Vietnam People & Culture

The vast majority of the population is Vietnamese with minute percentages of Chinese. The Viet culture originated on the delta of the Red River and the Ma River where the Viet people cultivated paddy fields. They led a simple farming life in small villages, usually living around a communal house.
Today the people living in the countryside follow this lifestyle. The Viet people are influenced by Confucianism, in particular the principle of respect for their elders. In spite of the immense suffering of the Vietnamese and the somewhat ruined state of the country, they are generally warm and friendly, and surprisingly, the Vietnamese bear little if any resentment or bitterness toward Americans.
Children in the streets will commonly greet visitors with the name Lien Xo, which means Russian, but they will easily be corrected if you respond, "Hello!" or "Good morning" and explain you are an American. Ethnic Groups: The country is predominantly 85-90% Vietnamese, 3% Chinese, ethnic minorities include Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham, and other mountain tribes. Languages: Vietnamese is the official language; French, Chinese, English, Khmer and tribal dialects (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) are also spoken.

Vietnam Geography

Located in South East Asia, Vietnam starts to emerge as a major tourist attraction. Vietnam has two main cities, the political capital Hanoi and the economic capital Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon).



Square Miles : 125,138 square miles (325,359 sq. km)



Borders : 2,386 miles (3,841km) total, bordering the countries of Cambodia
(west), Laos (west) and China (north).



Coastline : 2,153 miles (3,466km) excluding islands.The coastline lies on the South China Sea.



Terrain : The north and south parts of Vietnam are characterized by low, flat deltas. Central Vietnam consists mostly of highlands. Hilly, mountainous terrain is prominent in the far north and northwest. The peninsula is S-shaped, and there are thousands of offshore islands and archipelagos. The largest islands are the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

Vietnam Art and Craft

Vietnam is a country rich in handicraft products, thanks to the hardworking, dexterous, and creative qualities of the Vietnamese people. For a very long time, handicraft products have been a source of culturalpride and a source of income for the people. As the varieties of handicraft products are too numerous to be fully introduced, only a few typical items and their sources are mentioned here.

Woven tapestries and tho cam handbags are unique works from the skilled hands of the ethnic women living in the Northwest regions, such as Cao Bang. Embroidered articles and silk products are famous from the regions of Ha Dong, Nam Ha, Thai Binh and Hue. Wool tapestries from Hanoi and Haiphong, and jute tapestries from Hung Yen, Haiphong, Hanoi and Thai Binh, are much sought after.

Ceramic and porcelain items have been produced in Vietnam for a long time. Ceramic and porcelain products glazed by traditional methods into beautiful art are well known in Bat Trang (Hanoi), Quang Ninh, and Haiphong. Copperware is fabricated by the skillful hands of coppersmiths in Nam Ha, Ngu Xa (Hanoi), Dong Son (Thanh Hoa), and Long Tho. Jewelry products and metalwork are concentrated in Hanoi, Thai Binh and Hai Hung, while stonework are mainly produced in Danang (Five Element Mountain Region).

Wood products and wood carvings can usually be found in Phu Xuyen (Ha Tay), Haiphong, and Hue.There are thousands of types of handicraft products. Some of these handicrafts have been internationally recognized and popularized, such as lacquerware. While lacquer artists produce a limited number of paintings and sculptures, lacquer crafts have been part of Vietnamese life in many forms: vases, boxes, interior decorating items, jewelry, and office products. With about 2,000 years of history, Vietnamese lacquerware and other products made by a community of handicraft artists, have established a firm and growing position in the domestic and international markets.

Boats Transport in Vietnam

	There are some boats between the mainland of Vietnam and the islands. Rach Gia to/from Phu Quoc takes 6 to 10 hours and costs around VND 44000. Officially, it should leave every day at 8 am in Rach Gia and at 10 am in An Thui. In reality it waits until there are enough passengers. This can mean day...so be prepared. Ha Tien to/from Phu Quoc This is officially not allowed, since the boat crosses Cambodian waters so if you catch one of these the risk is your own as to whether you get put behind bars for your efforts or not. Vung Tao to/from Con Dao There is a boat between Vung Tao and the island Con Dao. One way takes about 13 hours.