cheap food and servants, and luxurious living for a ruling caste. This sort of nostalgia inspired, and was encouraged by, the 1991 French film Indochine. For these tourists, the grand hotels and public buildings are a major attraction. These are fine examples of Beaux Arts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, built by the French between the 1880s and 1935. They are indeed a splendid architectural heritage, and it is to be hoped that they are not swept away as Viet Nam rebuilds,