GEEO Vietnam and Cambodia Google Earth Presentation

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USA

Today, I’d like to share with you a great experience I had while traveling to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand through a non-profit organization called GEEO. GEEO helps educators travel abroad so that they can learn more about different cultures to share with their students. I was joined on my trip by educators and retired teachers from all around the United States.

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Asia

During my program, I visited Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, three countries in Asia, which is Earth’s largest continent. Can anyone name any other countries in Asia?

Asia covers 8.7% of the Earth’s total surface area and comprises 30% of its land area. With approximately 4.6 billion people, it holds 60% of the world’s current human population.

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Southeast Asia

I went to a part of Asia known as Southeast Asia. Several of the countries in Southeast Asia are long and thin (see this map). This part of Asia is very diverse, with many different cultural and ethnic groups and hundreds of languages. Southeast Asia is predominantly rural, which means most people do not live in large cities, and many of them work in agriculture, particularly rice. The cities that do exist in Southeast Asia, some of which I visited, are growing rapidly.

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Hanoi

Our program began in Hanoi—the capital of Vietnam. It’s also the second-largest city behind Hồ Chí Minh City, with 20 million people living in Hanoi’s metropolitan (Hanoi Capital Region).

Hanoi is located close to the Vietnam/China border, and the two regions have had a close connection for thousands of years. Hanoi was actually built over the remains of a 7th century Chinese fort.

Vietnam was colonized by France in the 19th century, and then occupied by Japan during World War II, before returning to French control after the war. Then, After World War II, a nationalist movement emerged that fought for Vietnamese independence. In 1954, the Vietnamese defeated the French at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ (pronunciation), and after, the country was temporarily divided into North Vietnam (under Communist rule) and South Vietnam (under a Western-backed government). This division led to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975. As a result of the war, Vietnam reunified under Communist rule.

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Hanoi Flag Tower

The Hanoi Flag Tower was once a part of the Imperial Citadel, which was built in the 11th century. The Flag Tower was added in 1812. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. Do you know what a UNESCO World Heritage Site is? It is a landmark or area specially designated by the United Nations as having cultural or historical significance. The program is intended to conserve sites for future generations.

Vietnam’s flag is a yellow star with a red background, inspired by the flag of the communist party, and symbolizing revolution, bloodshed, and struggle. The five-pointed yellow star represents the unity of entrepreneurs, farmers, workers, intellectuals, and soldiers in building a communal society. It became the flag of a united Vietnam when the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was formed in 1976 after the end of the Vietnam War.

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Hanoi Old Quarter

We walked through Hanoi’s Old Quarter—36 streets that formed the city’s urban area under French rule in the late 19th century. Each street is dedicated to one specific trade or guild. The streets were named after the goods or crafts sold there, and most start with hàng (pronunciation), which means “wares”. Hàng Tre Street means “bamboo wares street,” and Hàng Đồng Street means “copper wares street.”

Some streets still specialize in their namesake trade, but others have changed. For example, Hàng Buồm (pronunciation), which means “sails street,” now sells Vietnamese cakes and candy.

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Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum

We also visited the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi. Hồ Chí Minh is considered the father of Vietnamese independence. He led the Viet Minh resistance against Japanese forces during World War II. When France attempted to reclaim colonial control after Japan’s defeat, he led the fight for independence and reunification under one government. He led North Vietnam during the Second Indochina War—called the “American War” in Vietnam and the “Vietnam War” in the U.S., a war that claimed over a million lives.

Hồ Chí Minh died in 1969 before seeing his dream of a unified, independent Vietnam fulfilled. In his will, he requested to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the countryside, so his grave wouldn’t take up vital agricultural space. But, his wishes were ignored, and work began on a mausoleum in 1973. The mausoleum is one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Vietnam. It sits where Hồ Chí Minh read Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945.

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Hạ Long Bay from above

After leaving Hanoi, our group traveled to Hạ Long Bay (pronunciation). Local legend says that ther was once a dragon who came to help the Viet people resist a Chinese invasion. The dragon breathed out a wall of fire and precious stones, forming the more than 3,000 islands that dot Hạ Long Bay. (Watch this video about the geographic and legendary origins of the islands).

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Hạ Long Bay from the water

In 1994, the bay was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you can see the karst formations, which were formed over millions of years by seashells and sediments that turned into limestone and were pushed above the surface of the water by tectonic activity. They were slowly carved away by water and receding glaciers, and many of the islands contain intricate cave systems.

