VIIHIHI

Magazine
Published by The Vietnam Council on Foreign Relations
GRAD 51. VII , No. 7 , 1974
DS
34 557
. A5
A46
v. 7
no . 7
BUHR

VIETNAM
 Crad
DS
557
IAS
A 46
v7
No. 7
Allroads used
Buhi to lead to Rome.
Times have changed.Today,Frankfurt
is the hub of European commerce.
It's in the center of the European
Common Market and agathering point
for international banks, insurance
companies and trading groups.
And right in the middle of the greatest
vacation paradise the world has
to offer - Europe.
To Lufthansa, it's home.
Most of all, Frankfurt is Europe's
major take - off point,with roughly
300 departures daily to everywhere.
Even Rome. Just in case .

Lufthansa
♡

The more you fly

General Sales Agent
Asian American Transportation
22 Nguyen Hue Boulevard,Saigon ( Vietnam )
Tel. 91.507, 98.493
0
10

0
10

CH
FRAN 100
R
CM

DENEDERLANDSCHE BANK

; -100
HONDERD GULD

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARIES

brad
seasi
Gift
in17-99
FROM OUR READERS

I am making a gift subscription of Vietnam

Magazine to the Skal Travel Service, Ltd., 203 J.
12 NA
Hotung House, Hankow Road, Kowloon , Hong Kong.
It seems the above travel agency and others are
encouraging tourism of Vietnam by propagandizing
Magazine
what one may smilingly refer to as a national Board of Directors of
THE VIETNAM COUNCIL
(natural) resource .
ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
Therefore, I'm sure Vietnam Magazine with its
interesting, timely, and concise articles will provide Editorial Address :
additional useful information of promotional value P. O. Box 932
to this agency and prospective visitors to your beau SAIGON , VIETNAM
tiful country . Officers
F. S. COLEBRISSI Tran Van Lam , President
Nguyen Duy Tai, Vice President
Kobe, Japan Nguyen Ngoc Linh, Secretary General
· Dao Trinh Binh , Assistant Secretary General
Lai Bao, Treasurer
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your articles on Directors
tourism in Vietnam by Yoshimasa Yokoyama and Mrs. Huynh Ngọc Anh
E. P. Patanne in your Vol. VII, No. 6, 1974 issue. Ho Van Cham
There seems to be no end to the places of in Wang Tsio Yong
Gobind L. Daswani
terest and things to see in your country from what
Truong Vinh Le
I have read in Vietnam Magazine and heard from Ngo Khac Tinh
visitors to Vietnam to whom I have talked . The
Nguyen Huu Chung
vestiges of the grandeur of ancient Vietnam , today's Editor - in - Chief
feverish efforts to build for a better tomorrow , and Nguyen Ngọc Linh
the charm and hospitality of its people all combine to
cast a lure for tourists from all over the world.
I can just imagine the tremendous potential of
tourism in your beautiful country. If we were to
start just with the men of the allied forces who
served in Vietnam, their families and friends, we CONTENTS
shall have the nucleus for a mass invasion by tourists. Vol. VII, No. 7, 1974
With a return to normal pursuits of life after
the long and cruel struggle that has imposed many FROM OUR READERS 1
difficulties on your people, there should be the FROM OUR PRESIDENT 2
attendant blessings of a Vietnam at peace, including 2
the economic benefits of tourism and the resultant MAP. OF REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
3
good will that it brings. HONOR ROLL
IMMENSE FOOD SOURCE 4
I have also been following with much interest
reports on your long-range projects in the interest PHAM TU'S SILK WORLD 6

of the economic well-being of your nation and a A CRUISE ON THE MEKONG ... 9
better life for your people. That they are being HE MISSED IMMORTAL EXISTENCE 13
implemented despite no surcease in the fighting in
VN EXPORT PROCESSING ZONE 20
some areas of your country speaks of faith and
determination that
that portrays
portrays so eloquently the VIETNAMESE COUNTRY LIFE .. 23

strength of the Vietnamese spirit. INCENSE AND CINNAMON 26

With all this, I cannot see how your hopes and

Cover : Many are the things to remind Vietnam of her
aspirations will not be crowned with fulfillment. friends and among these is this “Peace" kiosk built for
the Vietnamese people by South Koreans in Cholon , a
DAVID WONG suburb of Saigon .

Kowloon , Hong Kong

1
 BUSINESS IN VIETNAM
REVISED EDITION
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2
 E I G N RELATIONS
A M C I L F O R
VIETN COUN ON

HONOR PATRONS
TRANS WORLD AIRLINES
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES
LUFTHANSA , GERMAN AIRLINES
ASIAN AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION
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CATERPILLAR
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ESSO EASTERN INC .
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3

Fishermen haul up a circular net of anchovy catch in: night operation.
Immense Food Source
By DOAN BICH
Since time immemorial, Viet-
nam's 1,600 -kilometer coastline has
always been an immense source of
food for millions of people. Al
though no progress has been made
in recent years due to continued
conflict, fishermen in the coastal
provinces netted 715,000 tons of sea
products in 1973, exporting 5,000
tons of various species of fish to
Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan,
Holland, France and Germany.
Ranking first in the list was frozen
shrimp which accounted for 12.7
million U.S. dollars.
According to official statistics,
21.9 per cent of the total amount
of foreign exchange earned by the
Republic of Vietnam in 1973 came
from sea product exports. The
figure testifies to the fact that fish
eries remain one of the main ex
port sources of the country which
should be developed, especially at
this time when the RON badly
needs foreign exchange. In this
connection , the government has
envisaged the export of U.S.$ 20
4
million worth of sea products this
year.
It is generally known that Viet
nam has not fully exploited its
fishery resources both for home
consumption and for export. This
is due to inadequate fishing tech
nology and equipment as well as
the lack of storage facilities and
processing methods for large -scale
exports.
Thus far, Rach Gia has been con
sidered as the principal production
center of frozen shrimp which is
very much appreciated in Hong
Kong, Japan and Singapore, Fish
flour produced by Vietnam also
enjoys a good reputation in the
world market because of its high
contents of protein : up to 62 per
cent.
Seven fish flour manufacturing
plants are now operating in Rach
Gia, the capital of Kien Giang
province. Five kilos of fish can pro
duce one kilo of flour for export.
Fresh water fish of Vietnam also
enjoy a high reputation abroad.
Several Japanese and French busi
nessmen have expressed their in
tention to import “loc bong” fish
from Vietnam . Ornamental fish is
another export product available
and the government has encourag
ed the private sector to invest in
this enterprise. In 1973, export
companies sold nearly 500,000 such
fish to Hong Kong and the United
States. Other countries desirous of
importing Vietnam's ornamental
fish include Japan and France.
Development Projects
Rivers and canals in Vietnam ,
especially in the Mekong Delta,
provide large quantities of fresh
water fish and shrimp for local
consumption while sea products
come mainly from the coastal Cen
tral provinces.
In recent years, the government
has sought to promote fishery deve
lopment. Investment privileges
were granted to 28 development
projects valued at eight billion
piasters. The projects include mo
dern fishing gear and facilities of
more than 30 offshore fishing boats
which will cost nearly six billion
piasters. A total of 2,300 skilled
workers will be recruited to
handle these boats which will
bring an income of 14 million U.S.
dollars every year through fish
exports.
In addition, 17 other projects on
sea product processing also got in
vestment privileges from the gov
ernment. These concern fish flour,
frozen shrimp, dried and canned
fish , and fried shrimp chips.
Financial Aid
More recently , the Asian Deve
lopment Bank has agreed to ex
tend financial aid up to 12 million
U.S. dollars for the establishment
of a large -scale fishery company
in Vietnam. The project includes
the setting up of necessary facili
ties of international standards for
fishery activities: a cold storage
system , an ice plant and shrimp
rearing ponds, besides 300 marine
engines and fishing equipments for
large fishing boats.
The fishery company will also
take charge of the purchase, pro
cessing, preservation and distribu
 tion of sea products for home con
sumption and for exports.
Difficulties
At present, Vietnam only has
small boats fit for coastal fishing.
Tens of thousands of fishing boats
are operating along the coast but
they are concentrated at such main
seaports as Binh Tuy, Rach Gia in
South Vietnam, a n d Qui Nhon,
Nha Trang, Phan Rang, Phan Thiet
in Central Vietnam .
Rach Gia may be considered a
typical fishing port in the country.
Officially, it has 3,323 registered
fishing boats but, according to
1
local fishermen, only 1,500 boats
are actually in operation. Among
these, 11 have a tonnage of 50 to
100 tons, 83 from 30 to 50 tons, 400
from 20 to 30 tons, and 600 from 2
to 5 tons. Of course , all these small
fishing boats cannot be equipped
with ultra -modern machines for
sea product processing or powerful
fishing gear to haul large quanti
ties of fish .
Schools of fish are generally
located far from the coast, and
consequently , fishing boats should
be equipped with modern fish find
ers to be effective . Due to the lack
of all these equipments, the
largest Vietnamese fishing boat at
present cannot go beyond the 50
mile -fishing territorial waters.
Another difficulty of the fishery
industry in Vietnam lies in the
shortage of fuel. At the beginning
Couple displays dried shark fins.
These baskets full of fish are part of a day's catch by one family.
of 1974, a fishing boat of 60 h.p. for
instance needed around 4.000 liters
of diesel oil to sail lor an offshore
journey of 12 to 15 days. Including
food expenditures for the crew
and 12,500 kilos of ice for the
freezing of fish , such an operation
involves an expense of 450,000
piasters. It could realize a catch
worth 800,000 piasters or a profit
of 350,000 piasters.
Following the Giap Dan Lunar
New Year Festival, by March 1974,
the price of each liter of diesel oil
soared up to 130 piasters and the
fishing industry nearly collapsed,
as a similar journey cost the fishing
boat 750.000 piasters .
Fortunately, a few weeks later,
the price of diesel oil was read
justed at 95 piasters per liter and
fishermen resumed their activities.
Dioxin Hoax
Vietnam's exports of sea pro
ducts last year met with a serious
difficulty in the supply of frozen
shrimp to Japan .
In April 1973, two American ex
perts revealed that Vietnamese sea
products could have been contami
nated by a toxic agent called
dioxin which could cause harm to
human health if it was absorbed
up to a given quantity .
Because of this revelation , Jap
anese authorities immediately ban
ned the distribution of 370 tons
of frozen shrimp imported from
South Vietnam .
Japan also stopped the import
of sea products from South Viet
nam and Vietnamese exporters had
to look for other markets for their
products.
Seven months later, the National
Sanitary Institute of Japan an
nounced on Dec. 21 , 1973 that fol
lowing a meticulous analysis by
experts , it was established that
Vietnamese sea products were free
of dioxin and the import of frozen
shrimp from South Vietnam might
be resumed .
Export Increase
According to statistics compiled
by the Export Development Cen
ter, based on export licenses, the
quantity of marine products ex
ported during the second semester
of 1973 increased twice that ex
ported in the first semester, bring
ing a total of 4,000 tons valued at
15 million U.S. dollars.
It is believed that sea product
exports will surely become a main
foreign exchange earner for the
Republic of Vietnam , since besides
Japan which is a major purchaser,
other customers include the United
States, Hong Kong, Thailand , Sin
gapore, France, West Germany,
Holland and Laos.
5
 A HARMONY OF COLORS

PHAM TU'S SILK WORLD

By CHAU KIM DINH

Silk painting is a delicate art, an Oriental paint

ing par excellence. Its origin is perhaps as old and
as picturesque as the art of Chinese calligraphy. Silk
painting reflects the Oriental mind in its most subtle,
most delicate expression. For the artist in silk paint
ing tries to do the impossible: to make his thoughts,
his impressions, his direct observations of nature, of
the landscape and of people a picture which pleases
the eye and delights the mind by fine design , by
balanced composition, by delicate shades or harmo
nious colors.

