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Geography
The
Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a sovereign and reunified independent country,
has a high percentage of territorial waters. Looking at the map, Vietnam is
located in the centre of the Southeast Asia, and is shaped like the letter
"S". The country lies in the eastern part of the Indochina peninsula,
bordered by China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the East Sea
and Pacific Ocean to the southeast. Vietnam's coast line is 3,260 km long and
its inland border measures 3,730 km. The country's total length is 1,650 km from
the northernmost point to the southernmost point
Its
width, stretching from the eastern point to the western point is 600 km at the
widest point in the north, 400km in the south, and 50 km at the narrowest part
in the Quang Binh province on the central coast. Vietnam is also a transport
junction from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Climate
Vietnam
is located in both a tropical and a temperate zone. It is characterized by
strong monsoon influences, but has a considerable amount of sun, and a high rate
of rainfall and humidity. Regions located near the tropics or in the mountainous
regions are endowed with a temperate climate. The annual average temperature
ranges from 22șC to 27șC. In Hanoi, the average temperature is 23șC, in Ho
Chi Minh City it is 26șC, and in Hue it is 25șC. There are two distinguishable
seasons in the whole country, the cold season occurs from November to April and
the hot season occurs from May to October. The difference in temperature between
the two seasons in southern Vietnam is almost unnoticeable, averaging at 3șC.
The most noticeable variations are found in the northern provinces where
differences of 12șC have been observed. There are essentially four distinct
seasons, however, which are most evident in the northern provinces.
Topography
Three
quarters of Vietnam's territory consists of mountains and hills. Vietnam is
divided into four distinct mountainous zones.· The
Northeastern Zone (Viet Bac) This zone stretches from the Red River Valley to
the Gulf of Tonkin. The mountainous area of Viet Bac is scattered with famous
sights: Dong Nhat Grotto, Dong Nhi Grotto, and Tam Thanh Grotto in Lang Son
Province; Bac Bo Grotto and Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang; Ba Be Lake in Bac
Can; Yen Tu Mountain and Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh; and Tay Con Linh, the
highest mountain peak in the region reaching 2,341 meters above sea level.
The
North-western Zone This zone comprises of mountains that run from the north of
the Sino-Vietnamese Border to the west of Thanh Hoa Province. This magnificent
mountain range is nationally known for its resort town of Sapa in Lao Cai
Province, perched 1500 meters above sea level. Several ethnic groups such as the
H'mong, Dao, Kinh, Tay, Giay, Hoa, and Xa Pho still reside in this region. The
north-western zone is also famous for the historical site of Dien Bien Phu and
for its Fanxipang Mountain Peak which measures 3,143 meters above sea level.
The
North Truong Son Zone This zone runs from the western part of Thanh Hoa Province
to the Quang Nam-Da Nang Mountains. This region is known locally for its
picturesque Phong Nha Grotto and its two breathtaking passes, the Ngang Pass and
the Hai Van Pass. It is also known worldwide for being the location of the
legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail that was constructed in the great second war of
resistance.
The
South Truong Son Zone This zone is located on the western side of the south
central coast provinces. Behind these huge mountains are located a vast area of
red soil known locally as "Tay Nguyen" (the Central Highlands). There
are numerous legendary accounts of the flora and fauna and of the lives of
several different ethnic minorities living in the Central Highlands. Dalat is a
popular resort town in this part of Vietnam and was established during the 19th
century.Vietnam has two major deltas which are the Red River Delta in the north
and the Mekong River Delta in the south.
The
Red River Delta, or Northern Delta This region stretches for 15,000 sq.km. Over
the passage of time, deposits of alluvium that was carried from the Red River
and the Thai Binh River have accumulated to form the delta. The junction of the
two rivers was where the ancient Viet people settled. Since then, the wet rice
civilization was established.
The
Mekong River Delta, or Southern Delta This region is approximately 36,000 sq.