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Former Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone

Next, we went by overnight train to Huế (pronunciation), in the northern part of what South Vietnam. Do you see the small red area in the middle of Vietnam? At the end of the First Indochina War in 1954, the decision was made to divide the country in half, with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the north and the Republic of Vietnam in the south. Does anybody know the name of the point where the countries were divided? (A: Seventeenth parallel.) This area was known as the demilitarized zone, or DMZ.

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Huế

Huế was the imperial capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945 under the Nguyen Dynasty. Emperor Gia Long moved the capital from Hanoi to Huế, making it a center of culture, education, and politics. The city was known for its poetry and music, and Nguyen emperors patronized the arts and encouraged new forms of expression. The Royal Library housed thousands of books and manuscripts for Vietnamese scholars.

At the heart of the capital was the Purple Forbidden City—the emperor’s residence. It was modeled after Beijing’s Forbidden City and surrounded by a moat and walls for protection. Many structures were destroyed during the Vietnam War. Many have since been restored, and the Imperial City is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Hội An

From Huế, we traveled south to Hội An (pronunciation). The town was an important trading port from the 15th to 19th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was originally part of the Champa Kingdom until it became part of the Vietnamese Empire. The Vietnamese maintained relaxed import taxes and foreign trader concessions, and Hội An continued as a trade center for Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, and South Asian merchants. Each group had their own quarter with distinct places of worship and architecture.

Today, Japanese influence is most prominent. The city still has a covered bridge and Buddhist pagoda built by Japanese merchants centuries ago. 18th-century shopfronts and loading docks have been maintained, but today merchants sell Vietnamese paintings, silks, lanterns, textiles, and local cuisine to tourists rather than spices to foreign merchants.

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Hồ Chí Minh City

We flew from Hội An to Hồ Chí Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. It’s Vietnam’s largest city and a major economic center. The city began as a small fishing village called Baigaur, established by the Champa Kingdom along the Saigon River in the 12th century. After the Khmer Empire conquered it, the village was renamed Prey Nokor (“Overgrown City”). The Vietnamese Nguyen dynasty later conquered Prey Nokor in the 17th century and it became Saigon.

Saigon became the colonial capital of French Indochina, then capital of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. After North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon in 1975, the city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.

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Reunification Palace

This building has had many names, but today it’s called Reunification Palace. The French built a wooden palace here in 1863 and replaced it with stone in 1873. It was named Norodom Palace in honor of Cambodia’s king, but commonly known as the Governor’s Palace—where the colonial governor worked. The Japanese used it as their headquarters during World War II.

South Vietnam’s President Ngô Đình Diệm (pronunciation) renamed it Independence Palace in 1955 when he ousted Emperor Bao Dai. The palace was damaged when two rebel South Vietnamese Air Force pilots attempted to assassinate Diệm by bombing it. Diệm ordered a new Independence Palace built, but he was assassinated before its completion in 1966. When North Vietnam’s People’s Army took Saigon in 1975, the palace was renamed Reunification Palace.

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War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum was established in 1975 as the Museum of American War Crimes. In 1995, after the U.S. and Vietnam normalized relations and ended the embargo, it was renamed the War Remnants Museum.

It initially showcased atrocities committed by anti-communist forces during the war, but exhibits have expanded to include the French colonial era and earlier. Exhibits include planes, tanks, helicopters, guns, a guillotine, unexploded ordnance, and displays about chemical weapons.

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Thiên Hậu Pagoda

The Thiên Hậu Pagoda is a beautiful temple dedicated to the traditional Chinese sea goddess Mazu, also known as Thiên Hậu (pronunciation), who is revered by many Vietnamese as well as Chinese people. The pagoda was originally built in the late 18th century by Chinese immigrants. It houses a large statue of Thiên Hậu surrounded by smaller statues of other deities. (Spin the image around to see the statue.) The temple serves as a reminder of the Chinese influence on Vietnam’s history and culture, as well as a testament to the long-standing cultural exchange between China and Vietnam.

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Ben Thanh Market

Chợ Bến Thành (pronunciation) is a large market in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. It has been a bustling commercial hub in the city for over a century, and it is housed in a large building with a clock tower and is full of colorful stalls and a diverse array of products, including fresh produce, clothing, handicrafts, and souvenirs. It is a popular destination for food lovers, and you can buy food such as pho, banh mi, spring rolls, and more.

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Bến Tre

We traveled south from Ho Chi Minh City to Bến Tre, a city and province in the Mekong Delta. The Vietnam War began here in the south. The town could only be reached by boat—it sits between two branches of the Mekong River.

In early 1960, the Việt Cộng took temporary control of several districts, confiscated land from landlords, and redistributed it to poor farmers. One insurrection leader was Madame Nguyễn Thị Định, who led an all-female force known as the “Long Hair Army.”

