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From
257 BC to 208 BC the Au Lac Kingdom was ruled by An Duong Vuong. Then a Chinese general named Trieu Da
began the Trieu dynasty which spanned 207-111 BC. From
111 to 906, Viet Nam was "dominated" by China, but
in 906, Viet Nam gained its independence. A long succession
of dynasties followed, which may be studied in greater detail
elsewhere.
Vietnamese Woman
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More
recently,
in
1861,
France
began
its
colonial
government in Saigon. By 1883, France controlled Laos,
Cambodia, and Viet Nam. In 1940, Japan wrested control
of the area from the French, but by 1945, it was back in French
hands. French forces suffered their ultimate setback at
Dien Bien Phu in 1954. At this time, Ho Chi Minh became
the president of the new nation of North Viet Nam, and Bao Dai
was the royal figurehead of South Viet Nam while Ngo Dinh Diem
became the actual leader. 1965-1973 were the American war years. Overview of Vietnamese Culture Language
The Vietnamese language was derived primarily from Chinese
Mandarin, and was then adapted to a Latin-based script
in a major feat of linguistic brilliance
by Alexander de Rhodes, a French missionary who arrived in
1627. The
spoken form of the language is monosyllabic and based on eight basic tones
(e.g. one says "Ha Noi:" not "Hanoi"). Still, there
are 54 distinct ethnic groups, and even staying within the main language
of Vietnamese, there are three dialects: north, central, and south.
Ancient Citadel
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Religion
The
main
religion
of
Viet
Nam
is
Mahayana
Buddhism. The French introduced
Catholicism at the beginning of the 17th century. Today, in Viet Nam
about 9% of the population is Catholic. Caodaism, founded in early 1920's by
Ngo Minh Chieu with the goal of creating the ideal religion by fusing the secular
and religious philosophies of both east and west, has about 2 million followers.
There are other religions and practices by minorities throughout
the country. Social Customs
The customs of Viet Nam date back many centuries. Generally, people are
very mindful of their ancestors, and many erect shrines in their homes to honor
deceased family members. People are very respectful and nurturing toward
older people. The concept of face is important here, with losing or gaining
face an important part of life. Fifty-three different minority groups
live throughout Viet Nam, each with its' own culture and language. Most of
the minority groups live in the remote mountain areas. Visiting
family and friends is an important activity for Vietnamese.
School Children |
Eduation
The
education
of
children
is
extremely
important
in
Viet
Nam. From an
early age, children are given strict, yet nurturing, guidance with rigorous
examinations at set intervals through the years. Vietnamese believe that
the only way to get out of poverty is through education, so it is not surprising
to find the most intellectual students in the poorest areas. Many leaders
and historical figures are also from the poorest areas. Students compete
in class subject matters as the students in the States might compete in sports.
As a student, to be called a "nerd" is an honor as
opposed to an insult.
Bowl of Noodle Soup |
Food
The
Vietnamese
have
a
very
healthy
diet
which
results
in
a
low
incidence
of
cancer and heart disease. The food is very fresh and features intricate
spicing. Rice consumption is a major part, about 80%, of their diet. Accompanying the
rice, fish and vegetables are the most common addition for meals. Meats
are served on special occasions. Much influence of Chinese and French
food has been incorporated into Vietnamese cooking. You can now find baguettes
all over Viet Nam. The most distinctive Vietnamese sauce is called "Fish
Sauce," and people all over the world are starting to recognize
and acquire a taste for it.
Conical Hats |
Clothes
The
clothing
ranges
from
the
traditional
costume
of
the
Ao
Dai (white
for high school students and many colors for office workers and others) and
sandals, to more modern western wear. The colorful conical
hats are often worn by rural people. Fashion shows are widespread
now, top-notch, and well-attended.
Silk or light polyester is often worn because of the humidity.
It's said that, because of the thin fabric, the women's clothes
hide nothing but cover everything.
Within the schools, it's strictly uniforms from middle school
all the way to high school. You will find male office workers
wear long-sleeved shirts and
dark pants. As a traveler, one should wear shirts with collars
and long pants to respectable places. T-shirts are considered
underwear instead of leisure
wear. Footwear is not as important as to the westerner--sandals
or a clean pair of shoes would be fine.
