The national and official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese, a tonal langauge. It became the official language only in the 20th century. Before that, traditional Chinese was used for governing purposes while written Vietnamese mainly for literature and poetry.
The vocabulary of Vietnamese language has been largely adopted from the Chinese language especially words that signify abstract ideas. The current Vietnamese writing system makes use of the Latin alphabet, adding extra diacritics for specific letters and tones.
Vietnamese language is difficult as there are six tones to each syllable, all with a different meaning. Some other languages spoken in Vietnam includes Chinese, Khmer, Cham, and others spoken by tribes in the mountains.
A number of older Vietnamese still speak French as their second language while the younger generations are picking up languages like English, Chinese, and Japanese in schools.
As Vietnam is very close to China, the origin of many ethnic groups were from the different groups of Chinese. There are two groups that I would like to highlight which are believed to be indigenous to Vietnam. They are the Viet (or Kinh) and the Tay.
The Viet (Kinh)
In ancient times, the ancestors of Viet had settled down in the Northern and Central Vietnam. The Viet had played an important role in uniting all ethnic groups in Vietnam throughout the history. Wet rice cultivation is their major production activity and generations after generations of working in the rice fields, the Viet had gained a lot of experience in which they summarised the cultivation process to four profound words. "First water, second fertilizer, third hard work, fourth good seeds."
The ancient farmers also raise pigs, poultry, birds and some other activities would include fishing and producing of handicrafts.
Water puppet is believed to have originated
from the Viet people in the Red River Delta
Rice and green tea are the basic everyday food and drink while fish, vegetable or crab soups are part of their daily meals. Sauces are greatly loved by the Viet and they are usually made from shrimps, crab and fish. Spices like chilli, ginger and garlic are also popular. On festive occasions, sticky rice and alcohol are consumed.
The Viet live in one story houses where there are yards, gardens and ponds. Each house has about 3 to 5 rooms with the most important one in the middle for the ancestor's altars. Families are small with 2 generations living together and women are the ones managing the finance and the welfare of the family.
Games are played during leisure time and there are different games for different ages, genders, seasons, individuals and groups. Some play chess, fly kites and release birds for enjoyment while some engage is sports and communal games such as tug-of-war, swings, wrestling and boat racing.
It is believed that as early as 500 BC, the Tay have been present in Vietnam. Just like the Viet, the Tay are farmers and also cultivated wet rice. Irrigation methods such as digging canals and laying water pipes were already implemented at that time. During harvesting, they would thrash the grains out on wooden racks, which they call loong, in the fields and carry baskets of grains home. Fruit trees are grown and cattle and poultry were also raised. Similar to the Viet, there are household crafts such as brocade weaving.
The Tay mainly ate sticky rice and almost every family use stew and steam pots for cooking. Many types of cakes were made during festive occasions such as Bahn Chung which is square rice cakes made from glutinous rice, mung bean and pork, wrapped in banana leaves.
The Tay villages are large and crowded, with hundreds of houses in some villages. Traditional houses are built on stilts, using wood or bamboo for the walls and tiles, straw or palm leaves for the roofs.
Some games include throwing con, which is a sacred ball made of cloth, badminton, tug-of-war and chess. Children would play spinning top.
Ao Dai is the most popular and widely recognized Vietnamese national costume. Nowadays, it is worn mostly by women and only on special occasions such as weddings or funerals do men wear them.
It is similar to the Chinese Qipao, consisting of a long gown with a slit on both sides, worn over silk pants, likely derived from the 18th century.
But as compared to the Qipao which is tight and shows the good the figures of the women, the ao dai is loose and comfortable and yet still portraying the elegance of the women.
Tuong is a five hundred year old drama that reflects the rich and special culture of Vietnam. What makes Tuong different from the usual theatre drama? The usual dramas require actors to give up their individuality and transform themselves into the characters they play. However, the actors of this dramatic art make use of technical mastery to describe the actions and states of mind of the characters which is a different and unique style.
Through the special characters, Tuong has raised the lofty view of the desire to the true (Chan), the good (Thien), and the beautiful (My) and also the viewpoints of life of the ancients which are Benevolence (Nhan), Righteousness (Le), Civility (Nghia), Knowledge (Tri), Loyalty (Tin).
The art of Tuong includes painting, make ups, costumes, dance, pantomine, singing, saying through the actings, and a combination of traditional instruments.
Lullaby songs are often heard in Vietnam especially at the countryside. It is a type of folk music that uses slow and free rhythms and are usually based upon a characteristic frame of melody. Lullaby songs are commonly used to lull little children to sleep. Besides that, Vietnamese use them to express their feelings such as homesickness or the feeling of a wife missing her husband. These songs, however, are rarely used to express direct feelings towards the child the singer hold in her hands.
