AISD Vietnamese Dual Language Program

About Vietnam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnam is country of natural beauty with attractive natural landscapes and a coastline of sandy beaches stretching from the northern to the southern tip of the South China Sea. Vietnam has a rich history and variety of cultural traditions with notably influences from countries such as China and France. The focuses of Vietnamese culture are humanity and harmony with family and community values.

 

Vietnam's Three Regions
Vietnam is traditionally divided into three regions (North, South and Central) based on years of history, occupation and geopolitical settlement. These regions are known among Vietnamese for differences in dialect, food, history, culture and temperament of the people.

 

Language
The official spoken and written language of Vietnam is Vietnamese.
 

Population 
Vietnam is among the top 15 countries in the world by population.The total population of Vietnam is estimated to be about 87 million people. 
 

Climate
Vietnam has a hot tropical climate in the south and a monsoon climate in the north. The hot, rainy season lasts May to September and warm, dry season is October to March.

 

Traditional Clothing and Customs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vietnamese traditional garment is the "áo dài",  pronounced "au yuh-ai." It is worn often for special occasions such as weddings or religious festivals. Áo dài is a long dress with panels in the front and back worn over long pants. It  was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mainly by females. Men only wear áo dài to certain traditional culture-related occasions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among other traditional Vietnamese occasions, the traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important. The significant of the proceedings of the traditional Vietnamese wedding include three traditional ceremonies. The first ceremony is the groom asking permission to receive the bride. The second ceremony is the groom receiving the bride at her house and the third ceremony is bringing bride to groom's house. Many of the traditional customs in a Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements.

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Food

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vietnamese cuisine has been greatly influenced by the climate and countries of China, France and other neighboring countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Vietnamese dishes consist of many different blends of herbs and spices in combination with other ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, or seafood.  The main dishes are often based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce.

Music

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnamese music varies between the country’s three regions: North, Central, and South Vietnam. Vietnamese northern classical music is traditional and more formal. Vietnamese classical music captured a Chinese opera troupe with its melancholic melodies. 
Vietnam modern pop music has become influenced and inspired by pop culture of the West. 

 

Literature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnamese literature has a long history. Folk literature has been developed for centuries with many great arts, including poem and written literatures usually focus on tales about village establishes and heroes served as cultural base for many cultural regions. 
The modern Vietnamese literature in recent times has been influence by Western styles.

 

Popular Sports

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martial arts has been the common sports for centuries because Vietnamese has faced many wars and unprecedented natural events. Soccer is another popular sport in Vietnam. Sports and games such as badminton, tennis, ping pong, and chess are also popular with large segments of the population. 

 

Religion

 

 

 

 

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The majority of people in Vietnam, about 85%, are Buddhists. Other religious groups in the country include Catholics, Baptists, and Protestants.

 

Tourist Attractions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Visitors and tourism in Vietnam has increased steadily over the past ten years. About 4.2 million international guests visited Vietnam in recent years. Attractions such as Hanoi, Da Lat, the magnificent Halong Bay or the "Bay of Descending Dragons", one of the world wonder, Hue, Nha Trang and national park Cuc Phuong are great places to visit.