Vietnam has a long-standing culture and is especially associated with the nation's history of formation and development. The characteristics of Vietnamese culture always attract foreign tourists and make them curious and learn. In general, Vietnam is a society that values ​​family, upholding good traditions and customs.

History of Vietnamese

Historians have shared a common point of view that Vietnam has a fairly large cultural community that was established around the first half of the first millennium BC and flourished in the middle of this millennium.

The period of Van Lang - Au Lac(lasting nearly 3,000 years until the end of the first millennium BC) in the early Bronze Age with 18 Hung Kings is considered the first in cultural history in Vietnam.

The post-Chinese domination period is characterized by two trends of Han assimilation and anti - Han assimilation. The Dai Viet era was the second period of Vietnamese culture. Vietnamese culture has undergone a comprehensive recovery and rapid explosion, under the great impact of Buddhism and Taoism.

Vietnam in Dai Viet era

The modern Vietnamese cultural period has steadily formed since the 30s and 40s of the last century under the banner of patriotism and Marxism-Leninism. Vietnamese culture, with its deeper and deeper integration into the world's modern civilization, still retains its traditional features and national identity.

Features of Vietnamese culture

Vietnamese culture is extremely diverse. Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups. The most populous group is the Kinh who live mainly in the Red River Delta with the famous Red River civilization. Other ethnic groups are scattered across the mountainous areas. Each group has its own beliefs, cuisines, clothes and specialities.

The culture of the Cham people is one of the earliest cultures in Vietnamese history. Despite the differences in culture, 54 ethnic groups always live peacefully, without discrimination. They live unitely and develop together.

The ethnic group Dao

The diversity in the region also creates diversity in the culture of Vietnam. The S-shaped strip of land is divided into 3 regions: the North, the Central and the South. Northern Vietnam, called Tonkin in Vietnamese, is the cradle of Vietnamese civilization. Central region is mainly mountains and coastal areas. Culture in the Central region is influenced by the Truong Son mountain range and the coast. The South has the Mekong Delta. This is the largest agricultural production area of ​​Vietnam.

Beliefs and religions in Vietnamese culture

The thought of Vietnamese people is mainly affected by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Vietnamese have no religion. Therefore, when you explore Vietnamese culture, you will find many religious works from Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. Many of them are tourist attractions such as Temples. Mariamman Hinduism, Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature.

Famous Notre Dame Cathedral in the center of Ho Chi Minh City

Ancestor worship is a beauty in Vietnamese cultural values. All Vietnamese never forget their origin. Most of them have an ancestral altar at their home or business. During special days like Tet, the first or fifth day of the month (according to the lunar calendar), Vietnamese people often burn incense and have something like fruit as an offering. Ancestor worship has existed in Vietnam for a long time. Until now, Vietnamese still maintain worship to show respect for the deceased.

Cuisine – a feature of Vietnamese culture

Vietnamese cuisine also has regional characteristics, each region has a different way of processing, enjoying and tasting. The cuisine is extremely diverse between regions. The main food of Vietnamese meals is rice.

You can find rice fields almost anywhere in Vietnam. Fish sauce is also an indispensable part. The Vietnamese use very little oil and a lot of vegetables in cooking. In Vietnamese culture, dishes are featured with many flavors such as sweet, sour, spicy and special flavors from sauces.

Pho is a popular of Vietnamese dish, tourists coming here can not help but try it. Pho is made from rice, beef, broth served with quart, lemon, and chillies. In addition to pho, there are also different types of noodle rice soup in Vietnam, such as Bun bo, Hu tieu, Banh canh, etc. each with its own characteristics.

Traditional costume

Before the Nguyen Dynasty, except for aristocratic families, Vietnamese people were not allowed to dress freely. There are some restrictions on clothing. Before the 19th century, the common attire was the comrade-in-arms, a cloak with a cross-collared collar. Until the Nguyen Dynasty, it was replaced by the Ao Dai.

Ao dai is the official traditional clothes of Vietnam

Up to now, Ao Dai has been considered the national costume of the Vietnamese people. The design of Ao Dai has changed over time. Before Ao Dai was worn by men and women. Today, it is worn mainly by women. Ao Dai is a unique costume in the beauty of Vietnamese culture.

Traditional festivals in Vietnamese culture

Festivals are one of the special features in Vietnamese culture. Ethnic religious diversity makes Vietnam one of the countries with the most festivals. Festivals are held to remember cultural events. Community spirit is the essence of every festival. There are two parts to festivals: ceremony and festival. The ceremony is to show respect to the divinity and people's dreams of health, wealth, luck and happiness for themselves and their loved ones. Associations are unique features of culture, community, religion, etc.

The two biggest traditional festivals are Tet and Hung King's anniversary. During the Lunar New Year, each region has other festivals to celebrate such as Lim Festival in Bac Ninh Province, Giong Festival in Soc Son, Perfume Pagoda Festival in Hanoi. Hung King's death anniversary is held annually from the 8th to the 11th day of the third lunar month. It is organized so that everyone remembers the roots.

The characteristics of Vietnamese culture have existed for a long time. Over the years, many cultural flows have been imported into Vietnam, but Vietnamese people are always aware of the importance of preserving folk culture. ethnicity, upholding traditional values.

Tags: Vietnamese history, Vietnamese culture, travel Vietnam, Vietnam, Hung Kings, Hung King’s anniversary, Vietnam’s festival, Vietnam’s traditions