For a country that is only a little larger than Italy, Vietnam has immense geographic and cultural diversity. Its varied climate and landscape range from four seasons of the mountainous north to year-round tropical temperatures of the lush south.
Vietnam's cultural diversity stems from its intriguing history dating back more than 4,000 years. Its historical legacy includes a century of Chinese occupation, which has left a very strong foreign cultural influence, evident in the pagodas, local cuisine, and continuing practice of Confucianism. Vietnam's regal past can be revisited in the former capital city of Hue, where the Citadel and Royal Tombs represent an era of cultural renaissance. The French colonial legacy is still evident in many parts of Vietnam, as illustrated by the distinctive yellow pastel-colored architecture of its villas and administrative buildings |