Vietnam

Vietnam short for the socialist republic of Vietnam is a country that lies in mainland southeast Asia. Vietnam borders the countries of China, Cambodia, Laos, the

The Gulf of Thailand, and the South China Sea. The capital Hanoi is in northern

Vietnam. Vietnam is under the one-party rule of the Vietnamese communist party,

classifying them as a socialist republic. Vietnam’s Independence Day September

2, 1945, marks when they were liberated from French rule. Because of the French

occupation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people speak French.

Even though Vietnamese is the only official language there are still 623,200

people living in Vietnam that speak French. Some fun facts about Vietnam are There

is a motorbike for every 2 people in Vietnam and as a communist country, there

is no official religion. They are the world’s second largest exporter of coffee,

and another large portion of their exports is made up of rice. Snake wine is

often seen as a sign of vitality, so it is a common drink. 

As stated before, many people speak French, dating back to 1857 when Napoleon III conquered Vietnam. This was for both missionary and economic purposes that spurred many in Vietnam to learn French. When Vietnam later gained its independence people in Vietnam continued to speak French. This led to them joining L’OIF in 1979 to help remedy the poverty and isolation that they faced. They have continued to be part of L’OIF to this day, and as stated before French is only a second language, but it is still spoken by over half a million people in the country. 

There is a one-party rule in Vietnam which can lead to some serious issues with human rights. With this one-party rule, there is often an abuse of power leading to

the oppression of the people. In recent years there has been a crackdown on free

speech in the country especially statements against the government. People will

often be senselessly arrested or mysteriously disappear for speaking out. On

top of that, there is serious censorship leading to a continued cycle of

ignorance amongst the population. Even children can be a target, with many

being sexually abused by teachers, parents, and other adults. There is also the

issue of child labor in the country with a large percentage of children working

long strenuous hours to provide for their families. 

In Vietnam, their main diet consists of rice, fish, and various fresh produce. Some

examples of this product include cabbage, water spinach, bamboo shoots, bitter melons, and others. There is a multitude of different delicious dishes that call Vietnam

home, one of which being spring rolls or New Ran. These are made by using fresh

produce, wrapping them in raw rice paper, and either serving it like that or

deep frying them. Another popular dish is Crepe Wraps or Bahn Xeo, where

various fish and vegetables are stuffed into a tortilla which is often made

from rice flour due to the abundance of rice in the country. Lastly and most

famously there are Vietnamese Rice Noodles or Pho. This is a form of rice

noodles that are combined with a soup base or broth, meats, vegetables, and

local spices to enhance flavor, making the famous dish many of us know today. 

In Vietnam, there are many different types and styles of art. One of these styles of art date back to the bronze age, called Dong Son Drums. The faces of the drums

often depict examples of everyday life during the time, with images of people

hunting or farming etched into the top. Another style of art to come out of

Vietnam is a lacquer painting. In this process, the Rhus succedanea trees are

tapped for their sap and the sap is slowly worked into a lacquer. From there

the artists will prepare the baseboards often with wooden planks. The lacquer

is then poured onto the boards in coats and later painted with traditional

scenes. Lastly, water puppetry is an important part of north Vietnamese

culture. This is where there is a waist-deep pool with a bamboo screen creating

a stage in the front. Behind the screen, the puppeteers can control the puppets

out of the audience’s sight. Under the water, some contraptions help the

puppeteers control the puppets creating an effortless scene. Some famous

artists that hail from Vietnam include Nguyễn Gia Trí, Bùi Xuân Phái, and Nguyễn

Tư Nghiêm, all of which use either a traditional Vietnamese style of art or

derive elements from more western art.