Rebecca Bergeman
ESL Instructor
El Camino College
Torrance, California
Facts
Full Name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Area: 127244 square miles (California: 155959 square miles)
Population: 87.1 million people (California: 37.3 million people)
Bordering Countries: Cambodia, China, and Laos
Life Expectancy: 72 years (USA: 78 years)
Languages: Vietnamese (75%), Tay (1.7%), Muong (1.3%), Khmer (1.2%),
Cantonese (0.99%) …
Facts (Continued)
Religions: Buddhism (49%), Ethnic Religions (9.8%), Christianity (8.7%)
Literacy: 90% (USA: 99%)
Largest Cities: Ho Chi Minh City (5.9 million), Hanoi (2.6 million)
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND) (20000VND ~ $1.10)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (California: 12.4%, USA: 9.8%)
Geography
The Eight Regions of Vietnam
1.  Northwest: Tay Bac
2.  Northeast: Dong Bac
3.  River Delta: Dong Bang Song Hong
4.  North Central Coast: Bac Trung Bo
5.  South Central Coast: Nam Trung Bo
6.  Central highlands: Tay Nguyen
7.  Southeast: Dong Nam Bo
8.  Mekong River Delta: Dong Bang Song
Cuu Long
Red River Delta
• Northern Vietnam’s Largest River
• Begins in China’s Yunnan Province and
Ends at the Gulf of Tonkin
• Rich in Iron Oxide, Making the Water Red
• 15 Million People Reside Around the
Delta
• Rice is the Main Crop
• Villages Known for Crafts – Sold in Hanoi
Mekong Delta
•  4.220 km long ~ the 12th biggest river in the
world.
•  It is divided by a tangle of rivers and channels,
flowing into the East Sea via 9 river mouths.
•  The region’s population is 17,178, 871.
• The four main ethnic groups are the Kinh
(Vietnamese), the Khmer, the Chinese, and the
Cham.
•  The region is excellent for growing rice and
fruit.
•  Floating markets can be seen throughout the
Delta.
Floating Market: Mekong Delta
Ethnic Minorities of Vietnam
  54 Ethnic Groups
  90% Kinh (Vietnamese)
Majority
  Other Main Groups: Chinese,
Muong, Thai, Khmer, Lolo, Cham
Pre-Dynasty History
• During the Bronze Age (between 2000 – 771 BC), Viet tribes settled down in the
North and in the north of Central Vietnam
• There were about 15 groups of Lac Viet in the northern highland and delta, and about
12 groups of Au Viet living in the northern region of Vietnam.
• Another tribe living in the area, the
Van Lang, was very strong and the
leader of this tribe joined all the tribes
together creating the Van Lang Nation.
The Nation was ruled by the King
Hung.
Pre-Dynasty History (continued)
For over 1000 years, starting with
the Han invasion in 111B.C. and
ending with the defeat of the
Southern Han in 938A.D., Vietnam
was forcefully integrated into the
state of China.
Pre-Dynasty History (continued)
•  In 40 – 43 AD, the Trung Sisters defeat the Chinese Han Dynasty, briefly.
• In 207, China invaded Au Lac country and dominated for seven centuries. They divided
the country into administrative regions.
• In 225 – 248 AD, Lady Trieu (Trieu Thi Trinh) leads a revolt against the Chinese Wu
Kingdom.
Pre-Dynasty History (continued)
• In 938, Chinese domination ended after a war, led by Ngo Quyen at the Bach Dang
River.
Vietnamese Dynasties
Ngo (939 – 965)
Dinh (968 – 979)
Tien Le (980 – 1009)
Ly (1009 – 1225)
Tran (1225 – 1400)
Ho (1400 – 1407)
Le (1428 – 1789)
Tay Son (1778 – 1802)
Nguyen (1802 – 1945)
Ngo Dynasty (939 – 965)
Ngo Quyen defeated the Han fleet at
the Battle of Bach Dang River,
ending the period of Chinese imperial
domination. In 944, 12 warlords
divided the country among
themselves and began to fight one
another.
Dinh Dynasty (968 – 979)
In 967, Dinh Bo Linh defeated the
12 warlords and unified the country.
He named the country Dai Co Viet.
The murder of Dinh Bo Linh in 979
brought a six-year-old child to the
throne. The child’s reign ended with
the coming of China’s Sung army.
