Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An
Michael Portillo boards Vietnam鈥檚 spectacular Reunification Railway to make a 1,000-mile journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. He visits the container port of Haiphong and finishes in Halong Bay.
Michael Portillo boards Vietnam鈥檚 spectacular Reunification Railway to make a 1,000-mile journey from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to the capital, Hanoi. Michael visits the vast container port of Haiphong and finishes in the turquoise waters of Halong Bay.
Michael鈥檚 1913 Bradshaw鈥檚 Guide unlocks for him the traumatic 20th-century history of today鈥檚 Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a former French colony. On this leg, he braves the streets of Saigon - as locals still call Ho Chi Minh City - on a motorbike, one of 8.5 million to do so daily. He attempts the national sport, da cau, and samples French-Vietnamese fusion food. Michael discovers how to make the quintessential Vietnamese condiment of fish sauce and joins modern Vietnamese people on holiday in a replica medieval French village in the Annamite Mountains, west of Da Nang.
In the tailoring capital of Hoi An, Michael learns how the region鈥檚 silkworms feed on the Champa mulberry tree and how the Cham people weave their distinctive brocade. Can he resist a colourful new jacket?
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Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:54They Might Be Giants
Man, It's So Loud In Here
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Michael Portillo |
| Series Editor | Alison Kreps |
| Production Company | FremantleMedia UK |
| Executive Producer | John Comerford |
| Director | Cassie Farrell |
