The history of beauty of the country of Vietnam

Credit to Sir Masigan

2. Vietnam, country occupying the eastern portion of mainland Southeast
Asia. Tribal Vietsinhabiting the Red River delta entered written history
when China’s southward expansion reached them in the 3rd century bce.
From that time onward, a dominant theme of Vietnam’s history has been
interaction with China, the source of most of Vietnam’s high culture.
As a tribute-paying state after throwing off Chinese
rule in 938 ce, Vietnam sent lacquerware, animal skins,
ivory, and tropical products to the Chinese emperor
and received scrolls on philosophy, administration,
and literature in return. Sinicculture seeped deeply
into society, but it shaped the aristocracy and
mandarinalfamilies more than it did the peasantry,
which preserved distinctive customs, beliefs,
vocabulary, lifeways, and gender relations. Modeling
themselves on Chinese emperors, Vietnam’s kings
exacted tribute from ethnic minorities on the periphery
of the Vietnamese state and called themselves
emperors when not addressing the Chinese court.
Although cultural and spatial gaps between
the Vietnamese court and the farthest
reaches of society were not as great as they
were in China (Vietnam is about the size of a
Chinese province, with a comparable
population), the Vietnamese state’s capacity
to rule diminished with distance from the
capital. The refractory character of bamboo-
hedged peasant communes was captured
in the cliché, "The emperor’s writ stops at the
village gate."

3. The capital, Hanoi, is located in the north,
while the country’s largest city, Ho Chi
Minh City (formerly Saigon), is in the
south. Vietnam experienced a period of
prolonged warfare in the mid-20th century,
and a partitioning (1954–75), first militarily
and later politically, into the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam, better known as
North Vietnam, and the Republic of
Vietnam, usually called South Vietnam.
Following reunification in April 1975, the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam was
established in July 1976.

4. Plant and animal life
Vietnam’s vegetation is rich and
diversified, reflecting the country’s great
range of climate, topography, and soils
and the varying effects of human
habitation. The forests of Vietnam can
be divided into two broad categories:
evergreen forests, which include
conifers, and deciduous forests. There
are more than 1,500 species of woody
plants in the country, ranging from
commercially important hardwoods,
such as ebony and teak, to palms,
mangroves, and bamboos. There also
are numerous species of woody vines
(lianas) and herbaceous plants. In the
aggregate, the dense and open forests,
savannas, brushland, and bamboo
cover approximately half of the
country’s total area.
During the Vietnam War, herbicides
were used by the U.S. Army to defoliate
large areas of forest in southern
Vietnam. Most of these forests have
been regenerating, but resettlement
programs and illegal logging appear to
have created longer lasting damage.

5. Ethnic groups
Vietnam has one of the most
complex ethnolinguistic
patterns in Asia. The
Vietnamese majority was
significantly Sinicized during a
millennium of Chinese rule,
which ended in 939 ce. Indian
influence is most evident
among the Cham and Khmer
minorities. The Cham formed
the majority population in the
Indianized kingdom of Champa
in what is now central Vietnam
from the 2nd to the late 15th
century ce. Small numbers of
Cham remain in the south-
central coastal plain and in the
Mekong delta near the
Cambodian border. The Khmer
(Cambodians) are scattered
throughout the Mekong delta.

6. Languages
Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam.
Although one of the Mon-Khmer languages of the
Austroasiatic family, Vietnamese exhibits strong
influences from Chinese. The language of the Khmer
minority also belongs to the Mon-Khmer group,
whereas Cham belongs to the Austronesian family.

7. Religion
Confucianism, Daoism, and Mahayana Buddhism entered
Vietnam over many centuries. Gradually they became
intertwined, simplified, and Vietnamized to constitute, along
with vestiges of earlier local beliefs, an indigenous religion
that came to be shared to some considerable extent by all
Vietnamese, regardless of region or social class. It is largely
this religious amalgam that is practiced by the roughly half
of the population that identifies itself as being Buddhist. The
religion of Cao Dai, a synthesis of Confucianism, Daoism,
Buddhism, and Roman Catholicism, appeared during the
1920s, and in the 1930s the Hoa Hao neo-Buddhist sect
spread through parts of the Mekong delta. Cao Dai has
about half as many adherents as Hoa Hao, but both
congregations are growing. Together, the two new-
religionist movements have embraced a significant minority
of the population. Local religions involving numerous spirits
predominate in many upland communities, and most Cham
are adherents of Islam.

