot Pagoda (One pillar pagoda). This is what remains of an ancient and much more imposing pagoda. It was built in 1049 in the shape of a lotus flower. According to a legend, King Ly Thai To, who had no male offspring, once saw in a dream the Goddess of Compassion (Avalokitesvara) sitting on a lotus who handed a boy to him. The King later married a young peasant woman he had met by chance and a son was born to them. As a token of gratitude, he had the pagoda built and dedicated to the Goddess. It is a square pavilion (3x3m) on top of a cylindrical stone pillar (diameter: 1.25m).

- Quan Su Pagoda (Ambassadors' Pagoda). This is the most active Buddhist centre in Hanoi. In the 15th century, this was the site of the Guesthouse for Ambassadors coming from Buddhist countries, with a small pagoda nearby. The pagoda was rebuilt in 1936-42.

- Ba Da Pagoda (Pagoda of the Stone Lady). As the soil was being dug for the building of the citadel of Thang Long (ancient Hanoi), a stone statue of a woman was unearthed. A temple was built to be dedicated to her. It later became a pagoda. The temple dates back to the 15th century.

- Hai Ba Temple (Temple of the Two Ladies). This temple is dedicated to Trung Sisters. One can see in the sanctuary the statues of two women, kneeling with arms raised, as if addressing the people.

- Quan Thanh Temple (or Tran Vu) wrongly called "Pagoda of the Big Buddha" by the French colonialists. It was built by West Lake under the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) and later reconstructed. Tran Vu was the God of the North. His attributes are a tortoise and a snake. A bronze statue (1677) is 3.72 metres high and weighs 4 tons. A bronze bell dates Back to 1677.

- Tran Quoc Pagoda by West Lake. A stele (1639) carries an inscription on the history of the pagoda. It was built probably on the site of an old royal summer palace.

- Van Mieu Temple (the Temple of Literature). Built in 1070. Later rebuilt. Dedicated to Confucius. It was also the first University in Vietnam (training scholars mandarins) which opened in 1076. It features quietness and harmony with the greenery surrounding it. There is Khue Van Pavilion, 82 stone steles bearing the names of the laureates of royal examinations held over a period of three hundred years (1484-1787).

- Voi Phuc Temple (Temple of Kneeling Elephants). According to a legend, it was built under the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong (1054-1072) and dedicated to Prince Ling Lang who defeated the Sung aggressors, attacking the enemy with his war elephants. Statues of Ling Lang and his men can be seen there.
 

Tourist spots around Ho Chi Minh City

Not only a commercial centre, Ho Chi Minh City is also one of the most important tourist zones of Vietnam. Tourists may start their travels from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cuu Long delta with vast paddy fields and peaceful villages on both sides of channels overshadowed by coconut canopies. These channels may lead tourists to floating markets or to their remote mangrove forests in the southernmost part of the country. Other beautiful landscapes are the Thap Muoi field with natural birds sanctuaries, the Phu Quoc island or the beaches at Vung Tau. If going north, tourists will reach Da Lat that is next to the large basalt Central Highlands.

- The Reunification Conference Hall. At the end of the 19th century, the French built the Norodom Place on this site. It was also an office of the then Governor. In 1963, those who carried out a coup d'etat damaged it in a bombardment. In 1966, it was restored. From 1966 to 1975 this Palace was the residence and office of the presidents of the pro-American Governments, called the "Independence Palace". At 11.30 am of April 30, 1975 the tanks of the Liberation Army entered and the last puppet authority capitulated without conditions.

- The Dragon House-Wharf. This is a large architectural project, built in 1862 on the bank of the Sai Gon River as the office of a waterway company. From there, in 1911 the 21-year-old Nguyen Tat Thanh (president Ho Chi Minh) departed for his voyages seeking a way for national liberation. At present, this is the commemorative house to President HO Chi Minh.