Traditionally, weddings were mostly arranged by matchmakers. Horoscopes were matched and they must be complementary. Besides, the couple should also come from the same social class. A girl's age is an important factor in determining her suitability as a bride. In the past, the trend is in early marriage where an ideal couple would be of age 20 for the groom and 18 for the bride.
Things are however changing now as there is an increased importance in career to both the men and the women. In the city, the figures have been raised by 5 to 10 years. Although matchmakers are no longer in use, some young couples still seek the services of an astrologer. Most would break off the relationship if the results were negative.
Parents can be considered the decision maker in a marriage for if the prospective spouse was deemed unsuitable, most couples would again withdraw from the relationship.
It is frightening to be left on the shelf and women who are over the age of 30 should be worried. For men, it is about 35. Individuals and families loosen their choosing criteria as these singles get nearer to their sell-by date. To them, it is better to have an unsuitable partner than no partner.
When arranging the marriage, the fortune teller is often consulted to determine whether the couple is destined to be together. The engagement follows several months after where families choose auspicious dates for the engagement as well as the wedding. Traditionally, the couple is to stay apart a day before the wedding day to prevent bad luck and on the night before, the bride's mother will comb her daughter's hair with several combs, each with a different meaning. The most important is the third comb where the bride will ask for luck and happiness for her new home.
The wedding ceremony begins in front of the altar where the couple kneel before their ancestors to get their permission and blessings for the marriage. The couple will turn around and bow to their parents to thank them for raising and protecting them since birth. Lastly, the couple then bow towards each other to show their gratitude and respect to their partner. Rings are then exchanged.
The Vietnamese wedding is similar to the Chinese wedding in terms of the matchmaking and the whole wedding process. This could also be due to Vietnam's history. However, due to globalisation, some weddings are rather westernised as they wear western wedding gowns and suits.
The Vietnamese society is still keeping some forms of their traditions despite becoming more modernised. Traditions are a part of culture and the Vietnamese traditions are definitely what makes them Vietnamese. Traditions are passed down from generations to generations and who knows, they may be originated from the indigenous people hundreds of years ago.
Culture, as we all know, constitutes a whole lot of things. Under this topic, I will be writing about three main components of culture: lifestyle, values and beliefs, and food.
Lifestyle
Family
Vietnam being a large and developing country, the lifestyles of its people vary from regions to regions. However, there is one thing in common for the Vietnamese and that is family being the most important aspect of their life. In many households, extended families live together and sometimes up to three generations of a family live under one roof. Families have an average of four children per couple, with the father or the eldest son being the head of the household.
In the family, respect is very important and everyone is expected to work hard. Thus, it is common to have both parents working while the grandparents look after the children. Children without traditional caregivers will be taken care of by elder siblings or otherwise be left at the day care center. Children must be obedient, respectful towards elders, and helping out with household chores and the tending of livestock.
There is probably Chinese influence here as family is also the center of their life, with filial piety as the most important virtue.
As of 2008, about 72 percent of Vietnam's population live in rural villages scattered throughout the lowlands and the mountains. In the lowlands, people make money by farming. They grow rice, vegetables, fruits, sugarcane, tea and coffee. Livestocks are also raised in some families and along the coast, people work as fishermen.
The life of a farmer is hard. People get up to work before the sun rises and only take a break in the middle of the day when the weather gets too hot, after which they return to the fields.
Every member of the family has a certain job to perform. The heavy labour like plowing and digging will be done by the men while the women will do household chores, and easier work like planting, weeding and helping with the harvest. Elderly will do light labour, girls will clean, cook and work in the vegetable garden and boys will carry water and help the men in the field. In periods during planting and harvest, the whole family helps out.
Farmers wear lose pants that can be easily rolled up before they enter the field. They usually wear sandals or go barefooted. To protect themselves from the scotching sun and heavy rains, people wear conical shaped hats known as nonla. Nonla is in fact worn by people all over Vietnam, even in the cities. To me, it is a symbol of Vietnam.
Many houses are built on stilts to keep above flood water.
People living in the mountains are very self sufficient thus they only buy things that they cannot make, grow, trap or hunt. Some mountain dwellers also make money by growing rice, coffee and tea. Other than that, they harvest rubber trees and some are even engaged in illegal growing and harvesting of opium poppy.
City Life
Is life in the city easier then? Well, it may be not as physically challenging but life in the city is still generally hard. Many people take on two jobs in order to support their family. Everyone gets up early in the morning and work starts as early as 6 am for some street vendors. By 6:30 am, the main streets will be filled with people on bicycles and scooters weaving their way to work in the slow and congested traffic. Hawkers start parking their push carts on the sidewalks and people gather to eat noodles soup, French bread and Xoi which is a type of sticky rice.
Some exercise in public parks. Housewives go to the market place to buy fresh vegetables, fish, chicken or pork for the day's meals. Children go to school for half a day, either in the morning or afternoon shift, after which they return home to work, study or play.