8. Settlement patterns
There are several distinct rural settlement patterns in
Vietnam. Especially in northern and central Vietnam,
geomantic principles influence the orientation of
houses and community buildings. In central Vietnam,
many of these structures face the sea. In the densely
populated Red River delta in the north, village buildings
are often grouped closely together and are enclosed
by a bamboo hedge or an earthen wall. Those along
rivers, canals, or roads often abut each other, forming a
single elongated settlement. Lowland Vietnamese
villages on the central coastal plain are
characteristically close-knit, small clusters of farmsteads
near watercourses, and fishing villages are often
situated in sheltered inlets. In the Mekong delta in the
south many settlements are strung out along waterways
and roads; most are loose-knit clusters of farmsteads,
with some of them scattered among the rice fields. The
settlements of the Cham and Khmer minorities closely
resemble those of the Vietnamese. Most highland
peoples build their houses on pilings.

9. Historically, Vietnam’s major cities have been
Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).
Throughout Vietnamese history the Hanoi area
has been important and was the site of several
early capitals. Hanoi also served as the capital
of French Indochina from 1902 until 1954, and
the city has retained the architecture of that
era. The city’s port of Haiphong was developed
by the French in the late 19th century as a trade
and banking centre. Hue was the seat of the
Nguyen family, which controlled central and
southern Vietnam from the late 17th to the late
19th century. Located on the Huong (Perfume)
River, it was laid out in the early 19th century as
a political and religious centre, and its
economic functions were ancillary. Saigon was
built largely by the French in the second half of
the 19th century as the administrative capital
and principal port of Cochinchina. The city’s
architecture recalls towns and cities in southern
France. The adjoining city of Cholonhas long
been a major centrefor ethnic Chinese.

10. Economy
Vietnam’s greatest economic
resource is its literate and energetic
population. Its long coastline provides
excellent harbours, access to marine
resources, and many attractive
beaches and areas of scenic beauty
that are well suited to the
development of tourism. Since the late
1990s, the country’s economy has
been on a vigorous upswing. Tourism
has expanded, manufacturing and
export earnings have increased, and
the per capita gross domestic product
(GDP) has grown rapidly.
Early in the 21st century, state markets were opened to foreign competition, and
Vietnam became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). This surge
followed two decades of post-reunification economic instability, during which a
slowly developing infrastructure, excessive population growth, environmental
degradation, and a rising domestic demand (that was increasingly difficult to
meet) impeded economic development.

11. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
Rice is the most important crop. It is grown principally
in the Red and Mekong river deltas. Other major
food crops are sugarcane, cassava (manioc), corn
(maize), sweet potatoes, and nuts. Agriculture is
highly labour-intensivein Vietnam, and much
plowing is still done by water buffalo. There are many
plantations of banana, coconut, and citrus trees,
most of them found in the Mekong delta and the
southern terrace regions. Coffee and tea are grown
in the central highlands. The production of rubber
was disrupted by the war but has been restored in
the central highlands and southern terrace regions.
The export of such seafood as shrimp, squid, crab,
and lobster has become a major source of foreign
exchange. There also has been an increase in the
number of commercial shrimp farms. The most
important freshwater fisheries are located on the
plains of the Mekong and Champasak(Bassac)
rivers.

12. Manufacturing
Following reunification and the
establishment of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam in 1976, the
government made a concerted
effort rapidly to transform the
privately owned, capitalist industry
in the south into a state-owned,
state-run sector. Many industrial
operations there were nationalized
or forced to become joint state-
private enterprises. For industry as a
whole, the productivity of both
capital and labourdeclined, and
gross output slumped. Heavy
industry—plagued by waste and
inefficiency, lack of spare parts and
raw materials, energy shortages,
and poor quality control—led the
decline.

