VIET NAM. Dozens of shops and studios in Viet Nam's big cities cater for tourists with an appetite for replicas of famous paintings. Prices are calculated on the basis of dollars per square meter, making it possible to return home with a convincing Renoir for US$20.

VIET NAM. The Vietnamese are avid readers, with over 20 newspapers published every day and hundreds of magazines to choose from. The literacy rate used to be 97% - exceptionally high for a country where 80% of the population live in the countryside - but now the rate is falling since education is no longer free.