- Vinh Nghiem pagoda. This is a most famous pagoda in the city, built from 1964 to 1973 thanks to financial contributions of the Buddhists of the Truc Lam zen sect who came from Bac Giang province, therefore the pagoda is called "Vinh Nghiem", after the name of a pagoda built in the 11th century in Yen Diung, Bac Giang province, the ancient of the Truc Lam zen Buddhist sect.? The pagoda has?a seven layered tower keeping many pictures, statues of Buddha and a large bell contributed by Japanese Buddhists for peace prayers during the war in Vietnam.

- Notre Dame Cathedral. This is the most beautiful cathedral of the city located in its centre. The French built it from 1877 to 1880. Its two high bell towers were built the neo-Romanistic style.

- Zoo and Botanical Garden. It was built during 1864 and 1865. At first, many precious species of plants were brought here from India, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, then rare animals were also raised. A bridge across the Thi Nghe Channel links the part reserved for growing plants and that for animals.

At present, thousands of plants grow in the Garden, including species from Africa and America. Hundreds of animals, birds and reptiles are also cared for here, so this is the biggest zoological garden of the country and the largest entertainment place of the city.

 

Tourist spots around Hai Phong

Cat Ba National Park. Cat Ba is composed of over 360 small islands situated between Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay to form a spectacular island scenery. The biggest among them is the Cat Ba Island, 40 kilometers east of Hai Phong City. Covering 10 thousand hectares of forests and 4 thousand hectares of sea water, it is of great value for its interrelated diverse ecosystems of forest and sea; Cat Ba Island has now been made a National Park. There are many limestone hills over the island, the highest one being Cao Vong rising 322m above sea level, where a lot of marvelous grottoes are found.

In the Cat Ba National Park there remains the largest area of tropical primeval forests in Vietnam which are habitat for over 700 species from 150 families of plants and 20 species of mammals, 69 of birds and more than 30 of reptiles and amphibians.

Do Son beach. This seaside resort, 22 kilometers southeast of Hai Phong City, stretches along a 4 km-long promontory which ends with a group of islets. The promontory has nine peaks, hence the name of Cuu Long Son (Nine dragons). The French turned Do Son into a summer resort for their expatriate community and the Vietnamese upper classes and built Do Son Airport in 1950.

The sea resort town is composed of tree zones, each having bathing beaches, hills and forests. Around the hills are French-style constructions looking towards the sea. Since 1975, many large hotels and guest houses have been set up over the town and Do Son has become a weekend sea resort for Vietnamese and foreigners.

Do Son village is famous for its yearly buffalo fighting festival.

Du Hang Pagoda. It is located in Le Chan district, 2km southwest of the centre of Hai Phong. The pagoda was built at the beginning of the 11th century and was repaired and rebuilt many times. The pagoda keeps many valuable relics such as Buddha statues, bronze urns, bells, gongs, and ancient books of Buddhist teachings.

Hang Kenh Communal House. Built in the middle of 19th century, the communal house is famous for its wooden sculptures and a statue of King Ngo Quyen, a national hero who defeated the Northern enemy in the historical battle on the Bach Dang River.

 

History of Vietnam

Early history

The archaeological excavations carried out recently have proved the presence of human beings in the territory of Vietnam since the Paleolithic Age or the Old Stone Age (300,000 - 500,000 years). In the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age), Hoa Binh - Bac Son cultures (about 10,000 BC) had witnessed the development of agriculture and animal husbandry, including even the technique of paddy rice cultivation.

The Vietnamese as an ethnic group had been formed and developed early in the Red river and Ma river delta situated in northern part of the present-day Vietnam. Generations to generations, people moved from highland and mountainous areas to the plains, developed new lands for cultivation. They constructed a system of irrigation dams and dykes to tame the mighty Red River, the river that brought about several devastating floods every year. It is the process of continuous labor to control water - to fight against flood, storm and drought, to build up irrigation dams and canals for agricultural cultivation that formed the paddy rice civilization and the commune culture.

