The 'Culture of Vietnam' is one of the oldest of such in the
Southeast Asia region. Although
Vietnam lies geographically in Southeast Asia, long periods of
Chinese domination and influence has resulted in the emergence of many
East Asian characteristics in Vietnamese culture, and generally Vietnam is said to be part of the
East Asian cultural sphere, known widely as Chinese cultural sphere.
Despite considerable foreign influence,
Vietnamese people have managed to retain many distinct native customs which have always played a vital role in daily Vietnamese life throughout the millennia. While Chinese culture has the largest foreign influence on traditional Vietnamese culture, there is also a much smaller influence from the
Cham and later
Western cultures (most notably that of
France,
Russia and the
United States).
In terms of prehistory, most Vietnamese historians consider the ancient
Dong Son culture to be one of the defining aspects of early Vietnamese civilization.
The country
Perfume Pagoda in northern Vietnam.
Vietnam's population in
2006 was 84,402,966, with a population density of 253 persons per km² (665 per sq mi). Most people live in or near the densely populated
Red River or
Mekong deltas.
Due to the nation's southward expansion throughout its history, along with the different climate and environment met by the settlers as they moved further south, slightly different regional cultures began to emerge, most notably between
Northern and Southern Vietnam.
Society
Rural
About 74% (i.e. some 62 million) of Vietnamese currently live in
rural areas, and although many are being influenced by the process of
Westernization, traditional rural customs and traditions still play a vital role in shaping the culture of Vietnam.
Organization
In terms of societal levels of organization, the two most important units are ''là ng'' (''village'') and ''nước'' (''country''). Vietnamese people usually say that "''là ng'' goes hand in hand with ''nước''". Intermediate organizational units like the ''huyện'' (''district'') and ''tỉnh'' (''province'') are not as important.
Kinship
In rural Vietnam, kinship plays an important role. If it can be said that
Western cultures value
individualism, then it can also be said that
Eastern cultures value the roles of family and clan. Comparing with Eastern cultures,
Chinese culture values family over clan while Vietnamese culture values clan over family. Each clan has a patriarch, clan altar, and death commemorations attended by the whole clan.
Most inhabitants are related by blood. That fact is still seen in village names such as Äặng Xá (place for the Äặng clan), Châu Xá, Lê Xá, so on so forth. In the Western highlands the tradition of many families in a clan residing in a longhouse is still popular. In the majority of rural Vietnam today one can still see three or four generations living under one roof.
Because kinship has an important role in society, there is a complex hierarchy of relationships. In Vietnamese society, there are nine distinct generations. Virtually all commemorations and celebrations within a clan follow the principles of these nine generations. Younger persons might have a higher position in the family hierarchy than an older person and still must be respected as an elder.
This complex system of relationships is conveyed particularly through the
Vietnamese language, which has an extensive array of
honorifics to signify the status of the speaker in regards to the person they are speaking to.
Religion and Philosophy
Main articles: Religion in Vietnam
Historically, the so-called ''Tam Giáo'' ("triple religion"), characterizing the
East Asian intricate mixture between
Mahayana Buddhism,
Confucianism, and
Daoism has always had a large impact on Vietnamese society and philosophy. Of the three,
Vietnamese Buddhism has always been the most popular with commoners.
Besides the "triple religion", Vietnamese life was also profoundly influenced by the practice of
ancestor worship as well as native
animism. Most Vietnamese people, regardless of religious denomination, practice ancestor worship and have an ancestor altar at their home or business, a testament to the emphasis Vietnamese culture places on filial duty.
Along with obligations to clan and family, education has always played a vital role in Vietnamese culture. In the old days, scholars were placed at the top of society. Men not born of noble blood could only wish to elevate their status by means of studying for a rigorous
Imperial examination which could potentially open doors to a position in the government, granting them power and prestige as
Mandarin officials.
Vietnamese Custom
Vietnamese Marriage
Main articles: Traditional Vietnamese wedding
In the past, both men and women were expected to be married at quite young ages (by today's standards). Marriages were generally arranged by the parents and extended family, with the children having little to no say in the matter.
In modern Vietnam, this has changed completely as people choose their own marriage-partners based on love, and in consideration primarily to their own needs and wants.
The
traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important of traditional Vietnamese occasions. Regardless of
westernization, many of the age-old customs practiced in a traditional Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements.
Cuisine
Main articles: Cuisine of Vietnam
Some popular Vietnamese dishes
Vietnamese cuisine is extremely diverse, often divided into three main categories, each pertaining to Vietnam's three main regions (north, central and south). It is mainly based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Its characteristic flavor is sweet (sugar), spicy (Serrano peppers), and flavored by a variety of mints.
Vietnam also has a large variety of noodles and noodle soups. Different regions invented different types of noodles, varying in shapes, tastes, colours, etc. One of the nation's most famous type of noodles is
phở (pronounced phuh), which consists of rice noodles and beef soup (sometimes chicken soup). This cuisine originated from North Vietnam, and has reached a level of worldwide popularity.