But the essence of silk painting lies in the

" atmosphere " of the painting, the impression it
conveys to art lovers. I've seen many silk painting
exhibitions and I was favorably impressed with
works by Van Tho and other silk painters like Be
Ky, Tran Dac. Each artist has his own style. They
have tried each in his or her own way, his or her
mood, to tell something about the traditions, the
customs of Vietnam , its history or folk scenes, rural
or street activities. And each has his or her favorite
admirer in Vietnam and abroad .
But no Vietnamese silk painter can match Pham
Tu in depth of subject, in intensity of warm feelings,
in harmony of colors, in universality of spirit. I have
seen hundreds of paintings by Pham Tu, talked with
him on art and on life — I don't remember how many
times — to such a point that I became almost his con
fident and close friend .
Pride in Traditional Spirit
Pham Tu impresses me as a Vietnamese artist
who takes pride in the traditional, unyielding spirit
of the Vietnamese people and as a man who uses
Western art technique to express the innermost
feelings of the Oriental people. Like Zen adepts, the
artist wants to reach the universal, to enter into
communion with Tao, the universal soul and he sees
man and mankind as part of the great TAO .
Pham Tu belongs to the old illustrious genera
tion of avant-garde artists like Le Pho, Phan Chanh,
Phan Ke An, Pham Viet Song, Nguyen Gia Tri. Most
if not all of these artists were graduates of the
Advanced School of Fine Arts in Hanoi founded by
French professor Tardieu early in the nineteen
thirties.
The 61-year old artist was born in Hoa Phu
Village, Dien Ban District. Quang Nam Province, in
April 15, 1917. He was the fourth son of a family
of twelve. His father was a pastor who loved fine
arts and had wished that Pham Tu would become
a great artist. Pham Tu attended the Hong Bang
12 gw me the
t
Sep yo
NET 3. THOSE
A self-portrait by artist Pham Tu.
Secondary School located the Pho Hang Trong Street,
Hanoi. He was thrown into jail for joining the
student movement to support the great patriot Phan
Chau Trinh. In 1933 and 1934, he learned the art of
Chinese painting from the old, talented and vener
able Nam Son .
After completion of studies from the Hanoi
Advanced School of Fine Arts, Pham Tu and artist
Tran Van Tho made a swing through the Haute
Région of old Tonkin – Ha Giang, Hoang Xa Phi,
Lao Kay and other picturesque areas close to the
Chinese border. During this memorable trip, he made
many sketches of the beautiful landscapes he saw
and made portraits of ethnic minority people of
North Vietnam like the Man, Muong, Thai, ect.
Later, Pham Tu learned the art of painting
from India, China and Japan through books and
through personal experiences. Although Pham Tu's
paintings on pastel, aquarelle and fusain are second
to none, silk painting remains the artist's favorite
specialization which made him famous. Back in 1937,
the artist had the rare honor of being selected to
display a painting entitled “ The Vietnamese Meal "
in New York.

6
 犯 坛
De a
Pham is actually no green hand in silk painting. PE

网 陽
He is one of the rare survivors of pre-war great n
artists who were either killed during the Resistance
war or who chose to live in exile in France or in
other European countries. Ve Le

临 鼎 册
The artist's delicate brush and sensible mind have
combined and have harmonized Western methods
with Oriental subtle feelings, plus the secret of
brush painting he acquired from Chinese and
Japanese classical masters. Pham Tu's talent is a
strange and happy mixture of the best traditions of
Hanoi Art School, French impressionism , particu
larly Renoir, the classic painting of natural land
scape plus a tendency for caricature and for drama
tizing certain aspects of social life of the Vietnamese
society. Pham Tu's admirers are favorably im
pressed with his “ fine sensitivity with an extremely
delicate touch . " Pham Tu's portraits " evoke sym
pathy" and a " feeling which transcends words."
Some hail him “a most profound artist.” On
Sunday December 17, 1972 , the first monumental
open air exhibit of Pham Tu was shown in the
villa of CARE Assistant Director P. A. Janes at Tran
Quy Khoạch, Tan Dinh, Saigon. Visitors to the
exhibit were greeted by the sound of recorded Viet
namese flute music by well-known flutist Nguyen
Dinh Nghia, amid green leaves and a blue pond,
flame burning and wine flowing.
For the whole Sunday afternoon of December 17,
1972, art lovers were treated to a festival of harmony

The Mountain and the Sea, a silk painting by Tu.

and a symphony of colors rarely seen in a private

exhibit of paintings.
Besides Mr. Janes who was very very proud to
house Pham Tu's art treasure in his villa, the visitors
were impressed with some master works like Le
Loi's Revolt, The Widow , Halong Bay. But their
heart also went to smaller works such as Lotus
Picking, Ha Giang Spring, Lake Bathing, Vung Tau
Sunset, etc.

Girl Student By Gaslight, also done in silk .

This exhibit gave so lasting an impression and
its echo was so sonorous that a poet wrote in the

7

Farmers at work, a favorite Ty subject, is a collage.
Saigon daily Dien Tin on August 15, 1973 this moving
tribute to Pham Tu's silk painting art :
“The open air exhibit (of Pham Tu's painting )
is a symphony in color” since the paintings display
ed are happily blended with the natural setting,
and as such , it has attracted a great number of in
ternational visitors as well as Vietnamese artists,
writers, newsmen , art connoisseurs.
" Sixty -five paintings covering a rich variety of
subjects on history, landscape, motherland , still life,
and a variety of style from classical to semi- classical,
expressionist, symbolist, abstractionist, make the
Vietnamese art lovers see Pham Tu's paintings as
living poems.
“ Landscape paintings which are filtered through
joy, sadness, love, anger, the thinking and worrying
of the artist, make Pham Tu's paintings look so
natural, so lively through the many picturesque
aspects of the motherland and of the Vietnamese
people.
“ Although some of Pham Tu's paintings bear a
“struggle” character, one still sees what the delicate,
tender, graceful silk can achieve under the flower
ing brush , the wonderful composition, the mastery
of style and the harmony of colors in nearly all
works displayed at this open air exhibit. “But the
most striking painting is the work entitled 'Sum
mer Dream .' It depicts a Vietnamese woman sleep
Aquarelle shows people evacuating flooded Danang area .
8
家 天
受 人
Grandfather Telling Stories, a pastel creation by Tu.
ing in a tattered hammock with her baby sitting
by the side of a tea pot which has lost its kettle,
a lean and sad -looking cat which seems weary about
the flying time. The background is a deserted
veranda, a bamboo screen on which a charm is
pasted, a wooden comb and in the garden , one or
two banana trees with their leaves trembling under
the caressing wind ...
“If literature and poetry are the pictures of life
and cultural works reflect the soul of a people,
Pham Tu's work are as beautiful and as moving as
the great immortal poems of sensible poets. Is life
itself a poem or living features fixed on a painting?
I feel something mystical, something delightful that
even the most talented poets cannot express but
a painter of Pham Tu's caliber can render without
much trouble. And this makes all the more true the
concept that good poetry, good music and excellent
painting are closely related and constitute the ex
pression of the most noble feeling and thoughts of
mankind.
“Is Pham Tu a poet, an artist or a missionary
man... working for mutual understanding, for uni
versalism among men? He may be all three com
bined in one, but above all, he remains a Vietnamese
in spirit, in creation , in sensibility and in humanism . "
In any case, Pham Tu is no doubt a genius of
Vietnam, as his works have proved and his way of
simple, poor living amply demonstrates to all his
friends and acquaintances and even visitors who
casually drop in to see him at 19/9 Lam Son,
Chi Lang ( in front of Chi Lang swimming pool ) ,
Gia Dinh .
 WORLD'S MOST PERILOUS
A CRUISE ON THE MEKONG
By DANIEL CAMERON
It's 9 in the morning of June 23
and we're bound for Vietnam via
the world's most dangerous river
cruise. This is the chief supply
route for keeping alive the Cam
bodian capital, Phnom Penh. It's
of critical importance for Indo
china's delicate strategic balance.
The “ Tung Pao,” our empty
freighter, rounds the Mekong's
first great bend after Phnom Penh.
Along with us are four merchant
ships, five tugboats, and Cambo
dian Naval gunboat escorts.
" The Communists attack us very
often this year ," the pleasant Cam
bodian river pilot says.
Pilot Long
The pilot , Cheap -Hour -Leng , 33,
is speaking French in the heavily
sandbagged wheelhouse on the
Tung Pao's bridge. The mixed
crew of Vietnamese, Cambodians
and ethnic Chinese stay low be
hind the sandbags. They are civil
ian seamen on an unarmed ship
that is caught up in a war despite
the Paris ceasefire agreement.
Pilot Leng is short, stocky and
well-mannered. Between calling
out terms like “ Midship , Sir” and
“ Starboard easy , Sir .” he laughs
at the danger. He also admits that
he and Cambodia's fourteen other
Mekong pilots (two others are
studying in Holland ) , don't like
the war at all. He and the Tung
Pao's Vietnamese master, Captain
Huynh- Trinh- Tuong, would prefer
more peaceful work. Pilot Leng
would like to be the construction
engineer he studied to be, but "in
the difficulties that affect our poor
country, everybody must make
sacrifices ." He's been doing this
hazardous convoy work since 1971 .
Even the wheelhouse floor we're
standing on is covered with heavy
sandbags. Pilot Leng knows why.
Recently a shell tore into a ship
below its bridge, exploded and rip
Vietnamese Captain Huynh - Trinh- Tuong and Cambodian pilot Cheap-Hour-Leng.
ped up through the wheelhouse
floor. It gravely wounded a Cam
bodian navai liaison . Crewmen
now cover wheelhouse floors with
special, heavy -duty sandbags.
Test on the Mekong
Since U.S. protective bombing
ended in August last year, the con
voy depends on Cambodian T-28
propeller planes to bomb Khmer
Rouge (Cambodian ) and Commu
nist Vietnamese gunners hidden
along these tropical river banks.
Other protection comes from the
small Cambodian gunboats, some
Army artillery and the crewmen's
resourcefulness and courage under
fire. This courage and resource
fulness is tested often on the Me
kong. The Communist ambushers
use heavy -caliber machine guns,
steel-penetrating B - 41 rockets and
75 millimeter recoilless rifle shells .
They also vary their tactics and
positions. But they have never
succeeded in cutting off this Me
kong lifeline. Some ship captains
believe the Communists are trying
to sink a ship in one of the narrow
channels in order to block the
river traffic that brings rice , fuel
and ammunition to Phnom Penh .
Our trip down river is proving
to be pleasantly peaceful. Nobody
is shooting at us. All ships are re
turning to Vietnam empty. The
Communists usually save their
fire for the loaded ships coming up
the Mekong to Phnom Penh. Our
white -mustachioed Chief Mate
goes out on deck to operate a
Chadburn between the high -rise
sandbags.
Morale on the Tung Pao seems
good . The crew and officers work
well together. This may be partly
because they all shared and lived
a tale of courage and resourceful
ness on the Tung Pao's maiden
voyage up the Mekong on June 9.
Vietnamese Captain
Captain Huynh- Trinh - Tuong, 49,
is big for a Vietnamese and built
like a retired light-heavyweight
boxer. Ironically, he is also supris
ingly elegant as he removes the
butt from his cigarette holder and
aims binoculars down the brown ,
sun -bright river. His graying hair
close -cropped, he is wearing dap
per white tennis shorts, open white
shirt, sandals and dark glasses that
he keeps putting on and taking off.
He used to captain Shell oil tank
ers in Vietnamese coastal waters
before taking command of the
Tung Pao, a ship of Hong Kong
Chinese ownersnip and flying the
9

