| |
 Home●Culture |
|
Culture of ViętNam |
| The
richness of ViętNam's origins is evident throughout its culture. Spiritual life
in Viętnam is a grand panoply of belief systems, including Confucianism, Taoism,
Buddhism, Christianity, and Tam Giao (literally 'triple religion'), which is a
blend of Taoism, popular Chinese beliefs, and ancient Viętnamese animism. |
|
 |
|
Festivals |
 |
The
most important festival of the year is Tet, a week-long event in late January or
early February that heralds the new lunar year and the advent of spring.
Celebration consists of both raucous festivity (fireworks, drums, gongs) and
quiet meditation.
In addition to Tet, there are about twenty other traditional and religious
festivals each year. |
|
|
|
|
Architecture |
|
Viętnamese architecture expresses a graceful aesthetic of natural balance and
harmony that is evident in any of the country's vast numbers of historic temples
and monasteries.
The pre-eminent architectural form is the pagoda, a tower comprised of a series
of stepped pyramidal structures and frequently adorned with lavish carvings and
painted ornamentation. Generally speaking, the pagoda form symbolizes the human
desire to bridge the gap between the constraints of earthly existence and the
perfection of heavenly forces.
Pagodas are found in every province of Viętnam. One of the most treasured is the
Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue, founded in 1601 and completed more than two hundred
years later. In North Viętnam, the pagodas that serve as the shrines and temples
of the Son La mountains are especially worth visiting. In South Viętnam, the
Giac Lam Pagoda of Ho Chi Minh City is considered to be the city's oldest and is
notable as well for its many richly-carved jackwood statues. |
|
|
|
|
Language |
|
| As
a language, Viętnamese is exceptionally flexible and lyrical, and poetry plays a
strong role in both literature and the performing arts. |
|
|
|
|
Folk
Art |
|
Folk art, which flourished before French colonization, has experienced a
resurgence in beautiful woodcuts, village painting, and block printing.
Viętnamese lacquer art, another traditional medium, is commonly held to be the
most original and sophisticated in the world. |
|
|
|
|
Music
and Dance |
|
|
Music, dance, and puppetry, including the uniquely Viętnamese water puppetry,
are also mainstays of the country's culture. |
|
|
|
|
Rice and Food |
|
Although rice is the foundation of the Viętnamese diet, the country's cuisine is
anything but bland. Deeply influenced by the national cuisines of France, China,
and Thailand, Viętnamese cooking is highly innovative and makes extensive use of
fresh herbs, including lemon grass, basil, coriander, parsley, laksa leaf, lime,
and chili.
Soup is served at almost every meal, and snacks include spring rolls and rice
pancakes.
The national condiment is nuoc mam, a piquant fermented fish sauce served
with every meal. Indigenous tropical fruits include bananas, pineapples,
coconuts, lychees, melons, mandarin oranges, grapes, and exotic varieties like
the three-seeded cherry and the green dragon fruit. |
|
|
|
|
Ao Dai |
|
A
lasting impression for any visitor to Viętnam is the beauty of Viętnamese women
dressed in their Ao Dais. These long flowing dresses worn over loose-fitting
trousers are considered to be the national dress of Viętnamese women.
Early versions of the Ao Dai date back to 1744, when men and women to wear a
trouser and gown ensemble that buttoned down the front.
Although popular, men wore it less often than women, and generally only on
ceremonial occasions such as at weddings and funerals. It took another twenty
years before the next major design change occurred and nearly another two
hundred years before the modern Ao Dai emerged.
The original Ao Dai was loosely tailored with four panels (Ao Tu Than), two of
which were tied in the back. In 1930, a Viętnamese fashion designer and writer,
Cat Tuong, lengthened the top so it reached the floor.
Tuong also fitted the bodice to the curves of the body and moved the buttons
from the front to an opening along the shoulder and side seam. As a result of
these changes, Ao Dai became a contoured, full-length dress. The dress splits
into a front and back panel from the waist down.
During the 1950s two tailors in Saigon, Tran Kim of Thiet Lap Tailors and Dung
of Dung Tailors, started producing the gowns with raglan sleeves. This created a
diagonal seam running from the collar to the underarm and is the preferred style
today.
There have been many stylish alterations in color and collar design in the past
four decades. Most noticeable is the gradual shortening of the gown's length,
such that today, it is usually just below the knee.
Variations in the neck collar, between boat and mandarin style, are common. But
more adventurous alterations such as low scooped necklines, puffed sleeves, and
off-the-shoulder designs are emerging as more women experiment with fashion.
Less rigid control over color and access to new fabrics have also created
dazzling results.
Every Ao Dai is custom-made, accounting for the fit that creates a flattering
look for each woman.
It is hard to think of a more elegant, demure and yet sexy outfit, that suits
Viętnamese women of all ages than the Ao Dai. |
|
|
|
| Conical Leaf Hats |
|
While girls from other countries love to wear hats with made of multi-color
expensive materials, with attached feathers and bows, Viętnamese girls are
attracted to the Viętnamese leaf-covered hat (non la) which can not be
found from anywhere else in the world.
The hat is creatively made from leaves, the simple materials of nature. These
young leaves are brought from the softest trees and are exposed to the dew for
one night so when dried, it is still soft enough to be flattened.
Usually consisting of 16 to 18 rims made from a special kind of bamboo. These
rims are shaped thinly into conical-form. The leaves are sewn into all rims
solely by hand. Finally, the hat is trimmed and painted with a coat of attar old
to keep it clean, smooth, and water-proof.
Viętnamese girls wear this leaf hat like a little umbrella to protect themselves
from sun or rain. The hat elegantly enhances the sentimental attractiveness of
Viętnamese girls because they are mysteriously hidden, showing only their shy
blush cheeks and long hair beneath the broad rims of the non la.
The leaf hat is not only a symbol of Viętnamese girls, but has also become part
of the spirit of Viętnam, the nation. |
|
|
|
|