Currently,
Vietnamese cuisine has been gaining popularity and can be found widely in many other countries such as the
United States,
Australia,
Canada,
South Korea,
Laos, so on so forth.
Clothing
In feudal Vietnam, clothing was one of the most important marks of social status and strict
dress codes were enforced.
Commoners had a limited choice of similarly plain and simple clothes for every day use, as well as being limited in the colors they were allowed to use. For a period, commoners were not allowed to wear clothes with dyes other than black, brown or white (with the exception of special occasions such as festivals), but in actuality these rules could change often based upon the whims of the current ruler.
Interpretation of Original Ão dà i at a fashion show.
The
Ão tứ thân or "4-part dress" is one such example of an ancient dress widely worn by commoner women, along with the
Ão yếm bodice which accompanied it. Peasants across the country also gradually came to wear silk pajama-like costumes, known as "Ão cánh" in the north and
Ão bà ba in the south.
The
headgear of peasants often included a plain piece of cloth wrapped around the head (generally called
Khăn đống), or the stereotypical
Nón lá (conical hat). For footwear peasants would often go barefoot whereas sandals and shoes were reserved for the aristocracy and royalty.
Monarchs had the exclusive right to wear the color gold, while nobles wore red or purple. Each member of the royal court had an assortment of different formal gowns they would wear at a particular ceremony, or for a particular occasion. The rules governing the fashion of the royal court could change dynasty by dynasty, thus
Costumes of the Vietnamese court were quite diverse.
The most popular and widely-recognized Vietnamese
national costume is the
Ão dà i, which is worn nowadays mostly by women, although men do wear Ão dà i on special occasions such as weddings and funerals. Ão dà i is similar to the Chinese
Qipao, consisting of a long gown with a slit on both sides, worn over silk pants. It is elegant in style and comfortable to wear, and likely derived in the
18th century or in the royal court of
Huế. Ão dà i is made compulsory in many senior high schools in Vietnam, and some colleges.
Some female office workers (e.g. receptionists, secretaries, tour guides) are also required to wear Ão dà i.
In daily life, the traditional Vietnamese styles are now replaced by Western styles. Traditional clothing is worn instead on special occasions, with the exception of the white Ão dà i commonly seen with high school girls in Vietnam.
Traditional Vietnamese handicraft
See also ''
List of traditional Vietnamese handicraft villages''.
Traditional Vietnamese Art
Main articles: Vietnamese art
Noon gate leading to the Imperial City, an example of
Nguyen dynasty Imperial architecture
is art practiced in Vietnam or by Vietnamese artists, from ancient times (including the elaborate
Dong Son drums) to post-
Chinese domination art which was strongly influenced by
Chinese Buddhist art, among other philosophies such as
Taoism and
Confucianism. The art of
Champa and
France also played a smaller role later on.
The Chinese influence on Vietnamese art extends into
Vietnamese pottery and ceramics, calligraphy, and traditional architecture. Currently, Vietnamese lacquer paintings have proven to be quite popular.
Vietnamese calligraphy
Main articles: East Asian calligraphy
Calligraphy has had a long history in Vietnam, previously using
Chinese characters along with
Chu Nom. However, most modern Vietnamese calligraphy instead uses the Roman-character based
Quoc Ngu, which has proven to be very popular.
In the past, with literacy in the old character-based writing systems of Vietnam being restricted to scholars and elites, calligraphy nevertheless still played an important part in Vietnamese life. On special occasions such as the
Lunar New Year, people would go to the village teacher or scholar to make them a calligraphy hanging (often poetry, folk sayings or even single words). People who could not read or write also often commissioned scholars to write prayers which they would burn at
temple shrines.
''See also
Vietnamese literature
Traditional Performing Arts
Music
Ca Tru performance. The man plays a long-necked lute used almost exclusively for this genre.
Traditional Vietnamese music and theatre is extremely diverse, consisting of many different styles varying from region to region. Some of the most widely known genres include:
★ Imperial Court music: When referring specifically to the "
Nhã nhạc" form it includes court music from the
Tran Dynasty on to the
Nguyen dynasty. It is an elaborate form of music which features an extensive array of musicians and dancers, dressed in extravagant costumes. It was an integral part of the rituals of the Imperial court.
★
Ca trù: An ancient form of
chamber music which originated in the imperial court. It gradually came to be associated with a
geisha-type of entertainment where talented female musicians entertained rich and powerful men, often scholars and
bureaucrats who most enjoyed the genre. It was condemned in the
20th century by the government, being tied falsely with
prostitution, but recently it has seen a revival as appreciation for its cultural significance has grown. Vietnam has completed documents to have Ca tru recognized by
UNESCO as a potential
Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Theatre
Main articles: Vietnamese theatre
★
Hát tuồng (also known as Hát bội): A theatre form strongly influenced by
Chinese opera, it transitioned from being entertainment for the royal court to travelling troupes who performed for commoners and peasants, featuring many well-known
stock characters.
