Viet Nam
During the 20th century Viet Nam was well-known as a place of war but nowadays it is the new destination for tourists from all over the world. They are attracted by the secret charm, the splendid scenery and the rich culture of this country.
As part of the so-called Indochinese peninsula Viet Nam borders on China in the North and on Lao and Cambodia in the West. In the East it is bounded by the South China Sea and a thousand small islands
The country is shaped like a long S and is often compared with a bar carrying two huge rice baskets at its ends - the Red River Delta in the North and the Mekong Delta in the South. Lying in the tropical and the subtropical zone Viet Nam enjoys a lot of sunshine all year round.The highland in the West hides big forests and national parks, the coastline offers 3,300 kilometers of sandy beaches.
Viet Nam has a tropical monsoon climate with wet and dry seasons that vary from north to south and from the coastal regions to the highlands. November - April is the dry season in the north, in the Central Highlands and in the south. The best time to visit the country is October - January (Ha Noi), February - April (Hue and Da Nang), and December - March (from Da Lat to the Mekong Delta).
HoChiMinh HaNoi The first kingdom of Viet Nam was founded 4000 years ago by the kings of the Hung dynasty who are considered as the ancestors of the Vietnamese.
Legend said that a long time ago a dragon and a fairy met and a pouch of a hundred eggs was born. Fifty of them went up to the mountains with their mother, the fairy, and fifty of them went down to the ocean with their father, the dragon. Today there are 54 ethnic minorities living in Vietnam's highlands while the Vietnamese are mainly living in the coastal area.
Vietnam has suffered from Chinese domination for nearly 1000 years, from French occupation for about 100 years and from the American war for about 20 years. Nevertheless, a tremendous desire for freedom and independence helped the Vietnamese to defeat their enemies at last.
Today Viet Nam is a reunified socialist country and as a member of the Asian Community of nations Viet Nam wants to make friends with all countries and all people in the world.
Viet Nam has a population of an estimated 80 million people of which the Viet people comprise 85%. The minority of the population consists of more than 60 ethnic groups who live mostly in the mountainous areas in the Central Highlands and the northern region. Ethnic groups in the north generally live between altitudes of 25 m and 2,000 m above sea level. The most well-known of these are the Tay (also the most populous), the White and Black Thai (distinguished by the color of their clothes) and the Hmong (Meo). In the south, geographic locations of ethnic hill tribes are much more distinct with some living in the plains as well as on the hills. The Hoa tribe (originating from China) is considered to be the most advanced, but ethnic groups descended from early intelligent civilizations such as the Kingdom of Champa are equally fascinating. Although there is some overlap linguistically and culturally between these tribes, each has its own unique customs ranging from the style of their graves to the design of their houses.
Vietnamese is a tonal language that uses the Roman alphabet together with tone marks. Much of the language is Sino/ Vietnamese, though influences from French and English are also apparent. Today, English has replaced Russian and French as the most studied language and is widely spoken in major cities.
English and French, Japanese and Chinese can be communicated in many shops, restaurants, hotels, and resorts.
Approximately 60% of the population adhere to some form of Buddhism while Catholics account for about 8%. The majority of Vietnamese have no specific religion. They just worship their ancestors. The family temple is the last place for worshipping the most ancient ancestors from at least 9 generations. The early meeting at the family temple helps to familiarize people of the same family tree and prevent them from marrying each other by mistake. Buddhism is relatively popular since it has a long-established history in Viet Nam. In history, some Vietnamese kings used to be Buddhist monks. Additionally, other religious beliefs include such as Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, and especially Caodaism that worship Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, Laotse, Victor Hugo, Nguyen Binh Khiem, and Sun Yat Sen…
Traditional Vietnamese cuisine boasts of 500 specialties, varying from the famous spring rolls to tamarind crabs. Meals are generally not spicy but make use of a wide array of interesting sauces. For vegetarians, Viet Nam offers unique Buddhist-style fare created from combinations of an unending selection of vegetables and tofu. Beyond the delights of the street stalls and culinary wonders of Vietnamese restaurants, Ho Chi Minh has an increasing selection of international restaurants including Italian, French, Indian, Japanese and Chinese. Vietnamese cuisine is rivaled only by an abundant array of tropical fruit such as dragon fruit, longans and rambutans which form the perfect complement to any meal. Food is fresh and vegetables grown without the use of pesticide can be obtained.
Foreign visitors consider Vietnamese food quite healthy. It is not spicy nor oily. Vietnamese eat mainly rice and noodles. Bread is not daily family food. Delicious bowls of noodle soup with vegetables and meat can be purchased everywhere inexpensively for breakfast or even lunch. Each average meal consists of three to five dishes. Tourists can enjoy Vietnamese food everywhere at deluxe restaurants or even at street cafes.
More infomation about Vietnamese cuisine, please click on the below icons
Fruits
Recipes
Gastronomy
The most important holiday is the Lunar New Year or Tet which usually takes place in February and is celebrated for five days. Visitors should be aware that actually no business is supposed to be run during this period and international and domestic flights are fully booked as overseas Vietnamese return to visit their family and friends. There are also many other festivals that take place in temples and villages during and after Tet. Other significant public holidays include April 30 (Liberation Day), May 1 (International Worker's Day), May 19 (Anniversary of the birth of Ho Chi Minh) and September 2 (National Day).