In the Bronze Age, a unique and distinct civilization had been formed that reached a high level in technical skill as well as art - the brilliant Dong Son culture. The recent ethnological, historical and archaeological studies and researches have asserted the existence of the Hung Kings' period in Van Lang Kingdom (later Au Lac Kingdom) about 1000 years BC. In 200 BC, Au Lac Kingdom was invaded and annexed into the giant empire of the Han feudalism in the north. Nevertheless, the ten-century domination of Chinese feudalism could not assimilate Vietnamese culture and break the Viet people's brave resistance.

The Dai Viet

In the 10th century AD, the Vietnamese had won their freedom and built up an independent state named Dai Viet. The country was under the ruling of many national feudal dynasties, among which the most important ones are the Ly Dynasty (11th and 12th century), the Tran Dynasty (13th and 14th century), the Le Dynasty (15th, 16th and 17th century) with their centralized administration, strong army forces and a highly developed economy and culture. During this period, Vietnam as a nation had to ceaselessly fought against the vicious conquering conspiracies of Chinese and Mongolian feudal empires. Vietnam's long and tough struggles of resistance against the invasions of the Song (11th century), the Yuan or the Mongols (13th century), the Ming (15th century) had acquired glorious victories. Vietnam became stronger, all its ethnic groups became more united and the country moved into a new prosperous period after each struggle.

Dong Son culture which was enriched by the influence of Chinese culture developed from centuries to centuries in a framework of an independent state. Buddhism and Confucianism entered Dai Viet and brought with them many popular cultural features and distinct forms. Nonetheless, Vietnam still preserved its own language and a highly developed agricultural civilization.

In the 17th and 18th century, feudalism in Vietnam was considerably weakened. Peasants ceaselessly rose up in revolts that led to the Tay Son movement (1771-1802). Tay Son overthrew all regional feudal lordship that divided the country into two parts, united the country and chased away the Qing (Manchus) invaders from China, simultaneously implemented many social and cultural reforms. However, with foreign aid, Nguyen Anh soon took over the ruling power and the Nguyen Dynasty was established, which was the last royal dynasty in Vietnam.

Struggle for national liberation

In the middle of 19th century (1858), French colonialists began to invade Vietnam. The incompetent government of the Nguyen gradually gave in and from 1884, French colonists established a protectorate and a colonial government that controlled the whole territory of Vietnam. In the early days, resistant movements of the Vietnamese people under the leadership of intellectual patriots like the literate, cultured people and scholars broke out everywhere, but they all failed in the end.

Nguyen Ai Quoc, who later became President Ho Chi Minh, traveled abroad to find the way to save the country. He laid the foundations for the Vietnam Communist Party, which was founded on 3rd February 1930. Under the leadership of the Communist Party, the Vietnamese people rose up against French colonization and Japanese occupation, organized the Great National Uprising in August 1945 and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on 2nd September 1945.

Being confronted with aggressive schemes and intervention of France and the United States, the newly born Democratic Republic of Vietnam had to carry out the thirty-year war of resistance. The coming back of French aggressive troops had resulted in the nine-year war of resistance (1945-1954) which ended by the famous victory of Vietnam in Dien Bien Phu and the 1954 Geneva Agreement on Vietnam. According to this Agreement the country was temporarily partitioned into North Vietnam and South Vietnam by the 17th parallel, which should be reunified within two years (1956) through a general election held all over Vietnam. The northern part of Vietnam (the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with its capital Hanoi) was placed under the control of the Vietnam Workers' Party. The southern part (the Republic of Vietnam), which was controlled by a pro-French administration and later, a pro-American administration, had its capital in Sai Gon. The Sai on government used all its forces to prevent the election, suppressed and killed former participants in the resistance movement. The situation led to the national movement fighting for peace and unification of the country. The Sai Gon government could not suppress the aspiration of all Vietnamese people to unify the country, especially since the National Front for Liberation of South Vietnam was established on 20th December 1960.