The South Vietnamese army recaptured the area, but in February 1968 during the Tet Offensive, North Vietnam’s army captured Bến Tre again. American bombs, rockets, and napalm obliterated much of the town during the retreat, killing hundreds of civilians. A U.S. Army officer told a journalist, “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it.” The quote became infamous for expressing the brutal absurdities of war.

Today, the province is still recovering. It was heavily sprayed with Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide that contaminated soil, water, and vegetation. This caused long-term health problems and severely impacted the local ecosystem.

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Mekong Delta

The mighty Mekong River originates in the Tibetan Plateau and flows through several countries in Southeast Asia before emptying into the South China Sea. It is the 12th longest river in the world, and its delta is one of the most fertile regions in Southeast Asia. The delta branches out into several smaller rivers that crisscross the region, leaving behind rich soil deposits that have given the region the nickname the “rice bowl” of Vietnam.

Pollution and deforestation in recent years have led to significant environmental challenges that threaten the ecological viability of the delta, which is home to over 10,000 species of animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

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Phnom Penh

We eventually left Vietnam and drove across the border to Phnom Penh (pronunciation), the capital of Cambodia. Cambodia has had significant civil strife and political turmoil in recent years. The situation has improved a bit over the last two decades, but the country is still controlled by a government accused of widespread corruption and human rights abuses.

(If you do not wish to tell your students about the Khmer Rouge, please skip the next two stops in this presentation.)

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Tuol Sleng (S-21)

In Phnom Penh, we learned about the Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. This communist group was led by Pol Pot and emerged from the struggle against French colonization, influenced by Vietnam’s communist government.

When the Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh in 1975, they forced people from cities into the countryside. They killed most of Cambodia’s educated people—doctors, teachers, scientists, and government workers. The genocide killed 1.5 to 2 million people, around 25% of Cambodia’s population.

Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21 (for Security Prison 21), was a school turned into a prison and interrogation center under the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of Cambodians perceived as enemies were detained and tortured with beatings, electric shocks, and waterboarding. Many died from torture or were executed after being forced to confess to crimes they didn’t commit. When Vietnamese troops captured the prison in 1979, they found only seven survivors. The prison became a genocide museum in 1980 and now serves as a memorial to the victims.

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The Killing Fields

From S-21, we drove to nearby Choeung Ek, home to a Killing Fields site. The Killing Fields were sites across Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge executed people and buried them in mass graves. Choeung Ek is the most infamous, where 17,000 to 20,000 people were killed. Mass graves are fenced off with bamboo. Visitors leave braided bracelets to commemorate victims.

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Royal Palace

Some of us also visited the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh. The palace has been the official residence of the King of Cambodia since 1866. The Silver Pagoda is a Buddhist temple located within the Royal Palace complex and is named for its floor, which is covered with over 5,000 silver tiles. The temple houses many priceless artifacts, including a life-sized gold Buddha statue encrusted with 9,584 diamonds.

Cambodia’s monarchy had existed since at least 68 AD, except from 1970 to 1993 when it was abolished during the country’s political turmoil and social unrest. Since 1993, the King of Cambodia has limited political power but is an elected monarch, making Cambodia one of the few places in the world that elects its monarch.

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Siem Reap

After Phnom Penh, we traveled to the town of Siem Reap (pronunciation), famous for being near the location of the ancient city of Angkor. Angkor was the capital city of the Khmer Empire, which was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 15th century. At its peak, Angkor was one of the largest cities in the world with a population of around a million people, comparable to ancient Rome at its height. The city was eventually abandoned in the 15th century, possibly due to an invasion, environmental destruction, and economic decline.

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Angkor Wat from above

Angkor Wat is the most famous site in Cambodia. The word “Angkor” means city or capital in Khmer, the language spoken in Cambodia, and the word “Wat” means temple. Angkor Wat is surrounded by a huge moat.

The abandoned city of Angkor was eventually swallowed by the jungle, and it remained largely unknown to the outside world until the 19th century. Archeologists had to clear trees and vegetation from the ruins in order to expose the monumental buildings that we were able to see during our visit. Angkor was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992

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Angkor Wat

It took about 40 years to build the amazing temple of Angkor Wat nearly 900 years ago. Originally a Hindu temple, it was designed to represent Mount Meru, the home of the supernatural beings called Devas in Hindu mythology, who include the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The temple was later used as a Buddhist temple when the Khmer people gradually changed religions and Buddhism became the state religion after the 13th century.

