{"id":10230,"date":"2016-04-05T19:06:41","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T19:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onemoredestination.com\/10-facts-you-didnt-know-about-vietnam\/"},"modified":"2016-04-05T19:06:41","modified_gmt":"2016-04-05T19:06:41","slug":"10-facts-you-didnt-know-about-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onemoredestination.com\/en\/10-facts-you-didnt-know-about-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s possible that anyone who has traveled to Vietnam will find more than 10 curious facts<\/strong> within just the first half hour of their stay. Well, I have to say that after 3 years living in Hanoi, I confirm that many things about the country continue to surprise. <\/p>\n

List of Curious Facts About Vietnam<\/h2>\n

Here is my selection of facts that have personally surprised me the most, either from experiencing them firsthand or from the sheer surprise of the information itself:<\/p>\n

#1. – Traditional Vietnamese Attire<\/h3>\n

The traditional Vietnamese dress is the Ao Dai<\/strong>, worn by women for any special occasion or even as a uniform. It is a truly elegant, fitted silk pant-dress. It is very striking, but there is another garment that draws even more attention:<\/strong> pajamas. You can find people in pajamas on the street, in a shopping mall, or at the supermarket. Any place is suitable for showing off a nice pair of pajamas with bears or hearts… Fortunately for the eye, this tradition is slowly changing. We’ll stick with the Ao Dai. <\/p>\n

#2. – Traffic in Vietnam<\/h3>\n

It might sound like a repetitive comment, but the issue of traffic and motorbikes is something that surprises everyone<\/strong> when they travel to Vietnam. It is the country with the most motorbikes in the world, with over 1.5 motorbikes per inhabitant. This totals 150 million motorbikes across the country. Considering that everyone leaves home at the same time and returns at the same time, 8 AM and 6 PM turn the streets into an asphalt inferno. Furthermore, in recent years, purchasing power has been growing at a disproportionate rate, and the newly wealthy are opting to buy the “bigger the better” car models, which complicates traffic even further. <\/p>\n

#3. – The Language of Vietnam<\/h3>\n

Experts say that Vietnamese is one of the most complicated languages in the world<\/strong>. I can’t compare much, but I can attest that it is very difficult. Not so much because of the grammar, which is practically non-existent, but because of the pronunciation. In a monosyllabic language with 6 different tones, most of which are imperceptible to Westerners, it is difficult to communicate without making mistakes, as the same written word can have up to 6 different meanings<\/strong> depending on the tone used… <\/p>\n

#4. – What Alphabet is its Writing Based On?<\/h3>\n

Fortunately, writing is currently based on the Latin alphabet. But this has not always been the case. “Chu Nom,” based on basic Chinese writing characters,<\/strong> was used in Vietnam until 1920 when it was definitively replaced. <\/p>\n

#5. – Vietnamese Surnames<\/h3>\n

Almost half of the population in Vietnam shares the same surname. Nguyen is the fourth most common surname in the world<\/strong>, only behind the Chinese Lee, Wang, and Zhang. And it’s remarkable because it is used exclusively in Vietnam. This unique surname comes from the era of the Nguyen dynasty emperors who ruled from 1802 to 1945. It is practically impossible to travel through Vietnam without meeting someone with this illustrious family root. <\/p>\n

#6. – What Does the Word Vietnam Mean?<\/h3>\n

The term Vietnam originates from the combination<\/strong> of the words Viet<\/strong>, meaning “quiet people,” and Nam<\/strong>, which translates to “of the south.” Thus, the ancient Chinese empire used the term Vietnam to refer to the area where the quiet and peaceful people lived in the south. But Vietnam has not always been known by this name. The first recorded name was Van Lang, for over 2600 years. After that, up to 7 different names have referred to present-day Vietnam. The last, Annam, originating from China, was the name used by French colonists for over a century until the declaration of independence in 1945, when the name Vietnam, which predated the French invasion, was definitively adopted. <\/p>\n

#7. – The Curious Way of Asking if You’ve Eaten<\/h3>\n

Everyone knows that rice is the staple food in Asia. Vietnam is no exception, though in its case, it goes a step further and integrates it into the language. The question “Have you eaten yet?” literally translates to “Have you eaten rice yet?” and is used at any time of day. This is one of the many curiosities the language offers, although I don’t agree with the sole reference to rice, as Vietnam offers a great variety and excellent quality. <\/p>\n

#8. – A Country Without Shame<\/h3>\n

The motto “Same same but different”<\/strong> is widespread throughout the country and other neighboring Asian countries. In Vietnam, absolutely everything is counterfeited without shame. The big difference compared to other countries is that here they put all their effort into making it look original at first glance, which makes it difficult to detect the trick. Books, bags, clothes, mobile phones… everything is copied. Sometimes the gamble can pay off. Moreover, the price makes you seriously consider buying it because, even if it only lasts 2 days, it didn’t cost that much. <\/p>\n

#9. – The Leader, Ho Chi Minh<\/h3>\n

Ho Chi Minh,<\/strong> the leader of the country’s most important revolution, named by UNESCO as a Hero of National Liberation and a World Cultural Celebrity, was not always known by that name. “Uncle Ho,” as he is known in Vietnam, used more than 15 different names and pseudonyms throughout his life<\/strong>, depending on the moment, the work, or the political situation in the country. To this day, this list is not considered complete, and information from writings continues to be compiled to determine the total number of identities held by the acclaimed founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Fatherland of Vietnam, and the People’s Army. For those unfamiliar, here I present Uncle Ho: <\/p>\n

#10. – The Term “Vietcong”<\/h3>\n

Used during the war against the US, it was a term coined by the CIA to refer to the Viet Minh guerrilla fighters<\/strong>, the National Liberation Front of Vietnam. The NATO phonetic code for Viet Cong is VC, referred to as Victor Charlie. This is where the famous reference “Charlie” for Vietnamese people in general comes from. <\/p>\n

That concludes our list of curious facts about Vietnam. We have much more interesting information to offer you, so in upcoming posts, we will provide more curious facts about this incredible Southeast Asian country. <\/p>\n

Did you like the article? Subscribe and don’t forget to join our Facebook community.<\/strong> You can also find out about the basic tips before traveling to Vietnam<\/a>, a great compilation of our articles to prepare your trip to Vietnam<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s possible that anyone who has traveled to Vietnam will find more than 10 curious facts within just the first half hour of their stay. Well, I have to say that… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vietnam"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n10 Facts You Most Likely Didn't Know About Vietnam<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you want to learn more about Vietnam and its people? 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