Before coming to Vietnam, you should research and collect information about the country. This little article gives you information on Vietnam so that you know it better.
The first Vietnam info you are interested in is the meaning of the name “Vietnam”. Vietnam has a name made up of two words: Viet and Nam. Literally, Viet: it means the Viet ethnic groups. And Nam: it means the South – the country in the South (to distinguish it from China in the North). So, Vietnam means the country of the Viets in the south of China!
According to researchers, the name Vietnam was recognized in the fifteenth century, for 500 years. This name was first used by one of the first Vietnamese scholars, Nguyen Binh Khiem.
At the time, occupied by the Chinese, Vietnam became a district of China and in order to avoid Chinese assimilation, the great Vietnamese scholars including Nguyen Binh Khiem named their country Vietnam.
In 1802, Gia Long – the first king of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), succeeded in unifying the country with the help of the French and took Vietnam as the official name of the country.
On the other hand, the name Vietnam was no longer used under French colonization from 1887. The French nevertheless gave 3 different names corresponding to 3 regions of the country, belonging to the Indochinese Union: Tonkin for the North, Annam for the Center and Cochinchina for the South.
Until 1945, the country was renamed: Vietnam, following the triumph of the August Revolution and then the takeover of power by President Ho Chi Minh. This name is used to this day.
When talking about Vietnam, we always think of a Vietnam with a long history. Its dense and moving history is divided into 4 main periods:
The mythical Hung kings reigned over the Van Lang country which became Au Lac under the Thuc then Nam Viet under the Trieu. This was the civilization of Dong Son with the famous bronze drums with fairly advanced techniques. Nam Viet was invaded by the Han (Chinese) in 111 BC. JC.
The Han and their successors imposed Chinese customs and morals on the Viet with unequal success and in some respects quite vain. Dominations suffered and repressed uprisings alternated for 1000 years all the same. In 938 AD, the revolt led by Ngo Quyen resulted in the founding of an independent state.
Vietnam in this period presented its consolidated national identity, its victory over the Chinese and its internal contradictions.
Ngo Quyen founded an independent state (Ngo Dynasty). The end of the Ngo reign was marked by the division of the country into feudal fiefdoms. Dinh Bo Linh imposed his law on the 12 lords and founded the Dai Co Viet in 968. After him, came the Ly, the Tran, the Ho, the Lê, the Tay Son and the Nguyen.
Under the Ly (1012-1225) and the Tran (1226-1400) victories over China (Song and Yuan) like the rise of Buddhism consolidated national identity.
The Lê settled after the victory over the Ming (China) from 1428 to 1773. Their end of reign was characterized by the division of the country into lordships of Nguyen (South) and Trinh (North) as well as by peasant revolts.
The Tay Son with Nguyen Hue at the head reunited the Country (1773-1802) and repelled the Tsing. Emperor Gia Long succeeded in defeating the Tay Son and established the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).
French colonization and first Vietnam War, the main dates:
1858: The French land at Danang (central port)
1867: Cochinchina (South) becomes a French colony.
1883: Annam (center) and Tonkin (north) are placed under French protectorate.
1945: The independence of Vietnam is proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi on September 2, 1945.
1946: French attempt to reestablish its authority and start of the First Vietnam War
1954: On May 7, 1954, Dien Bien Phu fell, the garrison of 16,000 soldiers was taken prisoner. On July 20, 1954, the Geneva Accords were signed recognizing the independence, sovereignty and integrity of Vietnam.
The 17th parallel will be a military demarcation line and general elections in 1956 will have to take place throughout the country to reunify it. However, the United States intervened and these elections in which Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh were widely expected to win were canceled. In the north, “the Democratic Republic of Vietnam” engaged as best it could in reconstruction despite the war and the bombings.
In the South, supported by the North, the liberation struggle for Independence and the departure of American soldiers (up to 50,000 soldiers) took place for 20 years.
With the general offensive in the spring of 1975, the Saigon government in southern Vietnam, supported by the United States, collapsed on April 30, 1975.
Vietnam was reunified again and since that date has been called the « Socialist Republic of Vietnam” with Hanoi as its capital. Saigon was then named “Ho Chi Minh City” in homage to the “Father of the Revolution”.
Throughout its history and until today, Vietnam is distinguished by a fierce desire for independence and by a skin-deep nationalism…
The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi. This thousand-year-old city (1010-2010) is the cultural and political center of Vietnam with a population of 5 million inhabitants.
Located on the eastern coast of the Indochinese peninsula of Southeast Asia, Vietnam has land borders with Cambodia and Laos to the west, China to the north and the China Sea to the east. The country extends over 2,500 km.
About 66% of the country is made up of rugged terrain and dense forests such as the Truong Son Range which extends from North to South. Most of the country’s population and wealth are concentrated in areas located along the country’s two large fertile basins: the Red River Delta (North) and the Mekong Delta (South). The highest peak in Vietnam, located in the far north of the country, is Fan Si Pan which peaks at 3,143 m. 22% of the land is arable and 40% is forested.
Vietnam has 90 million inhabitants with an average density of 248 inhabitants/km2, which can reach up to 1000 inhabitants/km2 in the Red River delta region in the north of the country.
88% of the population is Vietnamese, 2% Chinese and 1.5% Khmer. Many ethnic minorities make up the rest of Vietnam’s population such as: Muong, Nung, Dao, Thai, Cham, Hmong and different ethnic groups living in the mountains.
The dominant religions are Buddhism (55% of the population) and Catholicism (8% to 10% of the population). Confucianism, Taoism, Hoa Hao, Muslis and Caodaism combined, representing around 35% of the population.
Vietnamese is the official language, but English is very widespread especially in the main cities and is increasingly common among young Vietnamese in big cities. Some people, especially the older ones, still speak French, while middle-aged people speak German and Russian. A guide is, however, highly recommended as language may prove to be a problem outside of the cities for people with no knowledge of Vietnamese.
Due to its long shape along the South China Sea, Vietnam has a very varied climate. Thus tourists can go to Vietnam all year round without really suffering from climatic disadvantages.
In the North: There are 4 very distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter. From November to March temperatures are cool and it can even be cold due to the humidity level, while it is around 30°C from April to October.
In the South: The difference between the two seasons, dry from November to May and rainy from June to October, is very clear. During the rainy season it usually only rains in the evening or very early in the morning. Temperatures are warm all year round.
Vietnam is located +7 hours from the Greenwich Mean Time. It is in the same time zone as Thailand.
Here are the official public holidays, among many religious holidays, specific to each province:
End of January beginning of February (1st to 7th day of the 1st lunar month): Tet Festival (Vietnamese New Year)
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