Country of the Week: Vietnam!

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country in the south eastern part of Asia with a population of 97.5 million (2020 est.). It is bordered by China to the north, Cambodia and Laos to the west, the South China Sea to the east and south, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. Its capital is Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh is the city with the most people, with approximately 9 million inhabitants in 2019. It is known for its rivers, beaches, food (like Pho, rice noodles), its coffee, for the Vietnam War, its national costume Ao Dai, the Cu Chi Tunnels, and Ho Chi Minh city (formerly known as Saigon).

• The Cu Chi tunnels were used in The Vietnam War by the Viet Cong. They dug a great distance, and used these passages to “house troops, transport communications and supplies, lay booby traps and mount surprise attacks, after which they could disappear underground to safety.” (History.com Editors, 2011).

• Ho Chi Minh city offers war museums like the War Remnants Museum, colonial structures, In contrast to Hanoi, Saigon is a more luxurious place, with restaurants boasting French, American, Japanese, Chinese, and Mediterranean meals. Hanoi is for the tourists that want to know traditional Vietnamese culture.

• The world’s largest cave, Hang Son Doong, is located in Vietnam. It is almost 5 kilometres long and impressively wide. At some points, one can see the green vegetation of the jungle because part of the roof of the cave fell. It was discovered by a local farmer in 1990, who wanted to shield himself from a storm passing in the jungle. “He noticed clouds and the sound of an underground river gushing from a large hole in the limestone, and reported his findings to the British Caving Research Association (BCRA), who were stationed in Phong Nha at the time.” (CNN, 2016)

• An amusement park in the Sun World Ba Na Hills has garnered attention for its bridge, held by enormous hands. These hands were built with fiberglass and wire mesh, made to look like stone. They were also made to look like they are part of the forest and come out of it. A masterpiece.

• Vietnamese have a traditional costume known as Ao Dai, and local women wear it when time calls for special occasions, like weddings or celebrations. Men also used to wear it, but now women wear it mostly. It consists of two pieces of fabric, it hangs loose on the wearer, with long sleeves and a tall collar. Vietnamese women usually get them custom made. The closest thing to an Ao Dai emerged in the 18th century, during the Nguyen dynasty, when the king stated that men and women should wear a dress similar to this.

• Let's see, what can we find on a Vietnamese Menu? Definitely Pho, a sort of noodle soup. You must try it if you visit the country, as it is the traditional food and you can buy it anywhere! Another article of ours goes in depth on Vietnamese cuisine, and you can find recipes for you to try or recreate!

• Now to drink… What can we accompany our meal with? Well… Here it says… Snake wine! This drink is famous not only in Vietnam, but in Southeast Asia as a whole, and is usually drunk to enhance vitality. It can be made by infusing snakes in rice wine, certainly an unusual beverage and trying this at home is NOT recommended!

• Moving on… Now that we brought up snakes, let’s get to know Vietnam’s fauna! Great Hornbills, Sun bears, Pygmy Slow Loris, the Asian Water Monitor, Water Buffaloes, Burmese Pythons, Tigers, Dolphins and many other species live in this country! And just so you know, Vietnam’s national animal is the water buffalo.

• Since ancient times, water puppet shows have been an art form of Vietnam’s. One can see them in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This tradition traces back to when villagers approached the flooded rice paddy fields and would entertain themselves and others by using large rods to support the puppets above the water. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is a popular tourist attraction in Hanoi where you can appreciate this type of show!

Bibliography

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