Chief mate among sandbags on bridge.
Panamanian flag. He moves quick
ly , like a pugilist.
Captain Tuong remembers June
9 well. The Tung Pao, that day,
sailed across the Vietnamese fron
tier with an 1,800 -ton cargo of rice
picked up from a U.S. ship in Sai
gon. Baptism of fire came early .
"After a few kilometers, B-41
rocket and recoilless shells hit us, "
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10
The “ Tung Pao ” leads four merchant ships and five tugboats ( background ).
Captain Tuong said , smiling and
inserting another cigarette into his
yellow plastic holder.
One shell tore into the Cambo
dian quartermaster's cabin. The
Cambodian has a singed denim
jacket as evidence. Far more ser
ious, other shells tore through the
portside, busted the steering cable
and damaged the two Chadburns
that control the ship's speed. This
meant trouble and sudden danger.
Lots of it. Technically it meant
that the ship could no longer be
steered or accelerated from the
sandbagged wheelhouse on the
bridge. The Vietnamese Chief En
gineer — a man born in Saigon
would have to steer the ship blind
from the engine room down below.
What to do ? They were still under
fire.
Radio Officer
The Tung Pao's Radio Officer,
Ngo Ke Thanh, 48, is a tall, lanky
man born in North Vietnam . He's
an energetic man who is both
practical and intellectual , and has
ideas for inventions. He has wavy
eyed look and a British accent he
picked up while taping and study
ing BBC radio broadcasts. Radio
Officer Thanh came to the rescue
on June 9 .
“I am jack of all trades,” he says.
In principle , the solution to the
broken steering cable was simple :
use the walkie - talkies to set up
direct radio communication from
the pilot on the bridge to the chief
engineer .down below in the engine
room . This would enable the pilot
to give steering and speed direc
tions to the chief engineer instant
ly. Only one snag here. Radio Of
ficer Thanh explained :
“ Radio in engine room could not
send or receive. The iron all
around interfered. Walkie - talkie is
for open space , not enclosed
99
space .
Radio Officer Thanh , in his spare
time, is “improvising” a plan to
make use of Vietnam's abundant
bamboo in a special process aimed
at replacing expensive plywood
imports and other building mate
rials. He hopes to visit theUnited
States someday and explain his
ideas to American investors. On
June 9, Thanh's skill at improvising
helped save the Tung Pao from a
dire fate . He tackled the radio
communication problem by setting
up an aerial on the bridge deck .
From this aerial he ran a wire
down to the antenna of the radio
in the engine room. It worked. The
pilot in the bridge was able to
direct the chief engineer by radio.
The Tung Pao sailed the last 58
miles to Phnom Penh in 18 hours,
but arrived with crew and 1,800
tons of rice intact.
Delightfully Dull
On this return leg, with empty
holds , we reach the Vietnamese
frontier six hours a fter leaving
Phnom Penh . Pilot Leng smiles .
He's found this return trip delight
fully dull. After showering and
donning a fancy sport shirt , he fin
ishes another Coke and packs his
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A crewman at the wheel of -Tung Pao . "

attache case prior to disembarking
at Tan Chau. Tomorrow he'll take
a six-hour car ride and cross two
great rivers in the Delta lowlands
( the Bassac and the Mekong)
before arriving in Saigon. After a
week in the South Vietnamese
capital he'll return for his next
voyage up the river under fire
with the Mekong Convoy.
A very noticeable relaxation ap
pears on the faces of the crew as
we enter Vietnamese waters. Men
smile easily now. After turning
around, pointing their bows up
river against the current, all ships
anchor in the fine broad river in
view of Vietnamese sampans and
quaint villages along the green
banks. They wait for customs in
spectors before proceeding to Vung
Tau on the South China Sea. Men
are all over the decks now, doing
the work that seamen do all over
the world. The river here is con
sidered secure .
Aboard the Tung Pao, the cook
is fixing a well-prepared Vietnam
ese -Chinese supper . The crew
won't have to eat on the bridge
now. They'll be taking their meals
in the mess hall again - like sea
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Pilot Leng waves farewell as his
launch arrives. In his opinion, this
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11

Andy Greenhalgh cycling on "A Question of Balance ” in downtown Saigon .
Briton Tours Vietnamese
By N G UYEN
You board a Boeing-747 at noon
in Saigon and arrive in San Fran
cisco the next morning, not hav
ing quite digested that last meal
on board .
“Our Hop -Skip - and - J u mp
New York offers you the shortest
way. It's over 1,200 kilometers
shorter than via the Middle -East, "
reads an ad of a European airline.
“ A Tiny Village "
But, to a young Briton, 25-year
old Andy Greenhalgh, time isn't
that important although he agrees
the world is “a tiny village” worth
seeing. That is why it took him
three and a half years to travel
from his native Essex County, 3.5
miles northeast of London, to Sai
gon with the last eight months on
the saddle of a bicycle.
Blond, well-built Greenhalgh
blew into Saigon last March 31
from Phnom Penh on the last leg
of a world tour. Before departure,
he said he would try to cycle "as
12
DUY LIEU
much as possible on " A Question
of Balance ” —the name he had
given the bicycle he bought in Ba
li , Indonesia, 8 months earlier.
to Without a Penny
Recounting his odyssey , Green
halgh said he left England in 1970
after completing his secondary
education , “ wandering around the
world without a penny in my
pocket.” Most of the time he hitch
hiked , staying from one to three
months in one place to work in
order to raise enough money for
his daily expenses and preparing
for the next leg of his trip.
Arriving in Bali in July 1973,
Greenhalgh bought his bike and
cycled to Java, Sumatra, Penang
and up to Singapore, Bangkok and
Phnom Penh . The trip was “ excit
ing but horribly tiring," he said ,
relating among other experiences
how he tried to learn rudimentary
Indonesian phrases while in Suma
tra so that "I could communicate
with my hosts. "
Of his South Vietnamese tour,
Greenhalgh said he spent a week
pedaling from Saigon to the Thach
Han river in the northern most
part of the country. He referred to
the 1,130 -kilometer trip “the most
interesting adventure of my 25
years of life . ”
Here is his account of that ad
venture :
“ After several days of prepara
tions, I cycled northeast out of Sai
gon , and within two days arrived
by the side of the glistening South
China sea at Phan Thiet where I
slept the night very soundly . Dur
ing my trip on "A Question of
Balance ," I stayed in a great varie
ty of dwellings, from a humble
farmer's abode to a province
chief's villa. Invariably I was
shown much hospitality and un
derstanding by the Vietnamese
people and Americans living in
Vietnam .
Smiling at Hardship
“ Most of those kind friends en
lightened me with their personal
views on life and the state of un
rest in Vietnam.
"I frequently saw the character
istic Vietnamese habit of smiling
one's way through times of hard
ship.
“At one time I had to cross a
river by sampan, just north of Qui
Nhon, where a road bridge had
been sabotaged the previous night.
I experienced occasional fright
when I heard explosions or gunfire
close to the road. Most of my fears
were groundless though , and I
have many good memories of times
spent on the fishermen's boats in
Cam Ranh Bay , of swimming and
even water-skiing along the long,
golden sandy beaches of Nha
Trang and Da Nang, and eating
delicious food..."
Home in 2 Years
Greenhalgh flew to Phnom Penh
on May 28—“I got a free ticket
from Air Vietnam " -and from
there he was to cycle to Bangkok
and on to India, Nepal, etc.
“I may be back home in two
years if I am still alive," he said
with a broad grin.

Grandma's stories
He Missed
Immortal
Existence
By NGHIÊM XUAN THIÊN
The golden chariot drawn by a pair of yellow
phoenixes soared into the air in a thundering whirl
of flaming smoke, flew straigth ahead and quickly
vanished in the glare of the summer sky.
Tu Thuc, taken aback, frightened and desperate,
had just enough time to look up and stare at the
orange trail, still lingering among some wisps of
cloud , and left behind by the magic chariot that had
brought him from the abode of the immortals to the
threshold of his village. And it now was going back ,
he realized , to where it had come from .
He was at a loss at what to do. Suddenly he
remembered that only that morning when he parted
from Giang Huong, his immortal wife, to see his
village again , she had given him a letter, telling him
to open it only after he had landed on the earth .
Farewell, Good Luck
Trembling, he took it out of his pocket, opened
it and read: " Our marital life has ended , we shall
never see each other again. So is our destiny. Fare
well and good luck ! "
In a rage, he crumpled the letter in his fist and
let out a scream of pain and fury. “ So, it is true,
that I left her for good. Had I only the slightest
misgiving that this journey to visit my parents after
having spent one year with her in the abode of the
immortals, would be one of no return , I might have
changed my mind, and given up the desire of appeas
ing my home-sickness by coming here."
Then he pulled himself together, and slowly
advanced towards what used to be his village.
The place was still the same. Here was the turn
of the river in which he used to dive and swim
when he was a boy. Here was the hill he used to
climb up with the children of his age, when he was
10 years old. But the village has changed . The en
trance still bore the same name written in large
black letters on a white background, but it was much
larger and much more attractive than the one he
knew.
The people he met seemed to have changed , too.
They were not dressed as before. Their faces were
not familiar to him ; all seemed strangers who looked
at him as though he was an intruder. He noticed
now that the path he walked on was paved It was
not so when he left the village. And not only this
one, the others on his left and his right were also
paved. The houses were not the same. They were
all built with bricks and stones, not with earth and
thatch; they were more beautiful, more comfortable.
The children were better dressed than they used to
be, and they looked healthier. “It is not possible that
during my one year's absence, my village and its
inhabitants, its houses, its paths all have totally
changed ," Tu Thuc murmured to himself.
Tu Thuc stares at departing magic chariot of immortals .
Then suddenly he blurted out : "But these houses,
these paved paths are not new. Look ! The houses
have tiled roofs all covered with moss . They must be
old . And these paths, though paved with hard bricks
already have the color of the earth, they must date
back many decades ago. How strange! If only I could
meet my friend, the poet Tuyet Son or the monk
Bach Van! They could tell me everything that hap
pened during my absence. But am I dreaming ? Yes,
I may be dreaming. This surely is my village, but
it could not have changed so thoroughly in one year.
Certainly I have been away one year; of this I am
sure. And that one year I have spent up there
on the mountains, in the kingdom of the immortals,
by the side of Giang Huong, my wife, and with her
family of immortals in the palace made of precious
stones, full of music and light. But now here is the
place where my own house used to stand, and near
by the pond with lotus flowers that I used to pluck
in the afternoon, when I rowed my small boat. But
like all the things around me, my house is so chang
13

