Vietnam officially has a much lower GDP (PPP) per capita than Greece. Why do cities in Vietnam nevertheless look much more modern, clean, and developed than those in Greece?
Vietnam has a lower GDP (PPP) per capita than Greece because it has a big population, about 10 times of Greece. In fact, Vietnam GDP is nearly double Greece in nominal value and more than triple in PPP.
Of Vietnam GDP, the 2 largest metropolitans of Hanoi (and 3 surrounding provinces) and Saigon (and 3 surrounding provinces) contribute upto 60% approximately USD 0.7T (PPP), about double size of Greece as a whole. That’s being said Greece is just on par with 2 biggest cities in Vietnam. Moreover, Greece is fully grown as it is developed, but Vietnam is still growing, this moment is not the limit of Vietnam. You can see in the very near future, each of the 2 cities of Vietnam will surpass Greece. Vietnam apparantly has better human and financial resources than at least a Greece after debt crisis.
But, cities look is another story, not due to lower income or higher income, but the difference in history and culture. Vietnam prefers cities with high rise buildings, wide roads, like this
Danang City
Ha Long City
because it is common view of Eastern and South Eastern Asian countries which are seen everywhere. While Greece prefers cities like this
Athens
To be honest, the cities in Greece as well as many cities in Europe are small and old, but very beautiful and rich of historical values. I don’t think they are less developed and clean than the ones in Vietnam.
I am an attorney in the Washington DC area, with a Doctor of Law in the US, attended the master program at the National School of Administration of Việt Nam, and graduated from Sài Gòn University Law School. I aso studied philosophy at the School of Letters in Sài Gòn.
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I have worked as an anti-trust attorney for Federal Trade Commission and a litigator for a fortune-100 telecom company in Washington DC.
I have taught law courses for legal professionals in Việt Nam and still counsel VN government agencies on legal matters.
I have founded and managed businesses for me and my family, both law and non-law.
I have published many articles on national newspapers and radio stations in Việt Nam.
In 1989 I was one of the founding members of US-VN Trade Council, working to re-establish US-VN relationship.
Since the early 90's, I have established and managed VNFORUM and VNBIZ forum on VN-related matters; these forums are the subject of a PhD thesis by Dr. Caroline Valverde at UC-Berkeley and her book Transnationalizing Viet Nam.
I translate poetry and my translation of "A Request at Đồng Lộc Cemetery" is now engraved on a stone memorial at Đồng Lộc National Shrine in VN.
I study and teach the Bible and Buddhism. In 2009 I founded and still manage dotchuoinon.com on positive thinking and two other blogs on Buddhism.
In 2015 a group of friends and I founded website CVD - Conversations on Vietnam Development (cvdvn.net).
I study the art of leadership with many friends who are religious, business and government leaders from many countries.
I have written these books, published by Phu Nu Publishing House in Hanoi:
"Positive Thinking to Change Your Life", in Vietnamese (TƯ DUY TÍCH CỰC Thay Đổi Cuộc Sống) (Oct. 2011)
"10 Core Values for Success" (10 Giá trị cốt lõi của thành công) (Dec. 2013)
"Live a Life Worth Living" (Sống Một Cuộc Đời Đáng Sống) (Oct. 2023)
I practice Jiu Jitsu and Tai Chi for health, and play guitar as a hobby, usually accompanying my wife Trần Lê Túy Phượng, aka singer Linh Phượng.
Xem tất cả bài viết bởi Trần Đình Hoành
CVD 