Vietnam is one of the most delightful places in south-east Asia. Although many foreigners still imagine Vietnam through the lens of war, it is in reality a country with evocative history; century-deep culture; warm-hearted, hospitable, intelligent people and spectacular landscape. Over two decades have passed since Vietnam was officially united, and in that time it has done a remarkable job of healing its wounds. Today, this gracious and graceful country is an outstanding travel destination for visitors around the world. Vietnam has a history as rich as anywhere on the planet. Legend has it that Vietnam’s origin lay in the harmonious union of Lac Long Quan, King of the Sea, and Au Co, Princess of the Mountains. However, real life was not so paradisiacal; as Vietnam’s early history-like its recent history-is characterized by a nearly continuous struggle for autonomy.
Vietnamese civilization is as sophisticated as that of its mighty northern neighbor China, from where it drew many of its influences under a thousand-year occupation. Later came the French and the humbling period of colonialism from which Vietnam was not to emerge until the second half of the 20th century. The Americans were the last in a long line of invaders who had come and gone through the centuries and, no matter what was required or how long it took, they too would be vanquished. Along with the sublime history, the richness of Vietnam is evident throughout its culture. Vietnamese is exceptionally flexible and lyrical, and poetry plays a strong role in both literature and the performing arts. The country has a rich tradition of folk literature, based around the typical 6–to-8-verse poetic form named ca dao, which usually praise beauty, humanism, the love of goodness….
To the present day, ca dao still has had a tremendous vitality and lived on. Written literature first appeared around the 10th-century and developed notably with prominent ancient authors such as Nguyen Du, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Dinh Chieu to name but a few. Vietnamese literature has in recent times experienced the far-reaching influence of Western Culture and the first literary transformation movement – Tho Moi– emerged in 1932. Traditionally, Vietnamese literature always featured patriotism, national pride and humanism. Vietnamese lacquer art, another traditional medium, is commonly held to be the most original and sophisticated in the world. Music, dance, and puppetry, including the uniquely Vietnamese water puppetry, are also mainstays of the country’s culture. The country’s wealthy culture is also conspicuous through its festivals based on the lunar calendar and cuisines. The most important celebration is Tet, when people come together and wish each other a New Year of luck and prosperity. When it comes to Tet, people often think of sticky rice cakes including Banh Chung and Banh Tet which are traditionally eaten during the lunar New Year. Banh chung is popular in the North, while in the south, people use the similar Banh Tet instead. They both have the same content, but their shapes are different. Other important national festivals are Gio To Hung Vuong (10/3), Mid Autumn festival (15/8), Le Vu Lan… Apart from sticky rice cakes, there are many signature Vietnamese dishes, such as pho and banh cuon. Many other Vietnamese dishes also make use of pho noodles, other popular Vietnamese noodle dishes include bun rieu, bun bo hue, and bun cha.
The traditional costume- Ao Dai, is greatly contributed to the abundant culture of Vietnam. Ao Dai was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mainly by females, except for certain important traditional culture-related occasions where some men do wear it. It consists of a long gown with a slit on both sides, worn over cotton or silk trousers, which is elegant and comfortable to wear. Vietnamese come across being friendly, candid, and humane. Many tourists said that they want to come back to Vietnam after their visit is partly due to people here. Moreover, Vietnam community is famous to be a united, patriotic one. This was proved through thousands of year fighting against foreign aggression. When it comes to Vietnam, hardly anyone do not know about the Vietnam War and also, president Ho Chi Minh. Not only was he a great president but he was also a distinguished politician, a high-ranking diplomat, an outstanding poet. Wherever he came, he was always warmly welcomed. Second only to revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh as modern Vietnam’s most revered figure, General Vo Nguyen Giap was the founding father of the Vietnam People’s Army. When he died in 4th October in Ha Noi lately, Agence France- Press, the oldest French news agency in the world, called Gen Giap “Vietnam’s Red Napoleon” and thousands of people around the world showed their deep regrets for his death. Nowadays, Vietnamese are also a match for their former generations. Vietnamese are always proud of those who are striving to help the country developed.
Last but not least, the striking and varied landscapes, foods, the world heritage sites and the captivating natural beauty and tranquil village life in Vietnam make it a paradise for visiting and discovering. Its highlands and rainforest regions are amazingly great. Its islands and beaches are among the finest in all of Southeast Asia, and its cuisine is very possibly the most delicious ever found. Those who have once visited complex of Hue Monuments, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An Ancient Town or Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park… undoubtedly want to visit them again due to its breathtaking beauty. To be understood a country thoroughly; I think, it is important to know well about its history, culture and people. Therefore, I would first introduce those to foreign visitors so that they could establish love and respect for Vietnam and they might be more interested in discovering every corner of Vietnam. Then, I would introduce the tourism, landscapes, some world heritage sites to them as suggestions they in order that they would feel blood-rushing to visit the whole Vietnam.