The town was there,
but he knew no one
ed that I cannot recognize it. What I am hearing:
it is children shouting, laughing, crying, and then
the voice of a man scolding, asking them to keep
quiet. No, there were not so many people in my
house when I left it. There was just the family of
the man in whose keeping I entrusted my house,
and he had one wife and only one little daughter. ”
Tu Thuc stopped at the gate of what he thought
was his house, though it was completely different
from the one he had left. He knocked on the gate.
After a little while a young girl came, opened it
and stared at him. He stared back and said: “I am
Tu Thuc and on this place I had a house, what has
become of it, and who are you , who live here with
what I think is a great family ?”
The girl said : "I know nobody of the name you
have just mentioned. My family has occupied this
house for generations. Who are you and what have
you come here for ? "
“ This is the place where I had my house built.
It was not like this one I see before me. But I am
sure that this is my village and this place is mine,"
Tu Thuc answered.
No Longer His House
On hearing his angry voice, a man came out of
the house, crossed the yard, joined the girl at the
gate, looked at Tu Thuc from head to feet, and asked :
“ Who are you , where do you come from ? ”
Tu Thuc gave his name and repeated what he
had told the girl. The man convinced that he was
dealing with a lunatic, hastily kicked the gate shut,
locked it , took his daughter's hand and dashed into
the house.
Tu Thuc , half angry, half desperate, stood a
while before the wooden gate , lost in thought. He
could not understand what has happened. He was
not dreaming, but reality was totally different from
what he expected it to be.
Men and women moved past him, at a discreet
distance, eyeing him as though he was a man from
another planet.
“Do I still belong to this world ?” he wondered .
“ How do I look ? " He regretted that there was no
mirror on hand to help him answer the question.
That very morning, when he dressed after break
fast to get ready for his trip home, he did look
at the mirror as large as a door, standing in his
room since the day of his marriage , and he did not
notice anything abnormal . His face was unchanged,
and his eyes twinkled as they did a year ago, when
he came to the kingdom of the immortals. His long,
jet-black hair Giang Huong had tied into what look
ed like a bun that was handsome behind his head.
14
His nails were as long as usual, in the fashion of those
of scholars, to show that he was not a manual worker.
This was a distinction of the men of his class, born to
handle only the delicate writing-brush .
Now, in what used to be his village, he seemed
to be ostracized . And more, he met no familiar face,
though a year ago most of the men of his village
were known to him , and many had come to his
house, asking for advice or for help of some sort.
He was a scholar and had a say in village affairs
whenever he was not occupied enjoying the land
scapes of the country , visiting famous places men
tioned in history or sung by poets.
The sun was already beginning to decline and
he did not know what to do. He could not go back
to his wife, on the mountain of the immortals. The
chariot that had brought him home was gone ; he
has seen it with his own eyes. No doubt about it.
What was he to do ?
He was still preoccupied with these troubling
thoughts, when a very old man was coming in his
direction. He was so old that he had to lean on a
stick when he walked. His hair and beard were as
white as cotton. His clothes showed he was of ample
means. Tu Thuc watched him come with heavy
steps. When the old man was near, he politely
approached and asked whether he knew a man called
Tu Thuc who left the village a year ago, what had
become of his relatives and friends and where he
could find one of them to talk to.
The old man looked at him curiously, made an
effort to search his memory and after a long while
said: “I have heard of the name Tu Thuc but long
ago when I was a boy of 15. My father used to tell
us, his children, the story of a man of that name
who was his friend. But one day, if my reckoning is
correct — this was in the year when my father's first
son was born - I am his youngest and tenth child ,
Tu Thuc left the village as he often did , to go
visiting famous places of the country . And that was
the last anybody saw or heard of him. Oh, but it
was quite a long time ago. Let me see , how long
was it ? If my eldest brother were still living, he
would be ... how old would he be ? I am now 80
years old , and he was 20 years older than me. Tu
Thuc left the village the last time, when my eldest
brother was born, so you see, it must be exactly
one hundred years ago. "
A Long Time : 100 Years
After a pause, the old man laughed and said :
"A hundred years, it is quite a long time, is it not,
young man ? I have lived for 80 years , and I have
seen plenty of things, especially plenty of changes.
Friends, cousins died one after another ; children,
great children have grown up and married. Children
were born to them and grew up , and the cycle of
birth and death goes on. In the meanwhile I am
growing old , too. Tu Thuc, he must have died some
where, in a forest , on the top of a mountain or on
some seashore. He was a great traveller and a poet,
you see. Why do you want to know about him?"
 Tu Thuc remained silent , he still had not re
covered from the shock dealt by the old man's story.
The old man shrugged his shoulders, took one last
look at him and slowly resumed his walk, leaving
Tu Thuc rooted to the spot, as if petrified. Once out
of the stupor, he mumbled to himself: “A hundred
years have elapsed since I left the village, and it
was only one year in the kingdom of the immortals.
This is unbelievable. I remember having read in
fairy tales that time is a hundred - fold longer in
their world than on earth. I thought that this was
pure fancy . But I was wrong. Now that I experience
the fact , I cannot deny it. I am one-hundred-thirty
years old now, and still a young man. I understand
now why the fairies are immortal. "
With these words , he turned on his heels and
left the village. Nobody knows what became of him."
Some say he entered a forest and died of a broken
heart. Others say that finally immortal Giang Huong,
his wife, helped him become an immortal after many
years of meditation and prayers.
Tu Thuc was born in Hoa Chau, Thanh Hoa
province, during the reign of King Tran Thanh Ton
( 1258-1278) . He was the son of a mandarin (adminis
trator of the civil service) , and was appointed Tri
Huyen ( governor of a small place) of the district
of Tien Du, Bac Ninh province.
Poet and Philosopher
He was born a poet , and spent most of his time
dreaming, reading the classics, and writing poems.
He was a philosopher, too. Near his office, there
was a pagoda in which a Buddhist monk of great
renown lived. Tu Thuc often went there, discussing
philosophy and Buddhism with the monk . They
admired each other for their deep and wide know
ledge. It was not rare that they spent a whole
evening exchanging ideas on life and death , on the
universe, the sun , the moon , the stars, the present
and the future. They did not always agree, and
when this happened, they tried hard to thresh out
their difference of view , to arrive to a compromise
when possible. They never departed from the cour
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tesy , respect and admiration they had one for each
other .
The austere life led by his friend, the monk, had
a great influence on Tu Thuc's mind. He realized that
he was not born to rule over people or enjoy material
advantages and earthly pleasures. He was rather
attracted by the high sphere of intellectual thinking
and seemed more and more to relish the simple and
noble delight of spiritual life.
Gradually he felt that he was not made for a
mandarin's job. "It is not worth , he often thought ,
devoting my life to this dull function of a bureau
crat, for which I have to spent most of my time
imposing taxes, dispensing justice, resolving the
petty quarrels of peasants. I really believe I do not
belong to this world of little men , all absorbed with
the problem of earning and living as best as they
can, of fawning on the rich and the powerful to
obtain favor and privileges. I envy the monk, my
friend, who can spend all his time studying, con
templating, meditating. He is above human tempta
tions, has little material desire. This frees his mind
and helps him to understand plenty of delicate
problems of the soul. But I do not like to live
secluded in one place as he does, and ignore the
beauty of nature. I need space, air, mountains,
grottoes, forests, rivers and the sea , yes the im
mense sea that extends to the horizon, with its
waves rushing against the shore, and breaking into
a shower of white foam and multicoloured spray .
And what lies beyond , I wonder, beyond the horizon ,
where sea and heaven seem to merge , and where in
the morning the sun rises from nowhere, and in
the evening, it slowly sinks , as if taking a bath and
dives. I must liberate myself from the ties of my
office and go to live in wide, open spaces and try
to read nature's secrets. "
An Offer to Resign
So Tu Thuc offered his resignation. But because
of his reputation for being honest , just and popular,
he was told to reconsider his decision and wait until
a man of his integrity could be found to replace
him. He heaved a sigh and waited as told.
One day, in the village of his district, there was
a great festival to celebrate the blossoming of a rare
tree that bore beautiful pink flowers only once a
year by the end of the spring.
That tree grew in the garden of a great temple,
dedicated to the Genie protector of the village, and
was considered sacred . It much be said that, in
400 Vietnam , each village has a Genie protector, who
350
generally has nothing to do with Buddhism, Taoism
or Confucianism. The Genie was either a man or a
275 woman, who as a result of some beneficent action
150 for the village like giving rains in time of drought,
100 or halting an epidemic striking men or animals , was
80
bestowed a grade in the ranks of Genies by the King,
on the suggestion of inhabitants of the village. The
Genie was and still is worshipped, not in a pagoda ,
but in a “ Dinh ,” i.e. a temple specially built for
him, and the guardian of the “Dinh” is rot a Bud
15
 The beautiful girl Then turning to the crowd, he said : "Is there
any lady who is willing to help me compel this girl
to give her dress as a guarantee ?"
ran into trouble Nobody moved . All had sympathy for the young
and beautiful girl who apparently belonged to a
good family, but strange enough, was alone, without
dhist monk, as in the case of a pagoda, but a lay any attendant, companion or chaperone.
man, conversant with rituals of some sort.
Suddenly, the dense crowd respectfully gave
During that festival, people of the village and way to let a young man go through and approach
its neighborhood came to pay homage to the Genie the guardian , who in his turn bowed deeply to him.
Protector, and to admire the fascinating clusters of The newcomer was Tu Thuc, the mandarin of the
flowers of the sacred tree.
district. He was well-known, respected and feared.
One afternoon, a beautiful girl came. She was He said : "I do not know this young lady , and nobody
still very young, certainly in her teens. She was knows her. But I answer for her." And addressing
alone ; no friends, no parents accompanied her. Her the guardian, he said : “Please let her go. Evening
dresses were of blue silk , which made her different is coming. She has to be at her home, wherever her
from the girls of her age, living in the country. home may be, before it is dark . ”
Nobody knew where she came from , but everybody The girl, too happy with the unexpected turn of
admired her beauty and her gracefulness.
She seemed particularly attracted by the flowers
of the sacred tree. She stood for hours before them,
looking at them from every angle, and did not care
about for the curious look everybody cast on her.
Once, while thus occupied, she was unable to resist
an impulse, and reached out to touch the flowers,
but she lost her balance, grasped a branch and
broke it. A loud hue and cry arose from participants
in the festival , for whom such an act was a great
offense which could infuriate the Genie who would
retaliate against the village , its inhabitants and their
neighbors. The guardian rushed toward her, shocked
and frightened. He screamed like a man to whose
throat was being cut. He finally declared that the
girl, guilty of such impardonable offense, should be
kept prisoner until justice was done.

