Where The Dragon Descends To The Sea Quiz

Answer: Saigon

Saigon had been the capital of South Vietnam 1954-75. When it was captured by the North Vietnamese in 1975 it was renamed in honour of their late leader, Ho Chi Minh.

Today many Vietnamese still refer to the city as Saigon and it remains the country's largest city and economic centre.

Answer: Hanoi

The city of Hanoi has had many names over the course of its history, being renamed Hanoi in 1831.

It was the capital of North Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 when it became the capital of the newly united Vietnam.

Answer: Fansipan

At 3143m Mt Fansipan (or Fan Si Pan) in north-east Vietnam is the highest mountain in south-east Asia.

Answer: Ethnic minorities of Vietnam

The mountainous north-west region of Vietnam is home to a number of small hill tribes who are not ethnically Vietnamese. Other tribes include the White Hmong, the Flower Hmong and the Tay among others. They make their living farming rice on the terraced hillsides and increasingly through tourism.

Answer: The American War

The Vietnamese had been engaged in a struggle to expel the Japanese during the Second World War and then the returning French colonialists after the end of the war. Having defeated the French in 1954 and secured independence, Vietnam was divided into two parts.

The communist North invaded the south seeking unification and the USA became involved in the 1960s but withdrew their troops in 1973. Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese in 1975 and the two parts of Vietnam were formally united in 1976.

Answer: Mekong

The Mekong is the 12th longest river in the world. It flows through China, Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before reaching southern Vietnam where it divides into a delta and flows into the South China Sea.

Answer: China, Cambodia and Laos

China invaded northern Vietnam in 1979 in an attempt to distract the Vietnamese from their own invasion of Cambodia.

Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia resulted in the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge government there. China withdrew its troops from Vietnam after a few months with both sides claiming victory.

Laos's border with Vietnam saw it being dragged unofficially into the hostilities during the Vietnam War.

Answer: Gulf of Thailand

Vietnam's coastline is 3444km long, the vast majority of it being on the South China Sea and its extension, the Gulf of Tonkin.

Answer: False

In fact, it is the dong.

In 2005 the dong had the lowest value of any currency - over 15,000 dong would be needed to make one US dollar.

Answer: Ha Long

Halong (or Ha Long) Bay is a place of stunning natural beauty where limestone islets rise steeply from the green waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.

The bay was caused by glaciation during the ice age. However, the Vietnamese legend was that a dragon descended from Heaven to help the Vietnamese in their struggle against the Chinese. As it thrashed its way to the sea it carved out the islands and coves.