In order to maintain the Sai Gon regime, the United States increased its military aid to the Sai Gon government. Particularly, in the middle of the '60s, half-million American troops and their allied troops were sent to South Vietnam in direct military intervention. From 5th of August 1964, they started bombarding North Vietnam. In spite of that, following president's Ho Chi Minh's teaching "Nothing is more precious than independent and freedom", the Vietnamese people bravely and firmly stood up and won numerous victories in the northern as well as southern part of the country. In 1973, Washington had to sign the Paris Agreement on the restoration of peace in Vietnam and the withdrawal of all American troops from Vietnam.

Reunification

In the spring of 1975, the patriotic armed forces of Vietnam swept across the country in the great general offensive and overthrew the Saigon government. The southern part of Vietnam was liberated and the country was united as one.

On 25th April 1976, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was renamed into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which governs both northern and southern parts in its territory.

In 1977, Vietnam became a member of the United Nations.

After many years of prolonged war, the country was heavily devastated. In the 1975 - 1986 period, Vietnam had to cope with innumerable difficulties. The aftermath of war, social evils, the mass flow of refugees, war at the southwest border against the genocidal policies of Pol Pot government in Cambodia, the dispute at the northern border, the isolation and embargo from the United States and Western countries, plus continual natural calamities ...put Vietnam before tremendous tough challenges. Moreover, those difficulties became more severe due to subjective reasons such as hastiness and impatience, and voluntarism in rebuilding the country regardless of specific actual conditions. Early in the 80s, Vietnam witnessed the most serious ever socio-economic crisis, the inflation rate rose up to a record 774.7% in 1986.

Economic renovation: Doi Moi

Since 1986, the government launched the "Doi Moi" or all-round renovation process, stepping in the general development trend and the process of gradual globalization and regionalization. The 6th Congress of Vietnam Communist Party in December 1986 strictly self-criticized its mistakes in the past years, assessing carefully its achievements, analysing mistakes and drawbacks, setting forth all-round renovation policy. With top priority being given to economic reform for creating a multi-sector market economy regulated by the Government, at the same time consolidating legal environment and renovating Party's and State's structure. Since then the Vietnamese economy became opened and transformed from centralized planned economy heavily based on imports to a market-oriented one. The self-determination of financing was introduced. All aimed at budget balancing and promoting exports. As from 1989, Vietnam began to export about 1 - 1.5 ton of rice, inflation rate gradually decreased (the rate stood at 67.4% in 1990), living standards were improved, democracy got enhanced, national defense and internal security got firmly consolidated, the external relations were broadened freeing the country from blockage and isolation.

In June 1991, the VIIth Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party reaffirmed its determination to pursue the renovation process overcoming difficulties and challenges, stabilizing political situation, pushing back unfairness and negative activities, directing the country out of crisis. The Congress also set forth the foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification the guideline "Vietnam wants to be friend all other countries in the International Community for Peace, Independence and Development".

With renovation process, Vietnam step by step surpassed many difficulties, hindrances, and achieved great results. During the 1991-1998 period, the average economic growth rate (presented by the increase rate in GDP) reached 8%. In 1999 the economy was seriously affected by the economic crisis in the region and natural calamities; it GDP growth was only 4,5%. However, economic performance is inspiring in 2000 with GDP growth of 6,7% by first nine months. By September 2000, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) reached $ 36 billion with 2,500 projects; inflation decreased from 67.1% (in 1991) to 6% (in 2000), living standards of the majority were improved. The cultural and intellectual standard got further increased. Generally, Vietnam has made a lot of progress in the fields of education, health care, culture and art, sports, family planning, public media, and other social activities. The political situation, independence and sovereignty of the nation, national security and defense have been maintained stable, thus actively facilitating the "Doi Moi" process. The political system from central to local level was consolidated; the State's rule and law has been firmly constructed and increasingly made perfect. The foreign policy of independence and sovereignty multilateralization and diversification has brought about great results. Now, Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with nearly 170 countries, trade relations with 165 countries, and attracting foreign investment from more than 70 countries and territories.

The future

The IXth Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party in April 2001 reviewed achievements recorded during 15 years of renovation (1986 - 2001), laying targets for development by the year 2001 and 2010: focusing on promoting industrialization and modernization.