Offering For A Pardon

Before the crowd, he roared at the girl : “You must
dearly pay for this. In order to be pardoned for act
of desecration, you must present an offering to our
Genie protector. I am ready to help you, but you
must pay all the costs that such offering will entail. ”
The girl meekly answered : “I am sorry, I have
no money on me. What am I to do ?"
" You have no money on you ! So I shall be
obliged to detain you until your parents come and
pay for your release. Where do you live ? You seem
a stranger here, nobody knows you, you have never
been seen round here. Nobody can put up bail
for you ."
He looked at the embarrased girl. Suddenly an
idea occurred to him. "Oh, yes, you have a beautiful
silk dress. This must be very valuable. Take it off
and give it to me as a guarantee, and then you
may go . "
Shocked , the girl cried : "I cannot give you my
dress. It is stupid of you to ask such a thing! ”
"Really, you do not want to take it off and leave
it here. But I must do something ."
16
The beautiful Giang Huong was a stranger in the village.
the event, made a great bow in the direction of Tu
Thuc, smiled at the crowd , and left.
Everybody watched her go, till she disappeared
at the main cross -road .
Tu Thuc quickly took leave of the temple
guardian and of the crowd. He wanted to find out
where the girl was going. He rushed along the
path he had seen her take, but there was no trace
of her. The few people he met could tell him nothing
about the direction she had taken , after the turn of
the road .
Disappointed, he came to the pagoda to see his
friend , the Buddhist monk, who seemed to know
everything
He found him resting on his hammock, in the
middle of the large veranda. After the usual greet
ing, he told him the story of the strange girl, who
seemed to come from nowhere, and who was so
beautiful that she caught every eye, charmed
everybody.
The monk who also knew the art of foreseeing
the future, listened to him in silence, then when he
had finished his story, recited some magic words,
made calculations on the articulations of his fingers,
and finally said : “ This is strange indeed. In my
vision, I see that the girl has her home on a moun
tain, far away from here. And the mountain is
floating on an immense sea of clouds. "
After aa while, he added : “But she is an immortal,
one of these beings endowed with supernatural
power, who comes from time to time on earth to see
how things go here.”
Tu Thuc eagerly asked : “Will she come down
here again some time or another ? "
The monk seemed exhausted by the inner efforts
he had made to fathom the mystery of the girl ,
threw down on the hammock the bust he had raised
during the conversation , and appeared to slumber.
" A Renewed Meeting'
Disappointed, Tu Thuc stood up, murmured a
good-bye and silently went out. When he reached
the pagoda gate, the monk woke up from what
seemed to be a sleep — but actually was meditation of
deep concentration and cried out to Tu Thuc "I just
have seen that you might meet her again, under
much happier circumstances. You are a lucky man . "
Tu Thuc spent many sleepless nights after his
meeting with the monk . He was thinking of the
beautiful girl who had appeared to him as in a
dream . He remembered quite well what his friend
the monk had said. He trusted him , and had con
fidence in his profound knowledge. He also believed
in his capability of foreseeing the future. He still had
in mind many of his predictions that all had come
true. This, not only Tu Thuc, but a great many of
his fellow citizens could attest to sincerely and
solemnly .
But he was desperate at the idea that she was
an immortal, a kind of god who lives on very high
mountains or in palaces under the sea. How could
he meet her again, he, a poor, insignificant mortal
subject to suffering and death ?
Why not go for adventures into the forests, climb
mountains and enjoy the beautiful landscapes offered
by nature and the peace of mind with a simple life
far from ambition , lust and craving for material
pleasures that always leave a bitter after -taste when
they are gone ?
These thoughts made him once more determined
to give up his official life, insist on his resignation,
and one day, without waiting for the decision of
his superiors, he hung up his mandarin seal, his
mandarin robe on the threshold of his office and
wrote a letter of apology saying that he could no
longer carry out his duties. Then, when it was be
coming dark, he left.
Since then he was often seen loitering in the
forests, along a crystal clear stream, or rowing a
small boat on a lake or river. He also left traces of
his presence on many mountain walls, engraving on
the rocks beautiful poems inspired by the beauty of
nature.
One day as he was heading towards a mountain
in the province of Ninh Binh, he was astonished by
the sight of multi-colored clouds a few miles from
him. He hastened his pace and arrived at «he foot
of a mountain. He knew the place quite well,
having been there many times. But a mountain like
that, in the middle of what used to be a plain, must
be a new one , emerging from the heart of the earth .
And the clouds, red, yellow and blue, were really
strange. They covered the upper half of the mountain
and hid it from sight.
"Well , he told himself, I have read in a history
book that sometimes mulberry fields change into
mountains. I never believed that, but here I am
seeing proof of that seemingly absurd claim . I shall
write something about it to show coming genera
tions that the ancient scholars were not lying when
they said that. "
Then he saw among the mossy rocks what
appeared to be a wide opening. Close examination
showed that it was the entrance to a grotto dimly
lighted by a reflection from the colored clouds.
“ Shall I enter,” he thought. “ What danger shall
I encounter ? I am certain there are no dangerous
animals around here. There may be snakes, but
they generally flee before men. I want to know
what is inside the grotto of this new mountain .
I must risk to see what is in store for me beyond
this entrance . "
After a moment of hesitation, Tu Thuc walked
in. Suddenly a huge slab of stone shut the entrance
with a thundering noise. Tu Thuc was startled and
realized that he was sealed in.
He waited until his eyes became accustomed to
the semi-darkness before slowly and cautiously pro
ceeding ahead. Gradually light filtered into the grotto
and he perceived the walls of the mountain .
“ There may be an exit in the direction I am
taking. This promises to be an exciting adventure,
indeed . "
A Brightly -lit Area
His path finally led to a large and brightly - lit
area planted with beautiful trees he had never seen
before and full of splendid and fragrant flowers. In
the distance, through tree branches he saw what
appeared to be the roof of a palace. While he gazed
with wonder, two beautiful maidens garbed in white
silk approached him from the opposite direction .
They politely greeted him by his name and told
him that their mistress, the Queen of the Immortals ,
had ordered them to meet him and tell him she was
waiting for him .
Pleasantly surprised, Tu Thuc followed the girls
and soon arrived at an immense palace, the walls
17

Tu Thuc was given
an immortal to wed
and roof of which glistened with diamonds and pre
cious stones.
The palace had a large garden with varied trees
bearing fruits that looked like peaches, apricots, and
plums, but they were much larger. One of the girls
gestured toward the fruits and said : “ These are most
delicious, have the virtue of making you immune
from all diseases, and making life longer. When
eaten they give one hundred more years of life, good
health, and youth. ”
Three enormous lions rushed toward them , but
with a wave of the hand, the girl caused them to
halt, wag their tails, shake their manes like dogs
affectionately greeting their master.
Two yellow dragons lay on both sides of a flight
of stairs leading to the palace, mounting guard like
sentries. At first, the sight of these unusual animals
frightened Tu Thuc, but confident that his guides
had power over them , he composed himself and pro
ceeded with sure steps.
Before the entrance of the palace, the two girls
stopped , made a deep bow and announced : “ Majesty,
here is our guest whom we have been sent to meet
and to take here, in your presence."
Queen Welcomes Tu Thuc
The palace was brightly illuminated, and on a
golden throne on top of a high platform made of
pure emerald, and preceded by a flight of nine steps
of white marble, was sitted an elderly lady attend
ed by a group of young and beautiful girls. They
were dressed in different colors and wore sparkling
jewels.
From the throne, Tu Thuc heard the Queen say
in a mild tone :
“Welcome to you , Tu Thuc . Please take a seat. ”
One of his guides took him to a row of silver
chairs placed at the right of the throne.
Then the Queen of the Immortals said : “You
like visiting places of interest in your country. You
have seen many beautiful landscapes. You are a
good poet and a scholar. But certainly, you do not
know this place. So I introduce it to you. This place
is the 6th palace among the 36 palaces for immortals
existing in the whole universe. It is built on a
wandering mountain . Unlike the others, this moun
tain does not stay at the same place. It floats on
an immense sea of clouds that carries it from planet
to planet, from galaxy to galaxy, according to our
wishes. I will not dwell on details that I'm sorry
to say no mortal can understand. Now I will come
to the reason why you are invited here. "
18
Addressing one of the ladies-in-waiting, she said :
" Please, take my daughter in."
The lady went out and a moment later came
back with a young girl , clothed in a magnificent
blue silk dress, beaming with health, beauty and
gracefulness.
Tu Thuc was startled . His heart was thumping
so strongly that he seemed to hear it beating loudly,
as it never did before. He recognized the girl. It was
her he had seen, many years ago, in the temple
garden , not far away from his former office, when
she had broken a branch of that sacred tree with
wonderful pink flowers. It was of her he had spoken
to the monk, his friend, who had, after profound
meditation , foreseen that he would meet her again ,
though not the slightest hope existed for such a
happy event. He dreamed of her all the time, since
he had seen her in an embarrassing situation at the
The Queen welcomes Tu Thuc to 6th Palace of Immortals.
foot of that sacred tree, but in spite of his friend's
prediction , he never dared believe he would meet
her again. But there she was, in flesh and blood
before him, in this immense, splendid palace, as
gorgeous as anyone described in fairy tales.
Written in the Book
He was still looking at her, absorbed in his
thoughts, when from the throne, the mild, musical
voice of the Queen was heard : "Tu Thuc , I think
you have recognized my daughter. Her name is
Giang Huong. You helped her get out of an annoy
ing situation . I have to thank you for that. It was
I who had sent her to that temple - garden to have
the opportunity of meeting you, because, it is writ
ten in the Book of the King of the Heavens that
you, though a mortal, should marry her. As you
are a scholar, you know that no man can escape his
destiny whether good or bad. So I want to have
your wedding celebrated to day. I have sent invita
tions to all my friends to attend it. They will be here
in a moment. "
 Visit to earth cost him immortality
Tu Thuc could not believe his ears, still less his
eyes. His happiness was too great to be true. He told
himself: "I must be dreaming as it so often happens
to me. Dreams are the necessary sources of my in
spiration for making poems. But this one is un
believable, so unbelievable that it seems absurd.”
He was still at a loss on what to do, when
Giang Huong, accompanied by two ladies-in-waiting
came to him and made a curtsey. He stood up,
bowed to her and to the ladies. He made a great
effort to pull himself together and said : “I am happy
to meet you again . But I never thought that I could
meet you in such a majestic palace. ”
One lady said : “You have no time to lose. Please
go to the chamber over there, especially prepared
for you , and get ready for the ceremony that will
take place soon.”
As she finished these words , music rose from
every direction . Many fairies came, and set tables
and chairs in the hall for a banquet .
Visitors from the Universe
Then the guests arrived. Some rode dragons,
others unicorns, many phoenixes. They came from
every corner of the universe, handsome men and
beautiful women, all garbed in finery such as never
had been seen on earth.
The Queen came to the hall to greet them, a
multitude of young fairies led them to their seats
around an immense table, on which a sumptuous
banquet was served , the main dishes of which were
the marvellous fruits of the heavenly garden, making
people eternally young.
Heavenly music was played, dances performed
alternately by young, and beautiful fairies, and by
magnificent yellow phoenixes.
The Queen herself took Tu Thuc and Giang
Huong by the hand and introduced them to every
guest who blessed and congratulated them.
When evening came, stars were lighted on the
golden ceiling, and the hall was as bright as in
daylight. Filled winh wonder, Tu Thuc did not tire
of looking alternately at his bride, the guests and
the amazing spectacles offered in the hall for enter
tainment.
Late in the night, the guests took their leave
and flew to their abodes as they had come.
A very happy life began for Tu Thuc. His young,
beautiful and loving wife, waited on him, hand and
foot, and always anticipated his desires.
One year elapsed . Tu Thuc, in spite of the
perfect happiness in which he lived , got homesick.
He longed to see his village, relatives, friends,
especially the monk with whom he used to discuss
philosophy and exchange views on the universe ,
and who by his mysterious science had foreseen his
meeting with Giang Huong. He thought :
“It will be for me a great pleasure and pride
to tell him the marvellous world of the immortals
where I have lived for already one year. And my
life with Giang Huong is a real wonder of which no
books that ever existed can tell the story."
Desire to Visit Home
So, he told Giang Huong his desire to visit his
home on earth, Giang Huong was taken aback and
wept. Then she said , sobbing: “My mother had told
me that the day when you wanted to visit your
home would be the last day of our common life.
Please don't do it ! "
But Tu Thuc, thinking that what she said was
only a pretense for not letting him go back on earth ,
insisted and affirmed that his absence would not be
long, and he would return to her after a short time
She blurted out :
“But, you do not know... ”
Then she stopped and remained silent, see
mingly frightened by the fact that she was on the
verge of revealing some secret she was not allowed
to tell .
Let Destiny Be Fulfilled
She reported Tu Thuc's desire to the Queen who
heaved a sigh and said : “Let his destiny be fulfilled
as it is written in the Book of the King of the
Heavens ! It is a severely punishable crime to do
anything to prevent things from taking their assign
ed course . ”
And she allowed Tu Thuc to come in her presence
to take his leave. She ordered a chariot with to
yellow phoenixes to be made ready to bring Tu
Thuc to his home on earth.
Giang Huong, weeping and sobbing, quickly
wrote a letter, put it in a little silk bag, gave it to
Tu Thuc and said : “This is a letter that I ask you,
for our love's sake, to open only when you arrive
at your destination. Fare you well and always
remember that nobody can escape his destiny ."
Then she led him to the chariot , helped him
mount it.
The phoenix-drawn chariot flew into the air,
Giang Huong followed it with her eyes, reddened by
weeping, till it disappeared into the clouds.
And Tu Thuc , the man who was allowed to live
among the immortals, but who was unable to detach
himself from his earth, was sent back to his insig
nificant planet to meditate on the vanity of human
life and destiny.
19
 Tan Thuan Dong near Saigon has been selected after feasibility studies as site of export processing zone.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

