Countryside Market Many communes in rural Vietnam feature countryside markets (cho que). There are two main types of countryside market: the fair and the evening market. Fairs are held periodically. For example, it may be held on days with the numbers three and eight, which would imply fairs on the 3rd, 8th, 13th, 18th, 23rd […]

Traditional costumes of the Vietnamese people tend to be very simple and modest. Men wear brown shirts and white trousers. Their headgear is simply a piece of cloth wrapped around the head and their footwear consists of a pair of plain sandals. For formal ceremonies men would have two additional items, a long gown with […]

Festive activities are living museums in which typical cultural values of the nation have been preserved for centuries. Formation and meaning of traditional festivals Traditional festivals constitute a form of cultural activities, a spiritual product which the people have created and developed during the course of history. From generation to generation, the Vietnamese people preserve […]

Worship of Ancestor Custom A very popular belief among Vietnamese is the custom of the ancestor cult. In every household, an ancestor altar is installed in the most solemn location. Vietnamese believe that the soul of a dead person, even if dead for many generations, still rests along with their descendants on earth. The dead […]

The major religious traditions in Vietnam are Buddhism (which fuses forms of Taoism and Confusianism), Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), Islam, Caodaism and the Hoa Hao sect. Buddhism Buddhism was first introduced to Vietnam in the 2nd century, and reached its peak in the Ly dynasty (11th century). It was then regarded as the official religion dominating court affairs. Buddhism […]

At present there are 54 different ethnic groups inhabiting Vietnam, in which Kinh (Viet) people make up nearly 90% of the whole population, and 53 other ethnic groups represent over 10%. Vietnam minorities: At present there are 54 different ethnic groups inhabiting Vietnam, in which Kinh (Viet) people make up nearly 90% of the whole population, and 53 […]

At the beginning of the Bronze Age, the Viet tribe groups had settled down in the North and in the north of Central Vietnam. Country’s official name: At the beginning of the Bronze Age, the Viet tribe groups had settled down in the North and in the north of Central Vietnam. There were about 15 […]

Fast facts: Official name: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam Mainland Territory: 331,211.6 sq. km Population: 85,789.6 thousand inhabitants (Apr. 2009) National Capital: Hanoi Administrative Units: Vietnam is divided into 63 provinces and cities Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter “S”. China borders […]