Fresh wave of foreign 'invaders' perplexes Vietnamese

Hanoi faces growing opposition to tourism policy as visitor numbers soar

The wooden vessels operated by Cat Ba Sailing Junk are equipped with septic tanks so as not to dump sewage into Lan Ha Bay, where they operate in northern Vietnam. (Photo by Ian Lloyd Neubauer)

IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER, Contributing writer

October 25, 2019 13:34 JST

HANOI -- Vietnam has waged a long struggle to fend off foreign invaders -- Chinese dynasties and warlords dominated the country for the best part of 1,000 years, French colonial rule lasted for nearly a century, and U.S. troops spent years fighting there during the two-decade-long Vietnam War.