THE Vietnamese, like their Cambodian neighbours, have known many years of war and conflict.
After gaining independence from French colonialists in the 1950s under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam almost immediately plunged into a war between the north of the country and the Saigon regime established by the United States in the South.
The war lasted until 1975 and left Vietnam with a badly damaged environment and an infrastructure in tatters.
Since the fall of Saigon and the reunification of Vietnam, about 500,000 Vietnamese have left the country and become refugees. Many of them came to Hong Kong as 'asylum seekers', better known as 'boat people'.
Following the defeat of the US and their withdrawal from Vietnam, the country was effectively cut off from the West and the rest of Asia. Recently, however, the US lifted the embargo on Vietnam.
Vietnam is now pursuing an 'open market' policy and Hong Kong companies are among the biggest investors. Under the Government's new policies, individuals have more freedom and responsibility for their own economic welfare. New land laws mean that every farm household now has land to use for a minimum of 20 years.