Vietnam – a country in Southeast Asia – has been a remarkable tourist attraction emerging in recent decades. The country possesses breathtaking landscapes, incredible traditional cuisine, but a lot of travelers remember Vietnam as a perfect destination for a culture trip. The history of the establishment and development of this country is thousands of years old with countless essential events. The wars against many invaders have helped Vietnam to add more cultural features of both the East and the West to their proud tradition.

For many tourists, traveling to this S-shaped country can be quite challenging; there are too many “strange” things here. But a gift surely waits for them at the end of the journey. The trip will change the way you see Vietnam and bring valuable lessons. The following cultural highlights will perfect your experience.

Halong Bay Vietnam

Traffic in Vietnam – a New Concept

Vietnam is the 15th most populous country in the world, while its area is not included in the top 60 largest. Now you can imagine how dense the population here is. This contributes to wholly different traffic here. Their use of roads and transportation systems can even shock some people. The most popular vehicle here is motorbikes. On the road, motorbikes and bicycles go alongside cars, buses, and trucks – watching such a scene is definitely terrifying for someone.

Indeed, newcomers will consider the traffic in Vietnam a real mess and cannot understand why the Vietnamese can even move like that. Well, traffic in the country requires you to know laws and implicit rules, and more importantly, have courage. However, this is also an exciting thing that visitors remember for a long time. Moreover, motorcycle tours in Vietnam will give you some experiences that you cannot have if you use other means. Riding on a motorbike, you can explore the culture of indigenous people through their daily life, and enjoy the uncommon specialties. Don’t get too nervous; just by following a few tips, you will surely have a perfect culture trip.

Unexpected High Regard for Women

Vietnam was once a feudal country with evil customs, including male chauvinism. But from the moment the feudalism ended, a dramatic change related to this problem has come. In all provinces and cities in Vietnam, especially in big cities, you can encounter plenty of streets and structures named after famous Vietnamese women. For example, in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – the two largest cities in the country – you will see that Hai Ba Trung Streets are at the center. Hai Ba Trung here means Trung Sisters, who stood up to lead people and fight against the Chinese invaders. They are a great symbol of the spirit of Vietnamese women. Schools such as Vo Thi Sau or Minh Khai have such names to honor brave women.

In modern society, Vietnamese people respect women even more. They take not only good care of their families but also have great careers. After all, Vietnam used to have a matriarchal society. Traditional customs of worshiping the goddesses and great mothers are still well preserved here. In short, a culture trip in Vietnam is needed for those who still think that men and women are not equaled in Vietnam so far.

Remarkable Wealth of Nature

Geographical location, climate, and topography have brought Vietnam an invaluable gift – the wealth of nature. Located on the edge of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam has a coastline of 3260 km long with multitudinous islands. A third quarter of the area is mountainous with a great number of forests. Because the country is located on the meridians, the climate in the three main regions is different. Each area has its own landscape and natural condition. Vietnamese have an idiom to boast of natural wealth “golden forest and silver sea”. 

In this long yet narrow country, you can come across all kinds of overwhelming sceneries: 

• majestic mountain ranges like Hoang Lien Son (with Fansipan – the highest mountain peak in Indochina) or Ngoc Linh range;
• vast forests like Cuc Phuong or Yok Don;
• magnificent beaches like Bai Tu Long or Nha Trang;
• stunning islands like Phu Quoc or Ly Son, complex river systems like the Mekong or the Red River;
• special areas such as the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, Bau Trang sandhill, Son Doong – the world’s largest cave, Ha Long Bay – one of the new seven wonders of nature, etc. 

Just covering all types of terrain and ecosystems in Vietnam alone would require a lengthy research paper rather than a short article. Because of such natural diversity, every region (even locality) in Vietnam has some unique customs, labor practices, and daily life. This makes visitors assume that they are experiencing a culture trip in Vietnam, not just a mere excursion.

Food Culture in Vietnam – Every Meal is A Feast

The wealth of the Vietnamese culture manifests right in the aspect that human really cares about – the cuisine. Many dishes of the country are now famous all over the world, such as Pho or Banh Mi. Renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain have fallen in love with the food here and put it on their shows.

Food Culture in Vietnam

Differences in natural conditions, as well as traditional and historical factors, contribute to forming the diverse cuisine of the country. In each region, there is a different type of specialty. And they also have different ways to prepare and enjoy a dish. In different localities, they use different kinds of ingredients, spices, recipes, which means that you can always taste new food in Vietnam. A lot of people in Northern Vietnam love Pho, while people in the Central region prefer Bun, and the Southern ones are into Hu Tieu. These noodle-like dishes are all made from rice. Another example of how food represents the local culture is the reason why the people in Central Vietnam prefer salty dishes. It turns out that they have to make food salty to reserve in case storms and floods damage the crops. Well, we can say that every dish is a story about Vietnamese culture.

As you can see, wherever you visit Vietnam, you are not simply admiring superb landscapes, meeting people, or enjoying food, but experiencing little by little the soul of the country. Therefore, they say that the cultural trip to Vietnam is meaningful and unforgettable.

Vietnam Embassy Singapore