Pleiku
Pleiku is a town of Gia Lai Province in Vietnam's central highlands. During the Vietnam War, it was an important base area for U.S. forces.
Geography
The province shares borders with Cambodia, and with the Vietnamese provinces of Kontum , Dac Lac , Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen provinces.
Pleiku is :
- 116 mi/186km from Qui Nhon
- 104 mi/197km from Ban Me Thuot
- 344 mi/550km from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).
Vietnam War
One of the first Viet Cong attacks that drew a retaliatory air response on North Vietnam (i.e., Operation FLAMING DART within the larger Operation ROLLING THUNDER) was on February 6, 1965, before there was a full deployment of U.S. troops for base security.
Current development
Pleiku is an anchor of a hydroelectric transmission system for Vietnam and Laos, for which detailed design will start in 2009.[1]
Culturally, UNESCO has designated it a center for the Southeast Asian traditional gong music. [2] Gia Lai Province, in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) of Vietnam, will host the 2009 International Gong Festival in Pleiku City in the fall of 2009. Troupes will come from Dac Lac, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong Provinces.
References
- ↑ Asian Development Bank (2008), Preparing the Ban Sok-Pleiku Power Transmission Project in the Greater Mekong Subregion : Regional
- ↑ VietNamNet Bridge (January 3, 2009), Pleiku to host 2009 Int’l Gong Festival