Transport
Viet
Nam
has
a comprehensive transport system ranging from jets to trains
to buses to trucks to cars to cyclos to scooters to bikes to xe lams to hydrofoils
to Honda Oms to oxcarts to water buffalo. Transportation depends on the region
and its economics. The traffic seems chaotic at times because the road may
not have enough area, however, having grown up within this system, they follow
a group sense of order. For example, a skating rink may seem chaotic, but it
has its own way of working out the traffic. Horns are often used to warn slower
traffic. In the larger towns, air and noise pollution may
be a problem because pollution is not regulated. Arts & Entertainment
The arts here are diverse, complex, and unique. With many
examples like the world-famous water puppet shows in
Hanoi, song-dance-mime-narrative sketches
and plays, and ancient traditional music played on unusual
folk instruments, the list goes on and on. You will find
plenty of art galleries in Hanoi,
Hue, Hoi An and Saigon. Each of these towns has its own unique
style, especially Hoi An. Because of the French influence,
Hoi An combines beautiful watercolors
with Asian-tinged art. Hanoi has been a home for many upcoming
sculptors. Their art often expresses themes from the
oppression of the war and the government
and society. There are not a lot of movie theaters in Viet
Nam due to videocassettes and television becoming mainstream.
Attending sporting events, professional
and amateur, is a treat for those who see it.
House and Path
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Architecture
Architecture
here
is
also
quite
diverse,
ranging
from
the
ancient
Champa
structures
to old Vietnamese buildings to French-style beauties. Hoi An
is
one
of
the
best places to go to view ancient buildings. Before Ha
Noi, Hoa Lu was the capitol of Viet Nam. Established in 968
AD, this old capitol preserved
its' history very well despite very little restoration work.
The ancient structure used large wooden columns instead of
steel and cement. Many temples
were built among the jagged edges of mountains ranges. The
One-Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature were built in
10th century, 400 years before
Columbus even discovered America. Many French buildings have
been restored by the government and wealthy people, and have
been documented in architectural
magazines. Lots of historical buildings built by the French
have made it into the headlines, such as the infamous Ha Noi
Hilton. Ha Noi also has a
smaller version of the Paris Opera House, which is believed
to be the only opera house in Asia built specifically for opera
alone. If you venture up
into the highlands of South Viet Nam, Da Lat would be a little
Switzerland. It has gingerbread house styles and French villas. Government
After America left Viet Nam in April of 1975, Viet Nam
became a unified nation under the Communist Party.
In 1988, the government decided to open its tight
grip (called doi moi), and in this new era the government allows
for more privatized citizens, for more permissive travel,
and for foreign and Viet
Kieu to come into the country. Even though the communists have
the only political party, they embrace both the liberal
and the conservative views. The conservatives
are the ones who fought during the war and want to preserve
the culture and heroic history from their past. The
liberals want to improve the economy
and move forward into the future. Viet Nam is trying very hard
to normalize relations with America despite once being
enemies. Even though Viet Nam is
a third world country which is trying to improve its economy,
it strives to, at the same time, preserve its culture
despite the modernization
of that economy.
Farmer working in his fields |
Occupations
Viet
Nam
is
still
largely
an
agricultural
economy.
Fishing
is
the
second
most
common occupation. As you travel along Highway 1, which is
tucked
along
the
ocean, you will see lots more fishermen than agricultural people.
In
the
larger cities, there are more industrial and professional occupations.
There
are a lot of students in groups on the roads before and after
school
hours.
There are a lot of government organizations with staffs of
many
people.
There
are a lot of street vendors, especially those who sell food.
Vietnamese
are
entrepreneurs by nature; almost every other house sets up a
storefront
to
sell something. Teaching is the most respected occupation,
even
though
they
don't make the most money. The police are making a good living,
but
as
with
anywhere else where law is corrupted, are not widely respected.
As
the
tourist
industry is getting bigger, tour guides and translators are
more
in
demand
and make good money.
Sports
Soccer is a very popular sport here, although the country has not emerged at
the world level. The people enjoy the sports of other countries as much as
the sports of their own. Asian sports, such as ping-pong, are very popular.
In the morning, you may find people in the lager cities practicing Taichi.
Wushu in Viet Nam is becoming one of the best in Asia. Badminton and tennis
are also very popular.
Local Flowers |
Landscape
The
Red
River
Delta
in
the
North
and
the
Mekong
Delta
in
the
South
are
symbolically
represented as the geographic shape of Viet Nam and are compared
to
two
baskets
at either end of a pole . The country is shaped like an elongated
S.
It
has
about 2,000 miles of incredibly beautiful coastline.
There are pristine mountain landscapes to be enjoyed as well.
Even though Viet Nam is the size
of California, it has 8 million people occupying the land.
It is the number-two rice and coffee exporting country in the
world behind Thailand and Colombia.
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