VIETNAM CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Huyen Nguyen

Jan 2012

Vietnam

• Au Lac – “country”

• An Nam

• Nam Viet

• Vietnam – the Viets of the South

• Population: 90,549,390 • Annual population growth rate

(2011): 1.077% • Area: 331,698 km2   • Density: 259/km2 • 2nd in GMS; 3rd in ASEAN; 13th

in the World0-14 years 15-64 years 65 years and over

25.2%

69.3%

5.5%

Median age

total: 27.8 years

male: 26.8 years

female: 28.9 years (2011 est.)

Source: http://www.indexmundi.com/vietnam/demographics_profile.html

• 63 provinces and cities

• 54 ethnic minority groups

• Dominant culture: Kinh

• The largest ethnic minority groups include the Hmong, Dao, Tay, Thai, and Nung

• Red river in the north: 1149km, starts from China, in

Vietnam 510 km

• Mekong river in the south meet the south china sea: 2 rivers and 220-250 km each – Hau Giang & Tien Giang

Socialist Republic of Vietnam Cộng hòa Xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam Motto: Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

"Independence – Freedom – Happiness"

Party flag National flag Emblem

• Capital: Hanoi

• Largest city: Ho Chi Minh City

• Official language: Vietnamese

• Official script: Vietnamese Alphabet• Independence: September 2, 1945.

• New constitution: April 15, 1992

• Government structure: – Single-party constitutional republic (Communi

st Party).

• Communist government with a capitalist economy

Political system

The Communist Party of Vietnam

Mass Organisations

National Assembly

Government

Provincial People’s Council

Provincial People’s Committee

District People’s Council

District People’s Committee

Commune People’s Council

Commune People’s Committee

CPV Province

CPV District

CPV Commune

CPV Village

CPV Hamlet

CPV Province

CPV District

CPV Commune

CPV Village

CPV Hamlet

MO Province

MO District

MO Commune

MO Village

MO Hamlet

•Fatherland Front•Labour Confederation •Women’s Association

•Youth’s Union•Red Cross

•Farmer’s Association•Veterans’ Association

• Currency: VND Dong

• GDP (2010): $102 billion.

• Real growth rate (2010): 6.8%

• Per capita income (2010): $1,168

Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm

Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries

Industry and construction

Services

20.58%

41.09%

38.33%

Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm

*Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries rice, coffee, cashews, maize, pepper, sweet potato, pork,

peanut, cotton, & seafood products

Industry and construction

• mining and quarrying• manufacturing• electricity, gas, water

supply• cement, phosphate• steel

Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm

Services

• Tourism• wholesale and retail• repair of vehicles

and personal goods• hotel and restaurant• transport storage

• telecommunications

Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm

Trade (2010) Principal exports • crude oil• garments/textiles• Footwear• fishery and seafood products• rice, pepper, coffee & rubber• wood products & handicrafts

Exports Import

$ 84 billion

$71.6 billion

Principal imports • machinery• oil and gas• iron and steel• garment materials

• plastics

Major export partners•U.S•EU

•ASEAN•Japan•China

•South Korea.

Major import partners•China

•ASEAN•Japan•Taiwan

•South Korea•EU

Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm

• two World Natural Heritage sites: Halong Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

• six World biosphere reserves including: Can Gio Mangrove Forest, Cat Tien, Cat Ba, Kien Giang, Red River Delta, Western Nghe An

around 1,553 km2

The Kissing Rocks

• Legend:

Lac Long Quan and Au Co

History

• The early days: earliest human habitation of northern vietnam was about 500,000 years ago

• 1000 years of chinese domination: the chinese conquered the red river delta in the 2nd century BC (impose a centralised state system on the vietnamese). Chinese rule ended in AD 938

• The coming of the europeans: the first portuguese sailors came in 1516

• The French takeover: the France’s military in Vietnam began in 1847

• Independence: 2 September 1945• Franco-Viet Minh war: 1946-1954• End of colonial rule: 7 May 1954• American War: 1960• Reunification: 1975• 1986 Doi Moi (Economic reform), the first step

towards re-engaging with the West, is launched• 2006: Join WTO

Beliefs

Land of many gods• Buddhism• Taoism • Confucianism• Cao Dai• Hoa Hao Buddism• Catholics, Christians and Muslims• Ancestor worship

Cao Daism

• Founded in the early 1920s

• a fusion of various religious beliefs-one of the world’s most unusual religions

• Two million followers

• Headquarter: Tay Ninh, 96km northwest of HCMC

Hoa Hao Buddhism

• Founded in the Mekong Delta in 1939

• A reformed Buddhism

• Based on the common people and embodied in personal faith rather than elaborate rituals

• Approximately 1.5 millions

Ancestor worship

• Before the arrival of Confucianism or Buddism

• Based on the belief that soul lives on after death and becomes the protector of its descendants.

• The vietnamese worship and honour the spirits of their ancestors regularly, especially on the anniversary of their death

Wedding

Funeral

Family relationships

• Three generations

• Extended family

• Strong sense of collective responsibility and mutual obligation

Tet

• Tet Nguyen Dan – Lunar New Year• The most significant date in the Vietnamese

calendar. It’s a time when families reunite; ancestral spirits are welcomed into the family home

• The festival falls sometime between 19 January and 20 February, same dates as Chinese new year. The first three days after new year’s day are the official holidays

Lunar calendar

12 zodiacal animals – represent one year in a 12 year cycle

Public Holiday

• New Year’s Day• Lunar New Year’s

Days• Anniversary of the

death of Hung Vuong’s King

• Victory’s Day and Labour’s Day

• Independence Day

• Jan 1st - 1 day• 4 days

• April 12th – 1 day

• April 30 and May 2 – 2 days

• Sept 2nd – 1 day

Rat (Ty) Generous, social, insecure, idle

1984 1996 2008

Buffalo (Suu) Stubborn, conservative, patient

1985 1997 2009

Tiger (Dan) Creative, brave, over bearing

1986 1998 2010

Cat (Mao) Timid, affectionate, amicable

1987 1999 2011

Dragon (Thin) Egotistical, strong, intelligent

1988 2000 2012

Snake (Ty) Luxury seeking, secretive, friendly

1989 2001 2013

Horse (Ngo) Emotional, clever, quick thinker

1990 2002 2014

Goat (Mui) Charming, good with money, indecisive

1991 2003 2015

Monkey (Than) Confident, humorous, fickle

1992 2004 2016

Rooster (Dau) Diligent, imaginative, needs attention

1993 2005 2017

Dog (Tuat) Humble, responsible, patient

1994 2006 2018

Pig (Hoi) Materialistic, Loyal and Honest

1995 2007 2019

Source: Lonely planet – Vietnam-9th Edition. Published Aug 2007 by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Mid-Autumn Festival (Trung Thu)

• Fifteenth day of the eighth moon

• Moon cake: lotus seeds, watermelon seeds, peanuts, and duck eggs

Weather

• Winter monsoon: comes from the northeast between October and March, bringing damp and chilly winters to the north and dry and warm temperatures to the south

• Summer monsoon: From April or May to October; hot, humid weather

• May, June and September are usually the quietest months

Lake of the Returned Sword- Ho Guom

HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM

Ho Chi Minh – Uncle Ho

Ancient Capital

Terraces

Sand dune – Phan Thiet

Champa

Nha Trang