As Vietnam celebrates the 80th anniversary of its declaration of independence from colonial rule this week, French cultural influence remains ubiquitous, but not many people in the Southeast Asian nation are aware of its prevalence.
Advertisement
A massive military parade will herald on Tuesday the independence proclaimed by revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh on September 2, 1945, which was meant to end nearly a century of French rule but instead started a decade-long war until the defeated French eventually left in 1954.
Ba Dinh Square in central Hanoi, where the legendary leader, affectionately known in Vietnam as Uncle Ho, made his historical declaration, is flanked by two of the capital’s best preserved French colonial buildings – now home to the presidential palace and the foreign ministry.
But none of the six under-30 Hanoians interviewed in front of the yellow-painted foreign ministry headquarters, a masterpiece of French Indochina style, were aware of its architectural origin.
“I came here because it has unique architecture, and it is a popular spot promoted by celebrities,” said Nguyen Thi Trang, 30, who showed surprise when told about its French origin.
Vietnam’s relations with France have moved from colonial to congenial. When French President Emmanuel Macron visited Hanoi in May, the two countries signed deals worth US$10 billion, including on planes and satellites.
Advertisement
He was delighted when students at a university event addressed him in perfect French.
I would prefer Chinese over French as the second foreign language to study because it feels more familiar