13. Cultural life
Chinese influence
permeated all aspects of
traditional Vietnamese
culture, while Western
influences became strong
in the 20th century. Since
the loosening of economic
and political controls in the
late 1980s, Vietnam has
experienced both
increased exposure to the
lifestyles of the capitalist
world and a resurfacing of
old cultural practices. Folk
traditions such as
shamanism and
soothsaying have
experienced a revival
despite official disapproval.
Daily life and social customs
Vietnam’s Confucian heritage is
evident in the importance the
Vietnamese give to the family.
Families are essentially patrilineal,
but Vietnamese women work
alongside men in many jobs and
play a major role in raising children
and managing family finances.
When possible, the Vietnamese
prefer to work from early morning
until early evening, with an
extended rest period during the
midday heat. In rural areas, both
men and women wear trousers and
shirts or blouses. On formal
occasions and in urban areas,
Western-style clothing is common,
including skirts and blouses for
women. Women still sometimes
wear a form of the traditional ao
dai, a long, slit tunic worn over
pants.

14. 1.Vietnam is actually a combination of
two words, Viet and Nam, both of
which predate the common era by
at least a thousand years
While nobody can put an exact date on when
these words came to describe Vietnam, it’s well
accepted that in ancient Chinese, ‘Viet’ was
used to describe a group of people from outside
the country’s borders and ‘Nam’ meant to the
south. So, in the Chinese language, Viet Nam
would’ve meant the people to the south.
Today, the two-word variant of Vietnam is used
by Vietnamese nationals, neighbouring
countries and even the UN. It’s only in western
writing that we use the single word Vietnam.

15. 2.Sitting at 3143 metres,
Fansipanis Vietnam’s tallest mountain
Fansipanis located in Sapa, an area famous for
its layered rice terraces and colourful
indigenous groups. To get to the region, you
can either brave a six-hour bus journey from
Hanoi or take the much more comfortable
overnight train!
The mountain is known as ‘The Roof of
Indochina’, which from time to time can cause
a little confusion as definitions of Indochina
vary. The most commonly accepted refers to
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Good job too
because if you expanded Indochina out to
Thailand and Myanmar –the nickname for
FansipanMountain would no longer be true.
Myanmar has several peaks well over 5000
metres!

16. 3. Among certain niche circles,
Vietnam is referred to as ‘The
King Of Cashews’
As the world’s largest exporter of
cashew nuts, Vietnam produces more
than 55% of the global supply and
makes well over two billion dollars a
year from the industry.
Cashew plants were brought to
Vietnamduring the 19th century and
were originally grown in gardens to
provide shade. In 1990, the Vietnamese
government spotted the potential of
cashew nut production and invested
heavily in the industry. It didn’t take
long for this investment to pay off and
by the mid-1990s, Vietnam was the
world’s largest exporter.

17. 4. As well as being THE major
exporter of cashew nuts,
Vietnam takes the top spot in
black pepper exports
Over a third of the world’s black
pepper comes from Vietnam and
the industry has grown to be worth
billions of dollars each year.
Black pepper has been grown in Asia
for centuries. Native to India, the
spice spread across the continent
and has been used in local dishes for
time immemorial. However, it was
not until the 1980s that Vietnam
started producing pepper on an
industrial scale.

18. 5. Vietnam is one of the cheapest
countries in the world to get a
tailor-made outfit
In the coastal city of Hoi An, you can get a
bespoke suit or dress made for well under
$100.
Hoi An seems an unlikely spot to find more
than 500 tailors but the industry arose when
the city was a bustling trading port along the
silk route. With a ton of material being traded
on the city’s markets, those skilled with a
needle and thread saw the opportunity to
acquire cheap fabrics and pass those
savings onto their customers. The tradition
stretches back over 1800 years but tourists
have only taken advantage of the cheap
wares in the last couple of decades.