VN Export Processing Zone By LE TRON G M U U

The signing of the Paris Peace
Agreement on January 27, 1973
has opened the way to a new era
in Vietnam , an era for economic
recovery, nation -wide reconstruc
tion and industrial development.
The consensus is one of confidence
in a bright and prosperous eco
nomic future for Vietnam in the
long run. However the present
transitional situation has several
major difficulties characteristic of
the beginning of a post-war econ
omy : creeping inflation, diminish
ing production and rising unem
ployment rate. The outlook
rendered gloomy by the prospect
of a substantial reduction in
foreign assistance which have
been the prime resource of the
country throughout the war years.
In coping with all these problems,
Vietnam will have to rely in the
years ahead on her own people
and resources to increase produc
tion and bring the economy to a
self -sufficient level.
Several important measures, in
cluding some far -reaching reforms,
have been taken. The national
budget has been tightened , import
funds have been reduced, and
export and foreign exchange earn
ing enterprises have been given
first priority in the government's
promotional effort.
The results are that in many
areas significant progress has been
made. The signs of success are
most visible in the remarkable in
crease in agricultural output and
the number of business enterprises
seeking new investment opportu
nities. However, reduction of the
is trade deficit, one of the prime
objectives of the government, has
yet to show significant results.
The balance of trade has run
into large deficits as shown in the
following table reckoned in mil
lions of U.S. dollars:
Year Deficit
1963 224
1964 274
1965 330
1966 628
1967 712
1968 630
1969 820
1970 765
1971 787
1972 709
1973 651
While the trade deficit decreas
ed somewhat in the last three
years due to a boost in exports,
the large trade gap has remained
as something of a nuisance to the
economy.
In the past the trade deficit was
tolerable due a large sum of
foreign aid which financed a major
portion of the import program . At
present, all import funds have
been reduced to a subsistence
level and continuing imports at
the previous level is something the
country cannot afford.
Gov't Programs
National efforts are concentrat
ed in finding new ways to improve
the local economic situation on
one hand and the balance of trade
on the other hand. The government