Office work usually ends at about 4 pm while shops remain open until 8 or 9 pm. Families usually have dinner at about 6 or 7 pm and go to bed at about 10 or 11 pm.
People usually stay near their place of work. Homes are small with a small kitchen and bathroom and little furnitures. Most homes have running water and electricity but do not have appliances such as TVs and refrigerators.
There are four basic tenets in the Vietnamese value system namely allegiance to the family, yearning for a good name, love of learning, and respect for other people.
Allegiance to the Family
The family is the most important factor in the value system of the Vietnamese. It is of excessive concern to the Vietnamese and the backbone of their society. Every individual strives to be the pride of his family. Filial piety is thus the most essential of all virtues. Every child must be grateful to his parents for the debt of birth, rearing and education. From young, children are taught to think of their parents and ancestors first and to love and take care of their parents as they grow old. One should readily forget himself or even make sacrifices for his parents' sake and his family's welfare and harmony.
The misbehaviour of an individual is not only blamed on himself but also his parents, siblings, relatives and ancestors. Similarly, achievements by an individual brings honour and pride to everyone in his family.
Acquiring a good name
The good name in this context is not literally the name of a person but the reputation that one earns. There are three ways in which one can earn a good name and they are by heroic deeds, intellectual achievements and moral virtues. One must also avoid all words and actions that damage his dignity and honour.The easiest and surest path would be to lead a virtuous life as the other two are harder to achieve. These virtues include the sense of honour, honesty, righteousness, modesty, generosity, and disdain for material gains.
To the Vietnamese, a good name is more important than any other material possession one could have. Only a man with good name is respected. The Vietnamese also believe that the best thing a man can leave behind after he had left this world and be remembered by is a good reputation. Indeed, as a proverb goes, "After death, a tiger leaves behind its skin, a man his reputation".
Love of Learning
The Vietnamese consider learning as more valuable than wealth and material success. They have great love for knowledge and learning. A learned man is held in high esteem and respect by almost everyone in the nation. In the traditional social system, the scholar ranked first followed by farmer, artisan and tradesman. In the modern Vietnamese society, education serves as an essential stepping stone to the social ladder and to good job opportunities.
Concept of Respect
It is expected of a man to show respect to people who are senior to him in age, status or position. At home, one shows respect to his parents, older siblings and older relatives and it is often expressed by obedience. Outside of home, respect is paid to elderly people, teachers, and people in high positions. While one respects the others, he also expects to be respected by the younger and people of lower status.
Food is one important aspect of culture as it is an essential part of our everyday life.
What comes to your mind when you put food and Vietnam together? For me, it is definitely Pho Bo!
Pho Bo in Pho24 Restaurant
Ho Chi Minh City
Pho (pronounced as 'fur') is a Vietnamese dish that originated from Northern Vietnam. It is also known as Beef Noodle Soup. As the name suggests, Pho is served in a big bowl with white rice noodles in a clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef.
Banh cuon is a rolled rice pancake. A couple of red shrimps, a bit of fresh rice noodles, a few slices of bacons and stalks of chives are wrapped in a thin sheet of steamed rice paper.
Banh cuon is also accompanied by the famous Vietnamese condiment, fish sauce.
Xinchao! If you are wondering what this means, it means Hello! in Vietnamese. While I suppress my excitement in moving on to show you this beautiful country, allow me to first tell you why I have chosen Vietnam. Vietnam is the latest country that I have been to just about two months ago and I was totally fascinated by the place. Almost everything is novel to me, like how there is almost no traffic lights, how Vietnamese love to sit by the roadside, and how much you can bargain from the vendors!
This is the famous S-shaped Vietnam, with the capital Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Min City, which is often mistaken for the capital, in the south. As of 2009, the population of the country is about 85.8 million and there are a total of 54 ethnic groups. The official language is Vietnamese and some major religions are Buddhism, Taoism and Catholicism.
As for the history, Vietnam was once conquered by the armies of China's Han Dynasty for about a thousand years until the Vietnamese were able to expel the Chinese in 939 AD. However, in 1884, Vietnam fell to French colonial rule after fierce resistance. Japan stepped in and took charge in March 1945 but surrendered soon after. On the 2nd of September 1945, Vietnam gained independence. (Visit Mekong, 2010)
Due to this, Vietnam has a heavy influence of Chinese and especially French. French buildings are still visible today and some elderly can still remember the language as it was necessary for them to learn French when Vietnam was under their rule.
Lastly, these are the things that I will be touching on:
1. The Cultures of Vietnam
2. The Traditions of Vietnam
3. The Indigenous Groups
4. Languages
5. Mode of Education
6. Leisure Programmes
7. What is Vietnam Known For?
8. Disneyization and Disneyfication in the Modern Society of Vietnam
9. Changes Brought By the Growth of Tourism
10. Is Tourism the Culprit in Commodiying Cultures and Traditions?
