In Vietnam, a Monumental Paradox

Monuments and statues say a great deal about the places in which they stand, and they often serve as a measure of political sentiment. In Ukraine, for example, the toppling of Soviet-era statues during the 2014 uprisings demonstrated the anti-Russia attitudes sweeping parts of the country. Likewise, Ho Chi Minh City's monuments speak volumes about Vietnam, an emerging economic power that, like Ukraine, finds itself pulled in different directions by larger world powers. As the dust settles in Vietnam's commercial hub after a recent whirlwind visit from U.S. President Barack Obama, the city's more permanent celebrities reveal a contradiction in Vietnam's national identity....