★
Cải lương: A kind of modern folk opera originating in
South Vietnam, which utilizes extensive
vibrato techniques. It remains very popular in modern Vietnam when compared to other folk styles.
★
Hát chèo: The most mainstream of theatre/music forms in the past, enjoyed widely by the public rather than the more obscure Ca trù which was favored more by scholars and elites.
Dance
Main articles: Traditional Vietnamese dance
Vietnam has 54 different ethnics, each with their own traditional dance. Among the ethnic Vietnamese majority, there are several traditional dances performed widely at festivals and other special occasions, such as the
lion dance.
In the imperial court there also developed throughout the centuries a series of complex court dances which require great skill. Some of the more widely known are the imperial lantern dance, fan dance, and platter dance, among others.
Water puppetry
Water puppetry is a distinct Vietnamese art which had its origins in the
12th century. In water puppetry, a split-bamboo screen obscures puppets which stand in water and are manipulated using long poles hidden beneath the water. Epic storylines are played out with many different characters, often depicting traditional scenes of Vietnamese life. Despite nearly dying out in the
20th century, it has been saved by efforts of preservation and is now largely seen by tourists to Vietnam.
Vietnamese Martial Arts
Vovinam demonstration in Germany.
Vietnamese martial arts is highly developed from the country's long history of warfare and attempts to defend itself from foreign occupation. Although most heavily influenced by
Chinese martial arts, it has developed its own characteristics throughout the millennia in combination with other influences from its neighbors. Vietnamese martial arts is deeply spiritual due to the influence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and is strongly reliant on the "
Viet Vo Dao" (philosophy of Vietnamese martial arts). It is probably most famous for its scissor kicks.
The general Vietnamese term for martial arts is "Võ-Thuáºt", which encompasses all of the countless styles. Some of the more popular include:
★
Vovinam
★
Vo Binh Dinh
★
Quan Khi Dao
Vietnamese martial arts remains relatively unknown in the world today when compared to its counterparts from
China,
Japan,
Korea or
Thailand. However, this is seeing a definite change as schools teaching various styles of Vietnamese martial arts are starting to pop up all over the world, notably in countries such as
Spain.
UNESCO
Vietnam has a number of
UNESCO-listed
World Heritage Sites, as well as cultural relics deemed as
Intangible heritage. These are split into specific categories:
''Cultural heritage sites''
★
Hoi An: An ancient city and trading center.
★
Imperial city of Huế: Complex of monuments in the former imperial capital.
★
My Son: Ancient temple complex of the former
Champa civilization in
Quang Nam province.
''Natural heritage sites''
★
Phong Nha cave located in
Quang Binh province.
★
Ha Long Bay
''Intangible Cultural Heritage''
★
Nhã nhạc: A form of Vietnamese court music.
★
Space of Gong culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam
There are a number of other potential world heritage sites, as well as intangible cultural heritages which Vietnam has completed documents on for UNESCO's recognition in the future.
Holidays or other Important Days
Vietnam celebrates many holidays, including
traditional holidays which have been celebrated in Vietnam for thousands of years, along with modern holidays imported predominantly from western countries.
Among the traditional holidays, the two most important and widely celebrated are the
Lunar new year (Tết), followed by the
Mid-autumn lantern festival (Tết Trung Thu), although the latter has been losing ground in recent years.
'Other holidays'
| Date | English name | Local name |
|---|
| March 8 | International Women's Day | Quốc tế Phụ nữ |
| November 20 | Teacher's Day | Ngà y Nhà giáo Việt Nam |
| December 25 | Christmas | Giáng sinh/Nôen |
| 15/1 (lunar) | Full moon of the 1st month | Rằm tháng giêng |
| 10/3 (lunar) | Hung Vuong Kings Conmemoration Day | Ngà y Giổ Tổ Hùng Vương |
| 15/4 (lunar) | Buddha's Birthday | Lá»… Pháºt Äản |
| 5/5 (lunar) | Midyear Festival | Tết Äoan ngá» |
| 15/7 (lunar) | Full moon of the 7th month | Rằm tháng bảy |
| 15/8 (lunar) | Mid-Autumn Festival | Tết Trung thu |
| 23/12 (lunar) | Kitchen guardians | Ông Táo chầu trá»i |
See also ''
List of festivals in Vietnam''
See also
★
History of Vietnam
★
Cinema of Vietnam
★
Communications in Vietnam
★
Media of Vietnam
★
Politics of Vietnam
★
Vietnamese name
★
Vietnamese language
External links
★
Buffalo ToursIf you want to experience the culture this beautiful has to offer.
★
Vietnam culture resources
★
Vietnam Cultural Profile
★
Vietnam Culture and Travel guide
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