km. The land is very fertile and has favorable climate conditions for
agriculture. As a result, it is the largest rice growing region in Vietnam. The
waterways are a very convenient means of transport with major rivers like the
Red River in the north and the Mekong River in the south.Vietnam's coastline is
3,260 km long. If you get a chance to go along the coast of Vietnam, you can
enjoy the beautiful beaches of Tra Co, Sam Son, Lang Co, Non Nuoc, Nha Trang,
Vung Tau, or Ha Tien. In some places, you will see mountains jutting out to the
sea. One such magnificent place is Ha Long Bay, which has recently been listed
as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.Vietnam's coast has been awarded a series
of large sea ports such as the ones at Hai Phong, Da Nang, Qui Nhon, Cam Ranh,
Vung Tau, and Saigon. Offshore from Vietnam's mainland are thousands of islands
and islets lying scattered from north to south. Among the most popular tourist
destinations are Truong Sa and Hoang Sa Archipelagos.The forests of Vietnam
accounts for most of the total land area. National parks are preserved by the
state and follow a steady development plan. Some of the more famous national
parks that are spread throughout the country include: Ba Vi in Ha Tay, Cat Ba in
Hai Phong, Cuc Phuong in Ninh Binh, Bach Ma in Hue, and Cat Tien in Dong
Nai.Vietnam has a variety of mineral resources. Beneath the forests are valuable
minerals such as tin, zinc, silver, gold, antimony, precious stones, and coal.
Vietnam also has large deposits of oil and gas in its offshore islands and on
its land area.Vietnam also has abundant subterranean mineral water sources.
These are found at Quang Hanh in Quang Ninh, Hoi Van in Binh Dinh, Vinh Hao in
Binh Thuan, Duc My in Nha Trang, Kim Boi in Hoa Binh, Binh Chau in Vung Tau.
Village
Traditions
Vietnam
is endowed with a rich culture stemming from a wet rice civilization. Thus, the
traditions of the Vietnamese people are closely attached to their villages and
native lands. The definition for ' villages and native lands' are differently
termed in the spoken and written language of each ethnic group in Vietnam.
'Villages and native lands' are defined as Lang in the Vietnamese language,
Chieng in the Tay-Thai language, Ban in the Muong language, and Buon Play in the
languages of several other ethnic minority groups inhabiting the Central
Highlands. The Lang (village) is an extremely interwoven social organization. It
is not only an administrative organization, but an economic unit based on
sections of farmland. Farmers living in the same village are closely linked by
family, community, or business relations. Thus the habits, religious practices,
and festivals are all based on the origins of the village. Deep in the recesses
of every Vietnamese person's memory, there never fades the images of his or her
village. It may be a Banyan tree standing at the village front gate, bamboo
groves surrounding the village, deep water wells, the roof of the village
temple, a far away mountain peak, a nearby running river, paddy fields or the
joyous sounds of the bustling village.
Traditional
Village Festivals
Traditional
village festivals are important customs in the daily life of the Vietnamese
people. Village festivals are always held in the front yard of a village temple,
a pagoda, or the village long house. There are many popular regional and
national village festivals throughout the country. Visitors can go to the
Central Highlands to enjoy the festive atmosphere of a buffalo sacrifice
festival or to the port city of Haiphong to attend a buffalo fighting festival
in the Do Son seaside district.
At
the Quan Ho song festival in Bac Ninh, Ha Bac Province, boat races and water
puppet festivals are popular. Traditional music festivals featuring the classic
"tuong and cheo" and wrestling festivals commemorating national heroes
are but a few of the most common festivals.
Village
festivals demonstrate Vietnam's rich ancient history and its extensive folk
literature.Festivals are usually organized in the Spring when the harvests have
ended or when the rice transplanting season is complete. It is a time when
farmers can relax and enjoy a few days of festivities. There are hundreds of
such village festivals throughout Vietnam. In addition to regional village
festivals, there are also national festivals. These national festivals are Tet
Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year Festival), Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival), and
Tet Tao Quan (Kitchen God's Celestial Journey Festival).
Tet
Nguyen Dan
(The
Lunar New Year Festival)
To
the Vietnamese people, this festival is very sacred. The Tet season usually
falls on either the second half of the first lunar calendar month, or the
earliest days of the second lunar calendar month of the year. This is the time
when family members provide food, fruit, and incense offerings on family altars
to commemorate their ancestors. This is also the time for people to visit their
neighbors, friends and relatives.
During
the days of Tet, people enjoy traditional foods such as banh chung, a
square-shaped sticky rice cake; the fragrance alone would strongly provoke one's
sense of nostalgia for Tet.
During
the first three or four days of Tet, the first house guest to offer Tet
greetings would be considered the 'first visitor of the year' (xong dat). Their
luck is considered to have a strong effect on the homeowner's business success
for the coming year. The belief of xong dat remains very strong nowadays
especially among business people.
Village
Market
One
of the most interesting features of Vietnamese rural areas are the village
markets where agricultural products are usually exchanged or sold. These markets
operate on a fixed day, week, or month. In Mekong Delta Provinces, floating
markets are very popular as produce is carried on boats or junks. In mountainous
areas, village markets are also a place of entertainment where ethnic villagers
in colourful clothes gather to dance and sing folk songs to the sounds of a
flute.
