Where to get an up-close look at Vietnam's long history of war
Four decades after the fall of Saigon, memorabilia from the country's war with America is attracting adventurous tourists
The thirtiethof April marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. While it signalled the end of the Vietnam War, it was not yet the end of what seems an eternity of fighting: in the past 100 years alone, the country has been at war with France, Japan and Thailand, then America, and after that Cambodia and China — and the fall of Saigon ushered in a Hollywood genre that has shaped modern perceptions of this skinny, S-shaped Southeast Asian country, bulldozing over the intricacies of this delicate culture and building on images of pain and destruction.
"We choose to forgive, but we will never forget," so many Vietnamese people — from the north and the south — will tell you. And while the country is now establishing itself as a cultural, culinary and adventure destination, real-life American war stories remain one of the characteristics of this vibrant country.
Roll back the years
