VIETNAM-FORWARD
Dear friends, I found the above QA in Quora very interestingand thought of forwarding Gopalakrishnan 3-2-2024 What are some of the mostinteresting/surprising facts about any country? Answer by Khanh Luu, Updated 7y Here are some interesting facts about my homecountry, Vietnam: 1. The country’s name is originally spelled as two words:Việt Nam. 2. The Vietnamese culture is a complex adaptation ofChinese, Japanese, French, and American influences thanks to its complicatedhistory 3. Vietnam’sstreet food culture is popular and Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiestcuisines in the world with its combination of fresh ingredients like freshherbs, seafood, fruits, and vegetables along with fish sauce, soy sauce, andrice. Probably because of its famous food culture, Vietnam has its own KitchenGod aka Ong Tao. According to legend, Ong Tao makes his appearance just beforethe Vietnamese New Year (Tet) festival. 4. Noodles are thesecond most popular food in Vietnam, after boiled rice. Of course, aside from Pho, there aremany other types of noodles in Vietnam. 5. TheVietnam War is known as the American War or the Resistance War Against Americain Vietnam. 6. Vietnam is one of only 10 countries in the worldwhich can be considered completelyfree from wars and conflicts in 2016 7. TheVietnamese language uses Latin alphabet in itswriting system since it was developed by Portuguese and French missionaries inthe 17th century and has been largely used since the Frenchcolonization. The language has 6 different tones and a change in tone changesthe meaning of the word. I am sure Vietnamese is much easier to write than mostof other Asian languages but be careful when you pronounce the words :) 8. Nguyễn (Nguyen) is the most common surname in the country.Around 40% of all Vietnamese people have this surname. 9. You cantravel from Porto (Portugal) to Saigon (Vietnam) solely by train. It’s one of the longesttrain rides in the world, approximately 17,000km and through over 11 countries. 10. Vietnamese traditional fashion is easilydistinguished by the flowing robes (Ao Dai) and conical hats (Non La). 11. Vietnam has aliteracy level of 94.5%despite being a developing country (in 2015). 12. Vietnam’sunemployment rate is approximately 2% in 2014, one of the lowest of all developing countries in theworld. 13. Rice terraces are planted that way to enable thecrop to grow along the steep mountainsides. 14. Fansipan, also known as The Roof of Indochina, is thehighest mountain peak in the region and stands at 3,143m. Now you can easily take the cablecar or opt for a trek to this peak. 15. Vietnam is home to the world’s largest cave, SonDoong. It is so huge that it has itsown river, jungle and climate and can even fit a 40 storey skyscraper.You sure wouldn’t want to be lost down there. There is only one tour company,Oxalis, which offers tours to Son Doong Cave, but I heard they usually have a6-month waiting list. 16. If you arein Vietnam, chances are you are already a millionaire (in Vietnam Dong). The largestdenomination is currently 500,000 Dong (~ 24 USD) :) 17. Lizard fishing is one of Vietnam’s most popularpastimes. It’s particularly prevalent in the South Central Coast region. 18. Motorbikes are the most common form of transport. E.g. Ho Chi Minh City is nowhome to 7.43 million motorbikes while its population is around 8 million in2016. 19. The Vietnamese wear helmets not to be safe on theroads but in order not to be fined by the police/traffic officers. 20. The tunnels of Cu Chi are a network of 250kmunderground pathways that were used as a military base for the VietCong soldiers in their resistance of American forces. If you visit Cu Chinowadays, not only you can explore the tunnels, but you also have a chance toshoot the real Vietnam War weapons like AK47 or M16 :) 21. The body of Vietnam’s first president, Ho ChiMinh (Uncle Ho), was embalmed, and is now on display in Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. 22. Vietnam’s flag consists of a golden star withfive points to represent farmers, workers, intellectuals, youth and soldiers. The red background paystribute to the bloodshed during the wars. Note that it has no connections withthe Chinese flag though they look similar. 23. Vietnam owns about 20% of the coffee marketshare, and is the second largest rice exporter in the world. The country isalso the largest exporter of cashew nuts and black pepper with one-third of theglobal production. 24. Ha Long Bayis of such scenic beauty that it was included as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, aswell as a UNESCO World Heritage Site 25. Hoi An Ancient Town, the famous attraction inVietnam, was actually a trading port from the 15th century that has endured upto date. 26. Water puppetry is one of the most popular Vietnameseart forms that date back as far as the 11th century. 27. Constructionstyles vary from traditional Vietnamese stilt houses and Chinese style pagodas tocolonial French architecture and thin tube houses. 28. In some mountainous areas e.g. Sa Pa, there is a“love market” festival that is observed to commemorate a tragic forbidden lovestory, and to give modern day young people a chance to meet their potentialsignificant others. It’s not something improper because it has been an uniqueand valuable aspect in the culture of the Mong and Dao ethnic groups for manycenturies. Many have become husbands and wives after this festival. Well,somehow it looks like a form of “speed dating” in Western countries :) 29. The Vietnameseare generally honest, friendly, helpful and always smile. Pro tip: A smile can get youout of many troubles in Vietnam. 30. There is no drinking age in Vietnam. This meanskids can drink as much as they want, but often, their parents will strictly forbid them todrink until they go to the university. Besides, alcohol is also prohibited inall schools and colleges. 31. Vietnam is probably home to the best and cheapestdraft beer, Bia Hoi. Literally, Bia Hoi means “fresh beer” because it is veryrefreshing, coming straight out of the keg. Surely Bia Hoi won’t leave you witha pounding hangover as it’s very light and the price is only ~25 cents/cup. Buthere you will enjoy it like a local: sitting in a tiny plastic chair, drinkingBia Hoi with your friends on the narrow alleys while watching the city’snightlife. It’s not rare if some locals say ‘Hello’, then invite you to jointheir mates for some rounds. Pro tip: it’s fastest way to make friends inVietnam. 32. Gambling in casino is illegal for Vietnamesecitizens, but not for foreigners. 33. In Vietnam, there is a fruit called ‘breast milk’. No, it’snot what you are thinking! It’sa real fruit and very sweet, actually. :) I hope you enjoy the answer! Update: Some newfacts have been added. I am glad that many Quorans have shared with me their experience in Vietnam.In case you are planning to visit Vietnam, here is something you might want toknow before taking the trip: If most people in the world are suffering fromnumerous pains, it is because they are neither ignorant nor are they wise.Theyare only semi-knowledgeable and half wise.They have little knowledge of theworld and yet they believe that know it all. Hence, they keep doing things for the sake ofhappiness and joy, but that brings them sufferings and pain. It is impossible tobe ignorant once you have acquired some knowledge.Hence, the only way to liveyour life fully is to become wise and live a virtuous life. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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