20
has designed several programs to
fulfill the following goals:
Increase the number ofmanu
facturing enterprises;
-
Create jobs for the unem
ployed ;
Generate new sources of
capital investment, particularly
foreign investment; and
-
Create new opportunities to
earn foreign exchange.
One of these programs is
that aimed at establishing Viet
nam's first export processing zone.
The export processing zone is a
bonded free export area or a free
custom duty area . Overseas raw
materials as well as in -country
raw materials can be imported
into the zone tax - free for process
ing . All finished and semi- finished
products manufactured there shall
be exported to foreign countries
without payment of export duties.
Two special features of an export
processing zone should be noted :
(1 ) Primary and semi- finished
raw materials are to be imported
into the zone only to be processed
or manufactured into finished or
semi-finished products for the sole
purpose of exporting to foreign
countries . For this reason , no
finished products can be imported
into the zone for re-exportation .
(2) Since the primary objective
of the government in setting up
the export processing zone is to
sell products to foreign markets,
not the local market, enterprises
set up within the zone shall be
given generous tax incentives to
acquire a price advantage to
compete effectively in the interna
tional markets.
The President of the Republic
of Vietnam, on December 23, 1972,
signed and put into effect Law
No. 043 / TT /SLU entitled "Law for
the Establishment of Export Pro
cessing Zones. " The law provides
the legal framework for and set
into motion the establishment of
the first export processing zone in
Vietnam.
On July 14, 1973 the Prime
Minister signed Decree -Law No.
118 -SL /KHPTQG governing the
setting up, organization and
administration of export process
ing zones in Vietnam .
On August 24, 1973 the Prime
Minister also signed Decree No. 685
ND /KH -PTQG regulating the or
ganization and functions of the
administration of export processing
zones in Vietnam .
The Government then started
looking for an area suitable for
the construction of the first export
processing zone. The job was done
with great enthusiasm and deter
mination. Feasibility studies were
conducted on several sites through
out Vietnam including Long Binh ,
Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Saigon
Island , and the Port of Saigon's
expansion zone at Tan Thuan
Dong. After carefully surveying
and reviewing the general assess
ments on these areas, Tan Thuan
Dong was selected. The selection
was based on the following factors:
-
Only a modest capital invest
ment is required for the construc
tion of the zone.
-
Factory operations can start
within this year since the exist
ing prefabricated warehouses can
readily be occupied after only
minor adjustments.
The location is only 5 kilo
meters from downtown Saigon,
providing great advantage and con
venience in communicating with
the government and business
sector .
-
The port of Saigon and its
facilities are conveniently located
next to the zone.
XX
Su
The port of Saigon (above ) is conveniently located next to the zone.
The location is within walk
ing distance from Khanh Hoi and
Tan Thuan Dong districts, the two
most densely populated areas in
Saigon .
This would give valuable help
to the enterprises in finding
adequate labor supply and to the
government in easing the unem
ployment problem .
-
The communication network
by the zone is very convenient and
reliable.
Admission to Zone
Upon receiving news about the
establishment of the first export
processing zone, businessmen and
investors have come and made
preliminary contact with the
Export Processing Zone Adminis
tration to find out the possibility
of setting up enterprises inside the
zone. Thus far, there have been
15 applications submitted to the
Administration for review and
approval.
Almost all of the applying enter
prises fall into one of the follow
ing manufacturing categories:
1. Electronics products.
2. Ready -made garments.
3. Knitted and woven goods.
4. Handicraft products.
5. Plastics products.
6. Leather products.
7. Cosmetics.
21
 8. Wooden household decors
and furnitures.
9. Rubber products .
10. Toys.
11. Confectionery .
12. Printed matter.
13. Paper containers.
14. Precision machinery and in
struments .
15. Optical products.
16. Metal products.
17. Electrical appliances and pro
ducts .
18. Machinery .
19. Chemical products .
20. Yacht building-Sporting
goods.
Provisions have been made for
setting up the Saigon Export Pro
cessing Zone to accommodate an
increasing number of enterprises.
The following schedule shows the
growth capacity of the zone :
Year Enterprises
in operation
1974
3 of Vietnam .
1975 11
1976 25
1977 45
1978
70
1979 100
The first 3 enterprises planning
to start operating this year are
devoted to the manufacture
ready-made garments, wood fur
niture , and toys. With the pro
jection that the zone will have 100
enterprises operating by 1980, it is
estimated that by then the annual
volume of transactions shall be
VN$72 billion ; the value added on
Export processing zone will benefit workers like those shown above.
22
export products per year VN $ 28.8
billion ; payment to the National
Treasury per year VN$5.76 billion ;
foreign exchange earnings per
year 120 million U.S. dollars, and
the total number of workers em
ployed 40,000.
In addition to these benefits, the
zone's operation will create thou
sands of other jobs for workers of
other enterprises outside the zone,
providing supply and supporting
services to the zone's 100 manufac
turing enterprises. The supply and
services may include moving and
bulk handling, packaging and
warehousing, food supply, trans
portation of workers to and from
the zone, etc. Moreover, the emer
gence of products “Made in Viet
nam" in the international market
would be a valuable opportunity
to introduce Vietnam to the world.
Such display would undoubtedly
reap favorable diplomatic and
political influence for the Republic
Privileges , Guarantees
An approved enterprise shall be
exempt from payment of registra
tion fees and stamp duty, taxes
and fees related to the acquisition
of of real estate, business license tax,
fees for mortgaging fixed assets,
advance payment on income tax,
urban land and building tax, cor
porate income tax, tax on income
resulting from transferable secu
rities, taxes on royalties and
patents, taxes on salaries and re
ㅖ
muneration paid to needed techni
cians , tax and fees levied on
primary or semi-finished raw
materials and on machineries and
parts, and export tax .
In addition to allowance for
normal depreciation, an approved
enterprise may enjoy another
special depreciation allowance offi
cially fixed at 20 per cent.
The Government guarantees not
to compete with export enterprises
and not to nationalize export
enterprises.
Vietnamese nationals may open
accounts in the appointed bank to
deposit their profits in foreign cur
rency. Foreign nationals may open
accounts in the appointed bank to
deposit their own foreign currency .
Other Benefits
In addition to the privileges and
guarantees mentioned above, ex
port enterprises are entitled to
enjoy fast and simplified adminis
trative procedures. The simplifica
tion would affect all stages in the
implementation of an investment
project. The Export Processing
Zone Administration has been
authorized to perform "one door
service " for all investors and
handle all the paperwork concern
ing everything and day - to -day
activities of the zone. This shall
be facilitated by the enthusiastic
and valuable cooperation of various
government agencies which shall
commission authorized officials to
work hand in hand with the
Zone's Administration to make
" One Door Service " become a
reality.
A long and difficult road has
been traversed to lay the ground
work for the establishment of the
Saigon Export Processing Zone.
However, it won't be too long
before the zone makes its benifi
cial impact felt on the economy
and the general public.
The establishment of the first
export processing zone has been
said to be timely and well planned
out. Based on the successful
examples of export processing
zones in Taiwan and South Korea,
one can expect the Saigon Export
Processing Zone to bring fruitful
returns and give valuable con
tributions to the economic well
being of the nation.
 INDUSTRY, THRIFT, HOPE
VIETNAMESE COUNTRY LIFE
Traditionally , the Vietnamese
society is said to consist of four
strata of people ( tu dan) listed in
the following order of importance :
the mandarins and scholars (si) ,
the farmers (nong) , the craftsmen
(cong) , and the merchants ( thuong ) .
Each claims that its members
contribute a vital share to the Viet
namese society . A popular saying,
however, seems to show that this
order of ranking is not always
true in real life :
“ The scholar ranks first, then
comes the peasant .
But, when rice runs out and you
run wildly about ,
The peasant comes first, and the
scholar second . "
The truth of this saying becomes
obvious when one realizes that
Vietnam is a country with an
agricultural economy and that
the farming population constitutes
roughly ninety per cent of the
total .
A Simple Diet
Despite his preminent role ,
the Vietnamese farmer leads
simple life. His diet consists of the
staple food, rice to which are
added corn , sweet potatoes , taro,
manioc , yams, arrowroot, soybeans,
eggs, and whatever fish is avail
able in the immediate vicinity .
Only on special occasions—the
birth of a child, the wedding of a
daughter, or the death of a parent
-does the Vietnamese peasant
kill a chicken, a duck, or a pig.
Although for such good reasons
wealthy families may entertain
lavishly for days , many a fatted
pig, cow and water buffalo being
doomed to death , the farmer's
daily meals are composed mostly
of salted vegetables and salted fish .
Meat , when it does appear, is con
sidered a great treat , both for the
guest and the host.
Besides tea, the national drink ,
some people take rice wine with
their meals. Food is nearly always
served on a round or rectangular
shaped tray made of wood or cop
per. Members of the family sit
Vietnamese farmer on way to work.
cross -legged around the tray ,
which is placed in the center of
a low -legged bed .
Each person uses a porcelain
bowl and chopsticks. These are
made of bamboo or wood , although
well-to-do households are proud to
display ebony or lacquer ones.
Men , women , and children partake
of the meal at the same time, the
mother or her daughter-in-law
sitting nearest to the rice pot so
as to be able to serve the others.
Meat and vegetables, very often
just boiled , are dipped in a fish
sauce called nuoc mam. Very often
after a meal , women chew a quid
of betel and men smoke a bamboo
water pipe and drink many cups
of tea. Innumerable varieties of
rice cakes using glutinous rice,
soybeans , and cane sugar as in
gredients, and rice gruel as well
as fruits of all seasons are served
in post-siesta snacks or late at
night during a game of cards.
Practical Dwelling
In building his house, the farmer
is more concerned with practical
needs than with beauty. The dwel
ling is built of local materials such
as bamboo wood, straw , and mud.
Even bricks and tiles are baked
from clay dug up from the rice
fields. The walls and partitions are
made of woven bamboo, over
which is plastered soft mud. The
roofs are covered with thatch or
palm leaves .
In the main building, which has
either three or five rooms , the an
cestors' altar occupies the place of
honor in the center room . Even in
the poorest household there is an
impressive display of candlesticks,
incense burners, tapestries , scrolls
and a shrine containing the an
cestral tablets . These bear the
names of the omnipresent ances
tors - up to the fourth generation
who witness all the happenings in
the family.
Aside from the main living
quarters, which are constructed
in the shape of the Chinese char
acter for "gate" or of an inverted
U, and which are reserved for
grandparents, parents, and chil
dren , there may be separate
quarters for servants and farm
hands if the household is pros
perous. If there are no separate
servants' quarters, there will at
least be shelters for the water
buffaloes, oxen , farm equipment ,
and reserves of grain. Behind the
23
cow pen will be found a pig sty
and a chicken house .
Surrounding the house is the
familiar wall of greenery - tufts
of banana trees, areca palms rising
above the gray thatched roofs,
guava trees, mango trees, and the
inevitable tall bamboos - screening
the occupants from curious eyes.
In the yard by the kitchen is
frequently a huge brick tank for
storing rain water. At the back of
each house there is very often a
small vegetable garden and some
times a little pond where children
and adults bathe and wash their
clothes and dishes.
Colorful Environment
Other ponds and lakes, abound
ing in fish , are scattered within
the village boundaries ; and in front
of the dinh, a combination of
temple and community center, it
is not uncommon to see a lotus
pond with beautiful, fragrant
flowers and large, round leaves.
The village gates are sometimes
surmounted by watchtowers ,
vestige of the old days when pi
rates and robbers infested the
countryside and menaced the
security of villages and hamlets.
At the approach of strangers,
dogs of every size and color,
which people let run loose in the
narrow village paths, start barking.
Woe to the unwary stranger for at
times the dogs are really ferocious.
Inside the thick bamboo separat
ing the surrounding farmlands
from the emerald-like island which
each village resembles, are laby
rinthian paths winding among
more hedges of bamboo and cactus,
and which take the visitor past
the schoolhouse, the temple, and
the dinh .
It is in the dinh that housewives
offer prayers and victuals to the
guardian spirit, the thanh hoang,
and ask for his good will and pro
tection against natural disasters.
The thanh hoang may be a celestial
spirit or merely a common human
being who happened, a long time
ago, to die an unnatural death.
Amidst the quiet village, the
schoolhouse resounds to the voices
of children reciting their lessons,
and from the curved -roofed temple
24
A simple Vietnamese “ dinh , ” a combination of temple and community center.
come the monk's monotonous
prayers, marked by the rhythmic
beat of the mo (a wooden instru
ment) .
Right in the village there is pos
sibly a market where there are
displayed uncovered loads of fresh
vegetables, baskets of grain and
peanuts, and trays of such things
as fish, meat, salt, sugar and
tobacco. And if one goes riding in
the Vietnamese countryside, one
will see a roadside marketplace
made up of a few dilapilated stalls
every five or six miles. Unlike the
village market, these are only
open on certain days during the
lunar month ; for instance, on the
first, the eleventh , and the twenty
first.
Inexpensive Clothing
Clothing is not a large item in
the budget of the Vietnamese
farmer. A suit consists of a pair of
loose, low -crotched trousers, a
long- sleeved blouse buttoned in
front and resembling a pajama
top , and a long tunic buttoned on
the right-hand side. The men
usually wear a turban and a pair
of sandals which look like slip
pers but have no counters. For
everyday use the gown is omitted ,
and people who labor in the fields
add a conical- shaped hat made of
woven leaves to protect their heads
from the hot tropical sun or the
spring rain.
Color schemes are simple
people dye their clothes black or
brown - but to her mud - colored
outfit, a country belle may provide
a gay contrast with her vermillion
and bright green sash. Materials
are invariably of cotton or hemp
and for the cold season, the cloth
ing may have a layer of kapok
quilted in between the layers of
fabric.
Some of the peasant women
wear a full skirt instead of trou
sers. Shoes have little use when
one must work knee -deep in the
leech - infested mud of the rice
fields or walk in the rain on the
soaked , muddly ground. Then too,
few people can afford them .
Simple Entertainment
Unlike his Western counterpart,
the Vietnamese farmer knows no
Sunday at all. Farm life is indeed
so intense that there is not a
moment of the year when some
kind of work is not going on. Plow
ing, harrowing, sowing the seeds,
transplanting the rice seedlings,
weeding, irrigating - every opera
tion is carried out by hand and
with the most rudimentary tools,
yet attended to with minute care
and the utmost patience .
 The work day begins when the
cock crows. After a hasty break
fast, the peasant family works
continuously in the fields until
noon . Then they stop to have a
heavy lunch , to talk , to joke, to
smoke, and to take a nap in the
shade of a banyan tree. Afterward ,
they continue working until late
in the afternoon .
When evening comes and the
peasants begin to return home,
there are few more peaceful sights
than that of a young boy riding
astride a huge sluggish water
buffalo, the beast walking slowly
down the familiar homeward path
after a full day's work . The sub
teenage herdsman may lie down
on the animal's back to look at the
twilight sky, to play his bamboo
flute, or to watch the moon rise
above the graceful bamboos.
After dinner, those children, who
are lucky enough to go to school,
may do their homework by the
light of a smoky castor -oil lamp.
Others may stay up to hear their
grandparents tell them fabulous
tales which have been handed
down for generations. The story
telling and the high -pitched con
versation, filled with candid
humor, continue while the women
are busy grinding the paddy in
the polisher or pounding the
ground rice in stone mortar.
Day in and day out, year in and
year out, rain or shine, the Viet
namese farmer and his wife and
children labor untiringly and un
relentingly . Entertainment is rare.
An itinerant troupe may stop in
the village and give a few colorful
performances in the dinh on special
occasions.
Indeed , the celebrations go on
for a whole month amidst crackl
ing firecrackers (now temporarily
banned ) as the peasants bid fare
well to the Old Year and welcome
the New Springtime which brings
new life to the entire village.
Harvest Time
Harvest time is a season of
festivities, too . Then the village
again comes alive as children run
to and fro with their mouths full
of candy and all the inhabitants
busy themselves with winnowing
and threshing the precious grain .
The animals, too, receive special
attention , for additional rations
are given the piglets, ducklings,
and buffalo calves.
A life of industry , thrift, and
austerity is the common lot of the
Vietnamese farmer. But despite
the back -breaking toil, the Viet
namese peasant is happy and full
of hope. Children work hard in
anticipation of a rice cake, a
period of free time during which
they can shoot marbles at the foot
of a red - blossomed kapok tree, a
chance to fly their kites in the
summer breeze, an opportunity
to sing their favorite songs, and a
break when they can ride the
water buffalo and enjoy the moon
light.
Young men and women work
hard in the hope that their parents
will permit them to marry those
with whom they fell in love during
an alternating song contest held
the previous month.
Nature is sometimes merciless
when she unleashes the river
waters against dikes and thus de
stroys crops , livestock , and human
beings. But, between famines, the
Vietnamese farmer is always
happy and hopes for the best.
Confident in the future and in his
offspring — to whom education
alone can open the door to official
dom - he works in contentment
and love .

