More than 4 decades of peace: A very different Vietnam

(Baonghean.vn) - The historic day of April 30, 1975 marked the final moment of the painful war that lasted for decades in the S-shaped country.

That was the moment when the Vietnamese people were united under one roof, and it was also the beginning of recovery and reconciliation. 41 years later, Vietnam now has a very different image in the eyes of the international press.

Ho Chi Minh City, more than four decades after reunification, continues to be Vietnam's economic locomotive (Source: Los Angeles Times)

Remember the war, learn from the war

More than four decades after becoming a unified country, Vietnam has changed a lot. That is obvious in a country where every citizen always looks to the future and hopes for a better life.

American Time magazine commented that it is hidden in the eyes of young people - a generation far removed from the painful past.

That is what we see in young photographers like Maikan Elan, who hunts for pictures depicting life in contemporary Vietnam. Time magazine interviewed Maikan Elan about what she thinks about the country's distant past.

“Americans and Vietnamese seem to have different views on this war,” Elan told reporter Alice Gabriner. “While America is still busy with many other wars, Vietnam is no longer a battlefield. This is truly a peaceful country.”

Born more than 10 years after the war ended, Elan only experienced its devastation through photographs and television films. Her father, despite bearing the consequences of the war, rarely spoke of it.

He taught his daughter how to “overcome difficulties rather than whine or complain about the past. To me, my father was always happy and full of optimism,” she told a Time reporter.

From another angle, the painful story of the past is now described by Channel News Asia as a lesson for Vietnam to face new challenges in the development process. The article wrote: There has always been a steadfast view on peace in Vietnam, and everything is based on that foundation.

“The Vietnamese people have had to stand up and fight in at least 13 wars throughout the country’s history. The need for peace of this entire nation is therefore understandable. Everyone tries their best to overcome the losses of war,” a famous television channel in Southeast Asia quoted Professor Nguyen Minh Thuyet, a sociologist and former member of the Vietnamese National Assembly.

“So what does this mean in today’s life?” – “The danger is if the younger generation of Vietnam underestimates the country’s sensitive geopolitical position and loses vigilance against its larger neighbours,” Professor Thuyet told Channel News Asia.

America is no longer the enemy. Freedom and the attraction of material values ​​have brought America closer to the Vietnamese people. (Source: Time)

A very different Vietnam

Al Jazeera TV channel is interested in the story of the country's "transformation" economy after more than 4 decades of escaping from bombs and bullets. The article argues that the Vietnamese people defeated the US in a war of survival but are now welcoming the return of the US with the power of capitalism.

No longer a question of ideology, the story is now only about how much economic growth and luxury goods sales will be. More than 4 decades since reunification and after 30 years of reform and opening up to the outside world, it is clear that Vietnam has truly transformed into a rising star.

“Based on a free market foundation, Vietnam’s economy has jumped from the bottom to become the hottest market in Southeast Asia over the past 20 years,” Al Jazeera correspondent Kevin Doyle asserted.

But the most dramatic change has been the pivot in Vietnam’s foreign relations. America is no longer the enemy, and American culture seems to be winning over the hearts and minds of a new generation in Vietnam in the most peaceful way possible.

The combination of propaganda banners featuring the hammer and sickle with the signs of Chanel and Cartier fashion stores shows the strong and unique integration of the Vietnamese economy.

USA Today sought answers in the wave of startups in big cities. Nguyen Huu Tuan Thanh, owner of three fast-casual coffee shops Caztus Coffee in Ho Chi Minh City, seems to have learned the spirit of global brand Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to apply to the Vietnamese environment.

Young people like Denise Thi, CEO of Emerald Consultant, are a portrait of a changing Vietnam. (source: USA Today)

30-year-old Denise Thi – founder and CEO of a digital marketing company with 6 years of experience in the market is busy with her projects. Thi’s company has now been acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network – a multinational giant.

She told USA Today that the anniversary should be a reason to look forward, not back. “It’s about being proud of your country, what we’ve accomplished, how we fought for freedom,” she said. “But now it’s about looking to the future.”

Thanh Son