19. 6. Vietnamese New Year is
known as Tet
It’s the largest Vietnamese festival and
one of the most popular festivals in
Southeast Asia. Over 90 million people
celebrate Tet, which is usually held on
the same day as Chinese New Year.
However, occasionally the one hour
time difference between the two
countries means the new moon occurs
on different days and therefore New
Year is celebrated on a different date.
Tet is celebrated by cleaning the
house, reuniting with family and giving
offerings to ancestors.

20. 7. Almost every
household in Vietnam has
a motorcycle
There are more than 60 million
motorbikes in the country. Not
bad when you consider the
population is around 90 million.
By comparison, the UK with a
population of around 60 million
has just one million motorcycles!
Vietnamese plans to reduce the
number of bikes or completely
ban them in cities like Hanoi rely
heavily on new public transport
systems being integrated but by
all accounts, that isn’t going
smoothly!

21. 8. The embalmed body of
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s first
President and Prime
Minister can be viewed in
the Ho Chi Minh
Mausoleum
The embalmed body of Uncle Ho
(as he is lovingly referred to in
Vietnam) is on display in Hanoi from
January to September and is under
the watchful eye of armed guards
24 hours a day.
Ho Chi Minh is moved from Hanoi to
Moscow every October where he
spends a few months undergoing
maintenance before being put
back on display in January.

22. 9. The Vietnam War
Known as the American War to the
Vietnamese, this conflict is what most
people think of when you mention
Vietnam. It lasted close to twenty
years and more than 3,000,000
Vietnamese and 60,000 American lives
were lost.
As well as dropping huge amounts of
incendiary devices in Laos, Cambodia
and Vietnam during the war, US forces
sprayed millions of gallons of
herbicides on the dense Vietnamese
jungles. This was to reduce the cover
offered by the jungles and prevent
enemy forces from moving unseen
through the foliage. Even though the
conflict ended close to 50 years ago,
many of the jungles have never
returned to their pre-war state.

23. 10. The name Nguyen is the most
common surname in Vietnam
Reportedly 40% of Vietnamese folk are
Nguyen –including Ho Chi Minh himself!
The surname is pronounced ‘win’.
11. The largest Vietnamese
island, PhuQuoc is actually
closer to Cambodia than Vietnam
Just a one hour flight from Ho Chi Minh,
PhuQuoc is making a name for itself
among backpackers. Clear waters,
friendly locals and beautiful beaches
draw in Vietnamese and foreign tourists
year-round!

24. 12. Banh Mi Sandwiches are
King
When it comes to Southeast Asian
street food, you might be used to
spicy noodle dishes, fried insects
and questionable meat skewers
but in Vietnam, the Banh Mi
sandwich rules the roost.
This baguette filled with meat,
cheese, pickles and seasonal veg
is a Vietnamese staple and one
that has been filling the bellies of
backpackers and locals for
generations.

25. 13. SepakTakraw
is a traditional
sport played in
Vietnam. It’s also
known as ‘kick
volleyball’
Participants must pass
a ball over a net,
slightly smaller than a
badminton net, using
only their feet and
heads. It is also played
in Thailand, Laos,
Myanmar and
Cambodia.

26. 14. Vietnam is home to the
world’s largest cave, Hang Son
Doong
Stretching over three miles, Hang Son
Doongis a natural marvel. It’s wide
enough to fly a Boeing 747 through and
many of the cave’s chambers are large
enough to house an entire block of New
York City skyscrapers!
In a couple of places, the roof of the
cave has collapsed, inviting the jungle
into its depths. Trees, plants and wildlife
fell into the hole and have made the
cave their home. Today these trees reach
over 30 metreshigh and create an
ecosystem unique to Hang Son Doong. It
is said, under the right conditions, clouds
can even form within the cave system!

27. 15. Vietnam is the
cheapest place in the
world to grab a pint
This is thanks to the
Vietnamese institution of Bia
Hoi. If you’re happy to sit on
tiny plastic stools crammed
into any available space on
the busy Vietnamese
sidewalks, then you’ll easily
get Bia Hoi for around 20
cents a glass –they may even
be a buy one get one free
offer if you visit during happy
hour!