Good Evening, Vietnam Trivia Quiz

Answer: City

Using the official contemporary name of Ho Chi Minh City would rather have given the game away! Local usage still refers to the largest city in Vietnam as Sài Gòn, especially when referring to the city centre rather than the entire urban area. This is only the latest in a series of name changes for the settlement.

The Cham people (original inhabitants of the coastal region before the arrival of the Vietnamese people) established a village on the site which they called Baigaur.
Under the rule of the Khmer Empire (starting around 1100 CE) it was officially called by the Khmer name Prey Nôkôr, which means roughly forest kingdom. This referred to the sizable forests that surrounded the city. The Khmer name for Ho Chi Minh City in the 21st century is Krung Prey Nôkôr, the first word describing a sizable city.
When Vietnamese refugees began to arrive in the 17th century, they used the Vietnamese name Sài Gòn (roughly equivalent to the Khmer name in meaning) to refer to the city. When they gained control of the area, they named it officially Gia Dinh Thanh, to emphasize the break from Khmer control.
When the French captured the area in 1859, they reverted to a form of the traditional Vietnamese name, Saïgon. This name continued to be used by those who controlled the region through the wars of independence.
In 1946, as part of the struggle for independence from French colonial rule, the Viet Minh declared that the city was to be known as Thành Pho Ho Chí Minh, rather than Thành Pho Sài Gòn. Once more, the name change was to make a clear declaration of a change of control, naming the city after the leader of their movement. When Vietnam was declared to be a single independent nation in 1975, the government made that the official name.

Ho Chi Mihn City is Vietnam's most populous city and its financial centre. Its port is the country's busiest container port, and Tân Son Nhat International Airport the nation's busiest. The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest in the world, having been founded in 1864, with the zoo opening in 1869.

Answer: City

Hanoi, located on the Red River Delta in the northern part of Vietnam, is the national capital and its second-largest city. The citadel of Cổ Loa, located the current city of Hanoi, was the capital of the Vietnamese region Âu Lac, which covered parts of northern Vietnam and southern China in the 2nd century BCE. This was followed by a lengthy period as part of the Han empire, until the Vietnamese emperor Lý Thái To established an independent Vietnamese nation (Dai Viet), with its capital in Hanoi, renamed Thang Long, which means Ascending Dragon. This is a reference to the Red River, which snakes around the city like a dragon (if you squint). A number of local nicknames for the city over the centuries have included 'Long' as part of the name.

In 1802 the Nguyen dynasty moved the national capital to Hue. The French renamed the city as Hanoi, and made it the capital of French Indochina (moving the capital there from Saigon in 1902). In 1946 the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam declared the establishment of an independent country with Hanoi as its capital. Following the end of the series of conflicts associated with the end of colonial control, Hanoi became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976.

When you visit Hanoi, you will be struck by the visible remnants of French colonialism, in the wide tree-lined streets and the architecture, especially in the French Quarters.

Answer: City

Vietnam's third largest city, Haiphong is an industrial city located on the Red River Delta, at the mouth of the Cam River. It has been an important post since the first century CE, with the area being designated by a name that translates into English as "The trading defensive area of Hai Duong Province". The French chose it to be their main naval base when they took over in 1881. Following World War II, French forces attempting to return after the Japanese had been defeated met resistance from those supporting national independence, and the fighting for control of Haiphong precipitated the First Indochina War.

While Haiphong is described as an industrial city, about a third of its area is used for agricultural purposes, mostly growing rice. Despite its coastal location, sea fishing makes up relatively little of the city's economic output, although a growing aquaculture sector has developed in the 21st century. Haiphong has a reputation for the best seafood restaurants (and street food) in Vietnam.

Answer: City

Vietnam's fourth-largest city is located in the Mekong Delta in the southernmost part of the country. It is on the Hau River, one of the branches of the Mekong River that form the delta. As the largest city on the Mekong Delta, where over half the nation's rice is grown along with an abundance of fruits and vegetables, Can Tho is a major trading centre.

One of Vietnam's best known floating markets, Cái Rang floating market, is located near the centre of the city. These floating markets abound in both the Mekong and the Red River Deltas, established when transport by river and along the seacoast was the most efficient way of moving people and goods around the country. They are still a vibrant economic force in the 21st century, and a popular tourist destination.

Answer: City

Da Nang, Vietnam's fifth-largest city, sits on the coast near the middle of the country, at the mouth of the Hàn River. The city dates from the time of the Champa Empire (established in 192 CE), and has been known by a number of names, most of which refer (in various languages, depending on who was in control) to its location on the Hàn.