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Bayon temple

Another temple that we visited was Bayon. Can anyone see anything unique about this temple?

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Bayon temple close-up

The temple is covered in huge faces carved into its stone towers. Some scholars believe the faces are meant to look like Jayavarman VII, the Khmer King who had the temple constructed. Others think that the stone faces are depicting compassion. In the Buddhist religion, compassion is an essential value. Buddha thought that in order to become enlightened, you had to have both wisdom and compassion.

Buddhists believe that there is a cycle of birth, life death, and rebirth, called reincarnation. They believe that unless someone gains Enlightenment, when they die they will be reborn. In Buddhism, Enlightenment means that you are at peace with yourself and everything around you, and you no longer want more than you have. If a person can gain Enlightenment, they can break free of this cycle of reincarnation. Another word for Enlightenment in Buddhism is Nirvana.

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Preah Khan Temple

Preah Khan was a Buddhist temple built in the 12th century and has been left largely unrestored, with large trees, tree roots, and other vegetation growing over and out from the ruins, which gives it an eerie feeling.

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Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is another overgrown, ruined Buddhist temple that was originally known as the Royal Monastery. It was founded as a monastery and university in the late 12th century. Both Ta Prohm and Preah Khan were built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, who is credited with many of the most impressive architectural achievements of the Khmer Empire.

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New Hope

While we were in Siem Reap, we also visited a charity school called New Hope. There are about 600 students enrolled at New Hope, and there is also a health clinic there for local families. The charity helps those in the village of Mondul 3, one of the poorest areas in Siem Reap province. Once a military base, the village is now home to around 300 families made up of army personnel and displaced people who have no formal education or vocational skills. (Here is a video about New Hope, and here is their website.)

Share your experiences: What did you do at New Hope? What was it like visiting the school and restaurant?

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Tonlé Sap floating village

Some of us were also able to visit a floating village on Tonlé Sap (pronunciation), a lake south of Siem Reap. Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. You can see all of the houses and buildings that are built on rafts or stilts out in the water. Many of the buildings are connected by wooden walkways. During the wet season (which is when we were in Cambodia), all the structures move to the Siem Reap River in a long line, and during the dry season, the whole village is moved back onto the lake. The village is home to around 5,000 people who live and work on the lake, and many people in the village are fishermen, but some work in the tourism industry and take visitors on boat tours of the lake and the village.

Share your experiences: If you visited Tonlé Sap, what did you see? Do you remember kids carrying snakes while being boated around by their parents? The crocodiles in the pen? Did you learn anything about how the community has adapted to life on the water?

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Bangkok

The final stop on our program was Bangkok, which is the capital of the third country we visited, Thailand. Approximately 14 million people live in the Bangkok metropolitan area. The Los Angeles metropolitan area, by comparison, has around 13 million people.

One of the best ways to get around Bangkok is by tuk-tuk, which is a three-wheeled vehicle with an open-air cab and seats behind it. Tuk-tuks are iconic vehicles in Thailand, and they can be found everywhere in Bangkok weaving in and out of traffic. The open cab allows you to experience the city in a unique way. Here is a video about tuk-tuks in Bangkok.

Share your experience riding a tuk-tuk. Was it exciting, scary, or both?

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Wat Phra Kaew

The largest religion in Thailand is Buddhism. Over 93% of Thais are Buddhist.

This is Wat Phra Kaew, which means “Temple of the Emerald Buddha.” It is one of the most sacred Buddhist temples in Thailand. It was built in 1784 within the king’s palace, and it is the only temple in Bangkok that does not have monks who live there. This temple is famous for its statue of Buddha, which is actually made from jade, not emerald. The king of Thailand is the only person allowed to go near the Emerald Buddha. The king changes the clothes on the Buddha three times every year (show this image). In the summer, the Buddha is dressed in a crown and jewelry; in the winter, he wears a golden shawl; and in the rainy months, he wears a golden robe.

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Grand Palace

One of Bangkok’s most famous sights is the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is owned by the royal family of Thailand and it is their home. This photo was taken after the death of King Rama IX, and these people dressed in black are mourners.

The current king of Thailand is Rama X, whose reign has been plagued by controversies. Criticism of the king in Thailand is strictly prohibited, subject to prison sentences of up to 35 years.

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Wat Arun

Wat Arun is one of the oldest temples in Bangkok. Its name means Temple of Dawn, and it was named after the Indian goddess of the dawn, Aruna. The temple is covered in colorful porcelain tiles and seashells.

Share your experiences: What was your first impression of Bangkok? What was your favorite meal you had there? What did you learn? What surprised you? What was your most memorable experience in Bangkok?