The culture of Vietnam is distinct from those of its neighbors Cambodia, Laos and China – although it draws influences from all of these. At the core of Vietnamese culture is an agricultural sensibility, developed over thousands of years of wet farming rice. Confucian morality, French art and modern socialism have all added to the depth of Vietnamese culture as well.
Vietnam was settled 4,000 years ago by the Phung Nguyen culture, but it was the Dong Son culture, which introduced rice farming, that truly signified the beginning of what we know today as Vietnam. The first true Vietnamese state was established in the third century B.C. under the Hong Bang Dynasty. This kingdom was short-lived, however, and in less than two centuries the Chinese had conquered Vietnam, which they ruled for almost a thousand years. In the 10th century, Vietnam regained its independence, and except for a few brief periods of Chinese rule, remained independent until French colonization in the 19th century.
Chinese and French Influence
Beginning with the Han Dynasty’s conquest of Vietnam in the third century B.C., China ruled over Vietnam until 938. Chinese rule provided many cultural influences, including the introduction of Confucian morality, philosophy and political structure. The Confucian ideal remains very much alive in Vietnam to this day. Chinese rule also influenced the cuisine, language and clothing. In the late 19th century the French took control of Vietnam, incorporating it into the territory of French Indo-China. They introduced aspects of their cuisine, art and, most importantly, language. French became the lingua franca of Vietnam, and the country remains the only one in Indochina to utilize a version of the Latin alphabet.
Vietnam has a strong national identity, and most Vietnamese identify themselves first and foremost as Vietnamese – giving secondary importance to their village. Like most Asian cultures, Vietnamese culture also has a strong emphasis on the importance of family, especially the extended family, or clan. Wedding and funeral rites have a great deal in common with those found in China – a result of Confucianism. Formality is crucial, and everything from the day and time of the ceremony to the honorifics used to the attire worn by those present is given the utmost attention.
Food and Clothing
Vietnamese food is distinctive, differing from that in neighboring countries in its strong reliance on fish sauce and sour flavors, as well as its relatively sparse use of oil. Pho, the best-known Vietnamese dish outside of Vietnam, is a Northern Vietnamese noodle soup, generally made with lightly poached slices of beef. There is French influence in Vietnamese cuisine as well, most notably in the prevalence of baguettes at every meal. Clothing in Vietnam is now in the Western mode except in the most rural provinces. Traditional garments, which are generally quite ornate and expensive, are still worn at important cultural events such as weddings or religious ceremonies.
Vietnamese art is one area of the culture where the Chinese influence is readily apparent. Ceramics, painting and calligraphy all demonstrate characteristics of Chinese Buddhist art, although in some rural villages a more traditional style is still apparent. The music of Vietnam draws from both the Chinese and Champa traditions. The most common musical unit is a trio, with one musician playing a simple bowed string instrument (dan bau), one playing a percussion instrument (generally a copper drum, or trong dong) and one playing a Vietnamese flute.
Situated on the beautiful Mendocino Coast in Northern California, Brendan McGuigan has been writing professionally since 2003. His articles have appeared in "Pology," "San Francisco Restaurant Review," 1001 Beautiful Sights and Visual Travel Tours. He studied linguistics and phonology at Goddard College.