Countryside
market
Most
of the communes in the Vietnamese countryside has a market place. The name of
the commune is often the name of the market. Such markets are often called
"Cho Que" (countryside market). There are two types of countryside
markets, a fair and an evening market. Fairs, however, are periodically held.
These fairs only occur on days with a 3 or 8 in them. For example, these markets
would only occur on the 3rd, 8th, 13th, 18th, 23rd, and 28th days of the lunar
month. Recently, the major fair markets have also opened up on Sunday. These
major markets always attract a lot of people. Apart from local products, we can
also find industrial and expensive commodities produced in other localities at
these markets. Evening markets (Cho Hom), however, attract fewer people as they
usually want to buy necessities only such as fruits, oil, salt, vegetables, and
food. Such markets normally gather in the afternoon and therefore are also known
as "afternoon markets" (Cho Chieu).
Highland
market
Markets
in the highland areas where large groups of ethnic minorities live are not only
places of vending and purchasing but also cultural gatherings.
People
may spend many days getting to the market just to be able to buy and sell
products.In these markets are multifaceted as people may play flutes, dance, and
sing. This is also a time to meet and make friends, and look for potential
lovers. These courting opportunities at the market are referred to as "Love
Markets" (Cho Tinh).
Floating
Market
Floating
markets ("Cho Noi") are a very interesting type of market that is
quite popular in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta Area. A floating market comes
together as thousands of boats gather to form a market. Trading activities take
place all day, but it is quite exciting in the morning as boats are loaded with
agricultural produce. These produce include various fresh fruits and special
foods such as rambutan, oranges, polemoes, mangosteen, durian, fresh-water
fishes, turtles, snakes, field crabs, and shrimps. At the "Cho Noi",
all trading activities take place in boats. Other food services may also take
place in boats. Big "Cho Noi" take place at Phung Hiep, Nga Bay, Phong
Dien, Cai Rang (in Can Tho), and Cai Be (in Tien Giang). Most agricultural
produce and fruits at "Cho Noi" are sold to wholesalers, who then
resell them to food processing factories or ship them to Hanoi and northern
provinces.
Tea
- An Indispensable Drink for the Vietnamese
As
you walk along the streets, somewhere near a lamp post, under the shade of a
tree, or next to a door, there is a low table with glass pots containing
different kinds of candies, roasted ground nuts, and sugar coated cakes. Usually
next to these treats, there is a humble tea cozy with a tray of cups. Around the
table are several small wooden stools. This is traditionally a complete
description of a make-shift tea shop which is a very popular part of Vietnamese
street life.
The
first sentence a customer will utter to the shop owner will invariably be,
"One cup of tea, please". The owner skillfully lifts the cap of the
tea cozy, takes out the tea pot, and then pours the hot tea into a small cup.
The owner then hands the cup of steaming tea to the customer. This drink is
considered indispensable to every inhabitant of the city. Tea is drunk every day
from the early morning until late at night. People drink tea at their homes, at
their work places, and even in tea shops on their way to and from work.
Whenever
the Vietnamese feel thirsty, they are likely to look for this drink. It is drunk
in both the summer and the winter months. In the winter, a sip of hot tea makes
you feel warm inside and better able to cope with the cold temperatures
outside.Unlike northerners, whose preference is for a cup of hot steamy tea,
people in the south like to drink their tea cold, tending to add ice cubes.
If
you pay a little more attention to the surroundings of the average tea table in
northern Vietnam, you will probably notice a very old-looking bamboo pipe
leaning against the edge of a table or kept inside a nearby wooden box. The pipe
is called dieu cay (tobacco water pipe), and it is said to be one of the typical
traits of the lifestyle in northern Vietnam. To make a dieu cay, a piece of
bamboo pipe up to 0.5 metres in length and an opening at one end is required. A
smaller wooden pipe is fixed at the other end and it is here that the tobacco is
placed. A smoker begins by rolling a small amount of tobacco into his hand
before placing it into the small wooden pipe. He then lifts the open end of the
bamboo pipe to his mouth and lights the tobacco with a burning bamboo stick
while smoking. During smoking, one can hear a merry noise inside the bamboo
pipe. This is caused by the water contained inside the pipe which is used to
filter the smoke. When the tobacco is completely burnt out, the smoker begins to
lean his head backwards and slowly exhale the smoke from his mouth in order to
appreciate the complete satisfaction and enjoyment that the smoke has to offer.
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