THEATER
Water puppetry is an art originating from the 10th century. In this art, a split bamboo screen obscures puppets as they are moved by long poles beneath the water. It is very popular in northern Vietnam.
CUISINE
Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse, being divided into three catagories – Vietnam’s three main regions: north, central, and south.
Usually this cuisine uses little oil and many vegetables. The main sauces are rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce (nuoc mam).
Vietnamese food is often light and simple but very tasty. It is famous for being very colorful.
Rice is in almost every meal in some kind of way. It is the most common grain in Vietnam.
Beef Noodle Soup is a very traditional meal in Vietnam.
Tea is very important in the Vietnamese culture and is consumed every day starting in the morning and ending in the night.
LANGUAGE
Vietnamese is basically a monosyllabic language having six tones, which give the language a sing-song effect. A word can be repeated with any one of six tones to indicate six different meanings. For example, the word ma has six different meanings according to the tone which the word carries.
MARRIAGE
A time ago, both men and women were expected to be married at young ages. Marriages were generally arranged by the parents and extended family, with the children having limited say in the matter. However now people are able to freely choose their own marriage partners.
CLOTHES
Áo bà ba (or Vietnamese silk pajamas) is associated with south Vietnam, especially in their rural areas. The most popular and widely-recognized Vietnamese national costume is the Áo Dài. The Áo Dài was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mostly by women, except for certain important traditional culture-related occasions where some men do wear it.
HOLIDAYS
Tet is the most important holiday in Vietnam. The Tet Nguyen Dan or Tet holiday is the biggest and most sacred holiday of the year. Every year, friends and family from everywhere come together and celebrate the New Year. The Tet Holiday is very similar to China's New Year Holiday because of China’s 1000 year reign over Vietnam. The Tet holiday is three days long and happens sometime between January 21 and February 19 on the solar calendar.
Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. The Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the exact day they were born; on Tet, everyone turns a year older.
The festival is a time when families spend time with their children. Parents especially take time to make moon cakes, masks, and lanterns with their children. This is an event that children look forward to all year as they prepare for lantern contests and parades.
MUSIC
Hat Xam is a traditional Vietnamese song that has existed since the 1300s. It is called the song of the blind artists. There is a story behind this type of song. Once there was a very talented musican Tran Quoc Dinh, the song of the King. Tran Quoc Dinh’s brother was very jealous of him and one day pierced Tran’s eyes out leaving him blind.
Tran invented a musical instrument that he could still play
to expose his sorrow. The instrument consisted of a cord made of rattan and other creepers which gave out a deep and sorrowful sound, to accompany his singing voice.
This type of song now called Hat Xam is very popular in Vietnam and tells stories of the fate or unhappiness of the poor.
Hat Van is an art that combines singing and dancing. It is also part of religious tradition for some.
SCHOOL, ARTS, and VALUES
The Vietnamese value system is based on four basic tenets: loyalty to the family, to earn a good name, love of learning, and respect for other people. These tenets are closely connected. For example, misconduct of a member of the family is blamed not only on himself, but also on his parents, siblings, relatives, and ancestors. Likewise any success or fame achieved by an individual brings honor and pride to all members of his family.
There are also four parts to school:
Crèche and pre-primary school (you can be enrolled from ages three months to age three), primary school (lasts for 5 years until you are 11), secondary school (lasts 4 years until you are 15), and high school (lasts three years until you are 18).
Most art paintings are made of silk, oil or lacquer material and resemble nature or abstract things.
Water puppetry is an art originating from the 10th century. In this art, a split bamboo screen obscures puppets as they are moved by long poles beneath the water. It is very popular in northern Vietnam.
CUISINE
Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse, being divided into three catagories – Vietnam’s three main regions: north, central, and south.
Usually this cuisine uses little oil and many vegetables. The main sauces are rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce (nuoc mam).
Vietnamese food is often light and simple but very tasty. It is famous for being very colorful.
Rice is in almost every meal in some kind of way. It is the most common grain in Vietnam.
Beef Noodle Soup is a very traditional meal in Vietnam.
Tea is very important in the Vietnamese culture and is consumed every day starting in the morning and ending in the night.
LANGUAGE
Vietnamese is basically a monosyllabic language having six tones, which give the language a sing-song effect. A word can be repeated with any one of six tones to indicate six different meanings. For example, the word ma has six different meanings according to the tone which the word carries.
MARRIAGE
A time ago, both men and women were expected to be married at young ages. Marriages were generally arranged by the parents and extended family, with the children having limited say in the matter. However now people are able to freely choose their own marriage partners.
CLOTHES
Áo bà ba (or Vietnamese silk pajamas) is associated with south Vietnam, especially in their rural areas. The most popular and widely-recognized Vietnamese national costume is the Áo Dài. The Áo Dài was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mostly by women, except for certain important traditional culture-related occasions where some men do wear it.
HOLIDAYS
Tet is the most important holiday in Vietnam. The Tet Nguyen Dan or Tet holiday is the biggest and most sacred holiday of the year. Every year, friends and family from everywhere come together and celebrate the New Year. The Tet Holiday is very similar to China's New Year Holiday because of China’s 1000 year reign over Vietnam. The Tet holiday is three days long and happens sometime between January 21 and February 19 on the solar calendar.
Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. The Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the exact day they were born; on Tet, everyone turns a year older.
The festival is a time when families spend time with their children. Parents especially take time to make moon cakes, masks, and lanterns with their children. This is an event that children look forward to all year as they prepare for lantern contests and parades.
MUSIC
Hat Xam is a traditional Vietnamese song that has existed since the 1300s. It is called the song of the blind artists. There is a story behind this type of song. Once there was a very talented musican Tran Quoc Dinh, the song of the King. Tran Quoc Dinh’s brother was very jealous of him and one day pierced Tran’s eyes out leaving him blind.
Tran invented a musical instrument that he could still play
to expose his sorrow. The instrument consisted of a cord made of rattan and other creepers which gave out a deep and sorrowful sound, to accompany his singing voice.
This type of song now called Hat Xam is very popular in Vietnam and tells stories of the fate or unhappiness of the poor.
Hat Van is an art that combines singing and dancing. It is also part of religious tradition for some.
SCHOOL, ARTS, and VALUES
The Vietnamese value system is based on four basic tenets: loyalty to the family, to earn a good name, love of learning, and respect for other people. These tenets are closely connected. For example, misconduct of a member of the family is blamed not only on himself, but also on his parents, siblings, relatives, and ancestors. Likewise any success or fame achieved by an individual brings honor and pride to all members of his family.
There are also four parts to school:
Crèche and pre-primary school (you can be enrolled from ages three months to age three), primary school (lasts for 5 years until you are 11), secondary school (lasts 4 years until you are 15), and high school (lasts three years until you are 18).
Most art paintings are made of silk, oil or lacquer material and resemble nature or abstract things.