In the 21st century, Da Nang was the must urbanized of Vietnam's five municipalities (the cities in this quiz), and far more urbanized than any of the 58 provinces, with over 85% of the population living in urban areas. While agriculture, forestry and fishing are still active areas of employment, the numbers engaged in them have been steadily dwindling. Tourism has become increasingly important, with visitors using Da Nang as a convenient base for visiting a number of nearby World Heritage Sites, including the Imperial City of Hue (capital of the Nguyen dynasty), the Old Town of Hoi An (known by foodies as Banh Mi central), and the Hindu temples of My Son.

Answer: Island

Bach Long Vi is an island in the Gulf of Tonkin, about halfway between Haiphong (of which it is an offshore district) and the Chinese island of Hainan. It plays an important role in the fishing industry by acting as a fish nursery and a source of fish eggs. It featured prominently in the negotiations between China and Vietnam about locating the border between the two nations in the Gulf, and was allocated to Vietnam by agreement.

Because of its location, the island has had multiple names in the past, both in various Vietnamese languages and in Chinese. The Vietnamese Bach Long Vi means Tail of the White Dragon, a name formerly used for a Chinese peninsula in the region. The local Vietnamese and Chinese fishers use names which translate into English as Pearl Floating on Water. It has also been called Vô Thuy (No Water) because it is a plateau with no running water on the island. Until a well was established in 1920, there was no permanent settlement on the island; it was just used as a shelter from storms by fishermen. The population is still small, numbering in the hundreds, mostly dependent on fishing for their livelihood.

Answer: Island

Phu Quy is the largest of the ten islands that comprise the Phu Quy archipelago. This doesn't make it all that large: 16.5 sq km is about a quarter the size of Manhattan. Located in the South China Sea about 100 km from the central Vietnamese coast, the northern coast of the island is rocky (and the site of a lovely lighthouse), while the southern coasts are beautiful sandy beaches.

Tourism is limited at the start of the 21st century, as the only way to reach the island is by ferry - a trip that takes between 4 and 6 hours depending on which one you catch. And the ferry links the island to Phan Thiet City on the mainland, itself a train trip away from any international airport. As a result, only a relatively small number of tourists need to compete for space on the beach and in the restaurants that feature delicious local seafood - especially the lobster. Plans are underway to encourage overseas investment in infrastructure, especially an airport - so the island's tranquility may not last long!

Answer: Island

Con Lon, also called Con Son, is the largest island in the Con Dao archipelago. In 1702 the English East India Company founded a short-lived settlement on the island; they called the island Pulo Condor, an adaptation of the Malay name Pulau Kundur. In the 1787 Treaty of Versailles, Nguyen Ánh ceded the island to France in return for French support to get him back on the Vietnamese throne. However, the French failed to provide the promised support, so the treaty fell through, and the French did not gain control of Con Lon until 1861.

During the period of French colonialism, it was known as Grande-Condore, and was the site of a major prison used for political prisoners. When the island returned to Vietnamese hands in 1954, the South Vietnamese government continued to use the prison for this purpose, including the infamous "tiger cages" reported during the Vietnam War. One of the best-known prisoners kept there was Le Duc Tho (co-winner with Henry Kissinger of the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize), incarcerated by the French from 1930 to 1936 and again from 1939 to 1944.

The prison was closed in 1975, but has occasionally been reopened to provide temporary housing for illegal immigrants before they are deported.

Answer: Island

Located in the Gulf of Thailand off the southwest coast of Vietnam, Phu Quoc is the nation's largest offshore island, and one of the most populous, with a permanent population over 175,000. As it is also off the coast of Cambodia, the Khmer people have periodically considered it as theirs - but there is no strong historical evidence that they ever actually established residence there.

Aside from tourism (there are some spectacular beaches), the three most important parts of the local economy are fish sauce, pepper and pearls. Phu Quoc is generally considered to produce the best fish sauce in Vietnam, using the anchovies caught in the offshore fishing grounds. So highly is it respected that local developers have sought to have the name protected so that the island's name can only be included if it is produced there. Pepper is widely grown, especially in the inland parts of the island. Pearl farming is a 21st century development spurred by overseas investors.

Answer: Island

Tho Chu is the largest island in the Tho Chu archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand. Historically, the island has been disputed between Cambodia and Vietnam, with both countries claiming that it is in their territorial waters. Current international recognition places it in Vietnamese hands, as one of the defining points of their territorial waters.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge invaded the island and kidnapped around 500 villagers, who were taken to Cambodia and killed. Vietnamese forces recaptured the island a few days later, and held it against several more attempts at invasion.

You may or may not be able to visit Tho Chu, as it is the site of a military base for border defense, and access to non-residents is periodically closed. Before you undertake the 8-hour ferry trip from Phu Quoc, it is advisable to get written permission for the visit. Since there are plans to establish it as an eco-tourism destination, this caveat could become less relevant in the future.