Vietnam’s 54 ethnicities can be grouped into eight linguistic categories. The Viet consist of four sub-cultures, the Tay have eight with less than 4% of the population, and the Mon-Khmer have 21 with less than 2%. The five remaining categories fall under the Pa Then: Mong (3), Kadai (4), Nam Dao (5), Han (3) and Tang (6).
The Viet mostly live in the coastal plains and delta areas. The Tay inhabit the northern mountains, while the Khmer reside around the Mekong Delta near Cambodia. The Han Hoa are also lowlanders.
Language
Today’s distinct Vietnamese language reflects its mixed racial and cultural history, and is mostly a fusion of Mon Khmer (monotonic), Tai (tonality and grammar) and Chinese (literary and technical vocabulary). The “Chunbom” writing system using modified Chinese characters was developed for writing Vietnamese in the 8th century. Around 1650, a French missionary devised the “Quoc-ngu” system using the Roman alphabet with additional signs and accent marks to indicate tones. The French made this the official written language
in 1910.
Ethnic minorities retain their native languages, and many foreign languages are spoken, with Chinese, Russian, French and English among the most popular.
Religion
Buddhism is the largest established religion in Vietnam, with about 10 million followers. Confucianism and Taoism were widespread during earlier Chinese domination, but Catholicism, introduced by European missionaries, is now the second most popular religion with some six million believers. Tho Mau originated in the north and was integrated into indigenous beliefs such as the Thien Yana in Hue and Linh Son in Tay Ninh. Cao Dai was introduced in 1926 with its central church in Tay Ninh and it has an estimated two million
followers. The Hoa Hoa sect was introduced in 1939 in southern and western Vietnam, and today has some one million followers.
Economy
Vietnam’s economy has been expanding 7-9% a year since 1986, though this growth was hampered by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Over the past two decades, the country’s output has started shifting from agriculture to industry, while the poverty rate has substantially decreased. The main agricultural products include paddy rice, coffee, rubber, cotton and tea. Vietnam’s industry focuses on food processing, garments and shoes, machinery, coal mining and construction materials.
The country’s top exports are crude oil, marine products and its major agricultural and industrial products. Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of its rapidly growing labour force.
Festivals and Events
Most Vietnamese festivals follow the lunar calendar, so the dates vary from year to year.
Some of the most important festivals include:
Late-January or early-February
Tet – Vietnamese and Chinese New Year – The Tet festival started thousands of years ago when Vietnamese farmers held celebrations to thank the gods for the arrival of spring.
Today’s three-day festival can last a week, with the first day noted for indulging in food and drink.
This is also a time to show respect to elders by bringing them food.
March
Hai Ba Trung Day – This holiday, held on sixth day of second lunar month, celebrates the revolt of the Trung sisters against the Chinese in
40 AD.
Thanh Minh – On the “Holiday of the Dead” people pay homage to deceased ancestors by visiting their graves with offerings of food, flowers and incense.
April
Liberation Day for South Vietnam – General celebrations take place to commemorate the fall of Saigon and the final victory by the North Vietnam Army in 1975.
May
Doan Ngo – Summer Solstice Day is held on the fifth day of the fifth moon when offerings are made to the spirit world to ward of pestilence and disease.
August
Children’s Moon Festival – Tet-Trung-Thu is celebrated on the eighth month of the oriental calendar and is held to promote education, culture, music, art, poetry and sports. The festival begins at noon and ends at midnight, and features activities such as games, lantern processions, dance performances and martial arts demonstrations.
Day of Wandering Souls – The spirits of the dead are believed to visit their offspring’s homes. Celebrations are held at Buddhist temples and food is offered at family alters.
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