Besides martial tradition, An Thai (Nhon Phuc - An Nhon) is also famous of a special noodle that is song than (song thằn) vermicelli. People call this noodle “song than” because they always make two noodle threads at the same time. Many people differently call it “song thần”. Song than vermicelli (made into separate 30cm-wide square pieces, dried)…
Tan Chau silk has its fame because of the softness, toughness, long-wearing and high absorbability of natural silk material. All clothes made from Tan Chau silk bring to people comfort, coolness in summer, warmness in winter. Tan Chau silk is deserved to be called “Queen” of silk. Not only for legends and remains, Tan Chau silk village in…
The more blazing the sunshine is, the purer the salt is and… the saltier the sweat dropping on the makers’ bony shoulders is. Phu Yen has three craft villages that have made salt for more than 300 years: Trung Trinh, Le Uyen, Tuyet Diem (Song Cau district). Previously, Tuyet Diem salt was called Cu Mong salt by the salt…
Dong Xam silver engraving village belongs to Hong Thai commune, Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh province. It is famous for sophisticated and high-artistic-valued product. Dong Xam village situates in the east of Kien Xuong district, belongs to Hong Thai commune. The silver engraving career in Dong Xam appeared in XVII century that means it has existed for about…
Most Vietnamese people wear new clothes to celebrate Tet, or the Lunar new year, in order to promote a fresh beginning to the year. Although Western-style outfits are more convenient for daily chores, the traditional tunic, or ao dai, reappears each Tet. These tunics add to the festival’s formal atmosphere. Most Vietnamese people wear new clothes to celebrate…
The costume of women in South Vietnam has gone through many stages of development, but still preserves its distinctive and unique imprints of the traditional culture. Costumes of southern women and children in the old days Attires of southern women in the old days Initially, the women’s costume in the North of Vietnam was ao tu than…
Images of graceful girls in national charming long dress have been a symbol of Vietnam. However, looking back the historic development of national dress, Vietnam not only has Ao Dai but also Ao Yem – the indispensable dress of ancient girls. In the old days, ao yem was called yem. It is an age-old dress which is maintained…
Foreign visitors joining Vietnam Tourism are deeply impressed by the traditional dress for Vietnamese women. It is called “Ao Dai." Girl students dressed in white long robes take to streets on the way to schools or back home, or gracefully sail on their bikes along streets. Female secretaries in delicate pastels greet you at an office door and…
The special features of the national Vietnamese dress for men have been preserved through the ages. Vietnamese man is proud of wearing this dress because it is part of Vietnamese nation, their history and their culture in general. Moreover, it is part of Vietnamese social customs which includes respect for superiors, dignitaries and relatives. In the past, the…
Visitors to the northern provinces of Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang will enjoy the colourful costumes of women from the Pa Then ethnic minoirity. Like many other ethnic groups in Vietnam, Pa Then people grow flax to weave the brocades and fabrics for making their traditional garments. Most of the adult Pa Then women learned how to weave…
Wooden clogs are the simple symbol of Vietnamese women. T wo parallel and loving boats With dragon bows and phoenix sterns Double rows of nails I carry five boy-lovers per boat And ten per pair. But, let you be reproved, you ingrate! Profiting from me, and forgetting me What am I? The above riddle refers to a pair…
Confucianism can be considered as a social philosophy than just a normal religion. It has no church, no clergy and no bible as well. It advocates a code of social behavior that man ought to live in harmony with society and attain happiness in his individual life. Confucianism was introduced into Vietnam early during the…
In theory there are three main religions in Vietnam: Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism; but in fact there is “tripple religion”, which is an amalgamation of these three doctrines, each of which represents a particular aspect of the whole. And now Buddhism still is main religion in Vietnam. Buddhism spread first from China to Vietnam's Red…
Welcome to the world of Caodaism - an extraordinary indigenous religion that has captured the belief of over two million Vietnamese and the whimsy of everyone. Compared with other religions that have existed for millennia, this little-known religion is a visual and theological spectacular that could have been created only in the 20th century. Overview…
Christianity was introduced to Vietnam in the 16th century by missionaries from Europe’s main Catholic evangelist countries, France, Spain and Portugal. One of the early arrivals was Alexandre de Rhodes, a French Jesuit who greatly impressed the Trinh lords who ruled the north at that time, thus easing the way for permanent missions in Hanoi,…
Tam Giao, which includes Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, plays the key role in Vietnamese religion. “Tao” means “path” or “way” that turns Taoists’ thoughts to health, longevity, immortality and spontaneity. The origin of Taoism Taoism is believed to be founded by Lao Tseu (Lao Tu), a Chinese contemporary of Confucius in about 500 B.C. The…
Despite the Roman Catholic Church's rejection of ancestor worship, a cornerstone of the Confucian cultural tradition, Roman Catholicism established a solid position in Vietnamese society under French administration. To the French, Roman Catholicism brought about a balance between Buddhism and the Western culture. After the mid-1950s, Catholicism declined in the North, where the communists regarded…
Despite the existence of shamanism in mainstream religion in Vietnam, it is mostly found in the traditions of the country’s ethnic minorities,many of whom retain a shaman in each village. The shaman A shaman is an intermediary between humankind and the spirit world,occupying a role similar to that of a priest:a religious specialist,possessing the ability…
Hoa Hao, which is more bent towards traditional Buddhism, is concentrated in the Mekong Delta with a membership estimated at about two million. This religious sect based on Buddhism founded in 1939 and to date there are around two million followers throughout Vietnam. In some provinces near its home-land, 90% of the population practices this…
South Vietnam, everyone knows, is a land of Buddhists, Christians, Confucianists and animists. Shiva reigns in Hindustan. But a wide variety of sects and religions flourish in this country, and Shiva himself is worshipped everyday in Saigon temples. His devotees are both Indians and Vietnamese. Mariammane Temple The next time you're in Saigon and want…