Socio- Economic strategy for 2001-2010:

Viet Nam's socio-economic development strategy for the 2001-2010 period has been defined as to accelerate national industrialization and modernization along the socialist line and build the foundation for the country to basically become an industrialized nation by 2020.

The three breakthroughs defined by the strategy to promote socio-economic development are to build uniform market-oriented economic institutions in line with socialism with focus on renewal of policy to liberate the production force and expand markets at home and abroad; make a vigorous change in the development of human resources, focusing on education-training, science-technology; renew the organization and operation of the political system, focusing on administrative reform.

The specific goals of the Strategy are:

To ensure that by 2010, GDP will have at least doubled the 2000 level. To increase visibly the efficiency and competitiveness of products, enterprises and the economy; to better meet essential consumption demands, and a considerable part of production and export demands. To ensure macro-economic stability; a sound international payment balance and growing foreign exchange reserves; to keep budget deficits, inflation and foreign debts within safe limits to effect positively economic growth. Domestic savings are to amount to over 30 percent of GDP. Exports are to increase at a rate more than double that of GDP growth. Agriculture is to account for 16-17 percent of GDP, industry 40-41 percent, and services 42-43 percent. Agricultural labor is to drop to around 50 percent of the workforce.
To raise substantially our Human Development Index (HDI). The population growth rate is to have dropped to 1.1 - 1.2 percent by 2010. To eliminate the category of hungry households, and reduce quickly the number of poor households. To solve the employment issue in both urban and rural areas (to reduce urban unemployment rate to below 5 percent; and increase utilized worktime in rural areas to about 80-85 percent); to raise the trained labor ratio to around 40 percent. To ensure schooling to all school-age children; to accomplish junior secondary education universalization nationwide. To provide medical treatment to patients; to reduce (under-five) child malnutrition to around 20 percent; to increase the average life expectancy to 71 years.
Industrialization and modernization is aimed at developing Vietnam into an industrial country with a modern technical and physical infrastructure, rational economic structure, a progressive productional relationship in conformity with production level, a firm national defence and security, for wealthy people, strong country, just, democratic and advanced society .

 

Beliefs and Religions in Vietnam

Soldiers of Vietnam, we go forward,
With the one will to save our Fatherland
Our hurried steps are sounding on the long and arduous road
Our flag, red with the blood of victory, bears the spirit of our country
The distant rumbling of the guns mingles with our marching song.
The path to glory passes over the bodies of our foes.
Overcoming all hardships, together we build our resistance bases.
Ceaselessly for the people's cause we struggle,
Hastening to the battle field!
Forward! All together advancing!
Our Vietnam is strong eternal.

Soldiers of Vietnam, we go forward,
The gold star of our flag in the wind
Leading our people, our native land, out of misery and suffering
Let us join our efforts in the fight for the building of a new life.
Let us stand up and break our chains.
For too long have we swallowed our hatred
Let us keep ready for all sacrifices and our life will be radiant.
Ceaselessly for the people's cause we struggle,
Hastening to the battlefield!
Forward! All together advancing!
Our Vietnam is strong eternal.


 

Vietnam Embassy and Consulate Links

Embassy of Vietnam in Ottawa, Canada
470 Wilbrod Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6M8, Canada
(1613) 236 0772
Consular: 236 1398
(1613) 236 2704
Consular: 236 0819

Embassy of Vietnam in Washington DC. - USA
1233, 20th St., NW, Suite 400, Washington DC, 20036, USA
(1-202) 861 0737
Consular: 861 2293
(1-202) 861 0917
Consular: 861 0694

Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco, USA
1700 California St., Suite 430 San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
(1415) 922 1577
(1415) 922 1707
(1415) 922 1848(1415)922 1757

Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN
866 UN Plaza, Suite 435, New York, N.Y. 10017, USA
(1212) 644 0594
 

U.S. Visa Connection
 22118 Provincial Blvd.
 Katy, TX 77450

CALL TOLL FREE 
 877-VISA-DOC (877- 847- 2362)
 visahouston@yahoo.com