The repertoire is invariably

composed of historical plays in
which the forces of good ( sym
bolized. by a loyal mandarin , a
virtuous widow , a faithful lover )
always prevail, to the delight of
the enthusiastic , betel and sugar
cane chewing audience.
Festivities with such diversions
as chess games, card games, buf
falo fights, and cock fights are
reserved for the New Year - Tet
at which time every penny saved
by dint of hard work throughout
the year is spent on food, clothing
and gambling. The ancestral altar occupies the place of honor in home of Vietnamese.

25
 A foreigner once said that Viet
nam is characterized by two smells:
the smell of fish sauce ( nuoc mam )
and that of incense . Indeed , one
can say thať the odor of fish sauce
represents the material life of the
Incense and Cinnamon
Vietnamese, and that the odor of
incense emanating from the tem
ples symbolizes the spiritual life slightly suggesting the spring of lampeahk Chan Grassna, Kresna,
of our people . love . " or Klampeoh. The Hebrews call it
Aloes wood belongs to the fami Ahalot, the Arabs Aghaluhy, and
Two Precious Woods
ly of Thymelaeaceae. Its scientific the Greeks Agallochon. In Sanscrit
In cense and cinnamon have al name is Aquilaria Crassna Pierre, it is Agaru. The French also call it
ways been two precious woods its Chinese name is ch'en hsiang Agalloche. In Latin it is Agallo
growing in the remotest parts of which is Tram Huong in Vietnam chuin. The Malays call it Garu . In
forests, and can only be found ese. The French call it bois d'aigle, Sanscrit it is also called Garu or
after very hard and time- consum or bois d'aloés. The Vietnamese call Calambak . The English call it
ing search. For this reason, the it Gio Bau, Tram Huong, and Ku Agal wood or Aloes wood. The Ger
Vietnamese have a popular saying Nam. The Cambodians call it Ka mans call it Adlerholz. The Portu
which goes as follows :
The cinnamon tree in Paradise
does not bend, but it is feared that
it will in the long run .
Incense wood kept in the treasu
ry of the King does not spoil but
will with time lose its scent.
The two of us are like incense
and cinnamon .
Providence has made us meet
and then be in love with each other
for life.
The above madrigal implies that
in this life, with the exception of
love, there is nothing so precious
as incense and cinnamon . But, if
these things are not properly used,
they will deteriorate and lose their
value.

Music has to have incense in

order to be perfect in accordance
with the concept of the poets and
artists of the East and the West,
from Ba Nha to Prince Nam -Sach,
from Nguyen -Du to Baudelaire :
" Scents, colors and sounds com
plement one another '. (“ Correspon
dances " by Baudelaire). Each
flower evaporates just like an in
cense burner.
" Sounds and scents whirl in the
evening air. (“ Harmony of the i
Evening” by Baudelaire ) . "
In the same vein , the poet Doan
Phu - Tu in his poem entitled “ The
Color of Time” has written some
beautiful verses :
"Early this morning the sweet
singing of birds,
“In the fresh wind ,
“ Carries with it a warm scent Buddha carved out of huge chunk of aloes wood is in National Museum .
26
guese call it Aguila or Pao de
Aguia , and the Cham call it Gahla
or Galao.
From the above, one can see that
aloes wood has always been famous
in all countries. According to the
archeologist Cabaton, Egytian pa
pyri and Greek , Indian , and Arab
writers have mentioned aloes
wood. In India aloes wood is mixed
with other products to perfume the
dead. The Arabs use it as a heart
tonic, and the Arab prophets usual
ly burn incense mixed with
camphor before making predic
tions.
What about Ky-Nam ? Ky -Nam
is an aromatic wood full of resin
with black veins. If one chews it, it
is gummy and tastes bitter, when it
burns, it gives out resin and a very
characteristic scent. One finds Ky
Nam in the above -mentioned Gio
Bau tree, where there are usually
great amounts of incense wood and
a little Ky-Nam. Incense is to Ky
Nam what rock - glass is to jade.
It is said that incense wood be
comes Ky-Nam when excrements
of birds fall into the pits of the
trees and cause the tree to be
diseased. In such parts, resin seems
to accumulate to fight against the
disease of the tree and thus pro
duces Ky -Nam . Some people also
say that Ky -Nam is formed because
of a kind of fungus which makes
the wood gradually become lighter,
change its color and collect resin .
Such resinification is very uncom
mon. It can occur at the lower part
of the tree, near the root, at the
pit and sometimes down at the
root.
Some searchers have to make a
gash in the tree with an ax . Some
times animals such as elephants,
tigers, buffaloes, and wild bulls
cause gashes in the tree by strik
ing it. At such wounds, resin starts
to accumulate and gradually chan
ges completely the nature of the
wood, transforming it into Ky
Nam . Thus, Ky-Nam is found in
the outer layer of the trunk and ,
when it is attached partly to the
bark, it is called Ky-Bi.
When resin accumulates at the
foot or the root of a big tree, in
cense wood is formed. If this wood
is porous and rugged it is called
pitted incense wood (tram mat
kien) . If resin just starts to ac
cumulate at different places, a kind
of spotted aromatic wood called
toc is formed.
At the time the resinification is
completed, the gio tree degenerates
and dies . Then the tree - trunk rots
and disintegrates very quickly,
leaving only the precious pieces of
incense wood and Ky-Nam.
When the searchers run across a
gio tree still too young to have in
cense wood or Ky -Nam , they often
make several cuts in the tree with
an ax to mark it for later search .
They keep track of the tree for
many years until Ky-Nam grows
on it, then they cut it down to get
the Ky -Nam .
To sum up, Ky-Nam is black with
white spots and looks like the
feathers of an eagle . This is why it
is called eagle wood. The species
which grows on branches is the
most precious, and is used as a
medicine against colds, fevers,
dysentery, etc. Pregnant women
are generally allergic to Ky-Nam
and are advised not take it or car
ry it. Otherwise, miscarriage may
occur. Incense wood has a brown
color and is used to make joss sticks
of good quality.
Aloes Wood Legends
Because of popular devotion,
images of Buddha and the Holy
Mother are often carved from big
pieces of aloes wood . According to
legends , the Holy Mother, whom
the Cham people call Poh Nagar
(Poh means Lord , and Nagar " or
Nungar country) entered a big
piece of aloes wood , which was car
ried by sea waves to the Chinese
coast, where perfumes and radia
tions emanated. The coastal popu
lation reported this fact to the King
who went to see and brought the
piece of Aloes wood back to display
at the palace. From then on, every
time the Prince came home , he no
ticed that a secret hand had ar
ranged his clothes and belongings
in a very orderly way. Curious, the
Prince kept watch , and saw a beau
tiful fairy emerge from the piece
of wood. The Prince rushed from
his hiding place and held the fairy .
Unable to break loose , the fairy
told the Prince she was predestin
ed for him and was brought by
waves from the South Sea to be
married to him . After some time ,
the Holy Mother gave birth to two
children. Subsequently, either be
cause of nostalgia for her country
or a quarrel in the family , she re
entered the piece of Aloes wood .
The sea waves carried her back to
Vietnam and landed her in the port
of Nha - Trang.
Historical Mention
The Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi
(history book) mentions Ky-Nam
and incense wood as being special
resources of Khanh Hoa and Binh
Dinh. Western missionaries , like
De Marini from Italy , also men
tioned Ky-Nam in the book " Rela
tions du Royaume du Tonkin "
published in the 17th Century.
At about the same period, Father
Alexandre de Rhodes also men
tioned Ky-Nam and swallow
nests. Father de Rhodes recogniz
ed that Ky-Nam was found only in
Viet- Nam .
The sailor, Tavernier , reported
that the deputy mayor of the city
Goa, Philippe de Mascarenas , a
Portuguese, had sent a friendship
mission to Japan. This mission
offered to the Japanese Embassy a
piece of aloes wood four feet long
and two feet thick . Its price at
that time was 43,000 pardos, or
54,000 English pounds (in the 17th
century) . The Japanese Emperor
did not accept the gift , and on the
way back this piece of aloes wood
suffered damage from sea water.
The Italian missionary , De Ma
rini, reported that at that time
the King of Vietnam had in his
office a piece of aloes wood
weighing up to thirty pounds.
Thirty years before Alexandre
de Rhodes, Father Christofo
Borri also mentioned incense wood
in his travelogue . He wrote that in
the 17th century there were head
rests made of incense wood sold at
a price ranging from 300 to 400
ducats a pound . Of course such
head -rests were only for the kings
and queens of Asia . With this dis
cussion on incense wood , we recall
the old times because :
"Incense burning evokes me
mories
The tea lacks the flavor of the
one who knows he is loved . ” (Kim
Van Kieu )
“Inside , the oven releases a mus
ky fragance ,
Outside , incense emanates from
the burner. " (Nhi Do Mai )
27
 You have heard about Saigon !
Now come visit us.

You'll be pleasantly surprised !

For information write to:

The Director Tourism Department,
Asian American Transportation ,
Post Office Box 2431 ,
Saigon, Vietnam.

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The Vietnam Council on Foreign Relations
(Hiệp-Hội Việt-Nam Phát- Triền Bang-Giao Quốc-Tế)
P. O. Box 932
Saigon, Republic of Vietnam
Enclosed herewith is payment of US $ 8.00 for a one-year subscription to
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28
 Who else flies 747s from
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Manila
an
N d Tok yo dir ect
ORto
THWthe U.S .A. ?
O R
EST IENT

Only V v
Northwest.
Nobody else.
Meet us in any of these four cities and a Northwest 747 will fly you direct to Seattle , Tacoma,
Chicago and New York ... and from Tokyo to Honolulu , San Francisco , Los Angeles and
Minneapolis St. Paul .
Northwest flies 747s to the U.S.A. three times every day from Tokyo , every day except Wednesday
and Saturday from Hong Kong, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from Taiwan and
every Saturday from Manila .
That's more 747s than any other airline ... a new dimension in air travel . And , with private
stereo , wide screen movies* and magnificent food and beverages . . a new dimension in
service .
For immediate reservations call your travel agent or Northwest Orient at 22 Nguyen Hue
Boulevard Saigon , South Vietnam . Phone 91.507 / 98.493 .
$ ? 50 charge on transpacific flights.

NORTHWEST ORIENT 747

Flying to twice as many U.S. cities

ET - P 3P 2 B
 Everyday
A flies to
TWNEW YORK
WASHINGTON
CHICAGO
LOS ANGELES

And only TWA gives you

Ambassador Service
That means you get the Twin Seat
in Economy, so if nobody's sitting next
to you , you can fold down the middle
seat and sit 2 across instead of 3 across .
You get a choice of 3 International
meals in Economy, and 5 in First Class.
Everything from U -Kor-Kai- Ting to
Roast Tenderloin of Beef. You get a
choice of 2 current moviest on all movie
flights. And 8 channels of audio.
Our daily flights to America
are conveniently scheduled for you.
Call your Travel Agent or TWA
for details.

TWA is what travel should be

toAmerica.
* Service mark owned exclusively by TWA.
+ Choice of movies on every movie flight. International agreements require us to make a nominal charge for inflight
entertainment. Movies by Inflight Motion Pictures, Inc.
Call your travel agent or Trans World Airlines Inc., Mekong Express 16 Duong Tu Do. Tel: 24452 Saigon S. Vietnam . 06018