Tien Le Dynasty (980 – 1009)
General Le Hoan defeated the
Sung army and conquered the
capital of the Kingdom of
Champa.
Ly Dynasty ( 1009 – 1225)
In 1010, Ly Thai To made
Hanoi the capital. In 1054, his
successor, Ly Thanh Ton,
renamed the country Dai Viet.
Tran Dynasty (1225 – 1400)
Overall, this period was peaceful, so
development of art, literature, and
crafts flourished. Trading began with
China and Japan. Nom script was
created. Tran Hung Do wrote a
handbook on military tactics, trained
officers and later overcame the
Mongols.
Ho Dynasty (1400 – 1407)
Ho Quy Ly banned bronze coins and
had paper money issued. He had a new
population census conducted for troop
recruitment and to build projects for
national defense. The country’s name
changed again to Dai Ngu, meaning
‘peace’ in the ancient language.
Le Dynasty (1428 – 1789)
In 1428, Le Loi changed the name
back to Dai Viet. The Le paid great
attention to the development of
agriculture. Le Loi abolished the
paper currency and ordered the use
of copper coins. The rights of
women were protected.
Tay Son Dynasty (1778 – 1802)
Three brother from the Tay Son
village Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Lu,
and Nguyen Hue let the Tay Son
revolution against the Nguyen In
1802 Nguyen Anh, supported by the
French, defeated Tay Son.
Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945)
1802: Country’s name changed to Viet Nam, meaning “Viet people
from the south.”
1887: France conquered Vietnam.
1940: Japan invaded Vietnam. The Viet
Minh (headed by Ho Chi Minh) fought
against Japan.
1945: Japan overpowers France and
declares Vietnam independent under
Japanese protection.
After World War II: France allowed back
in Vietnam but were defeated in 1954 by
the Viet Minh.
Emperor Nguyen Bao-Dai was asked to
step down. He became the supreme
counselor to the new government.
In 1945, President Ho Chi Minh
proclaimed the nation’s independence and
named the country Democratic Republic of
Vietnam.
Vietnam War
1950s - 1975
No. VN Army
(People’s Army of VN)
So. VN Government
+
USA
So. Communist
National Liberal
Front (Viet Cong)
•  58,000 American Casualties and 3 Million Vietnamese Casualties
•  Between 1978 – 1981, 1 million “Boat People” fled across the South China
Sea for freedom and safety. Half died of hunger, disease, and assault by
pirates.
Reunification Palace - Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975
Home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam
during the Vietnam War. This is the site of the end of the
Vietnam War when a North Vietnamese army tank crashed
through its gates.
Cambodian – Vietnamese War
(1975 – 1989)
• Khmer Rouge deposed
Sino – Vietnamese War
(February – March 1979)
• Vietnam “punished” for
Cambodian invasion
Government and Politics
Important Milestones
•  1975 End of the Ant-American War, National Reunification
•  1976 The Democratic Republic of Vietnam Renamed the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam
•  1992 New Constitution of 1992
•  1995 Admission of Vietnam into the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN)
•  1995 Normalization of Diplomatic Relation with the USA
•  2000 US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement
•  2006 Vietnam Becomes the 150th Member of WTO
Political Structure
National Assembly
•  Has Power to change the Constitution
•  Appoints President (Head of State)
•  Appoints Prime Minister (Head of Government)
• Appoints Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
• Appoints the Head of the Supreme People’s Office of
Supervision and Inspection
Communist Party of Vietnam
•  Is the Only Legal Political Party
•  Is based on Marxist-Leninist Communist Party and
Supported by the Vietnamese Fatherland Front
•  Greatly Influences the Executive Cabinet by Having
Many Members on the Central Committee
•  Meets Every Five Years to Formulate Policies
Socio-Economic Data
Groups Getting Permanent Assistance
• People with meritorious services to the revolution:
1,122, 451 (2009)
• People contaminated with dioxin/agent orange during the war:
89,774 (2009)
• Fallen heroes’ families: 402,490 (2009)
• The elderly living alone without support: (591, 563)
• Severely disabled people: 487,384 (2007)
• Orphans: 51,939 (2007)
Current Problem in Social Welfare and Development
Health Insurance Coverage in Vietnam
In 1993, only 5.3% of the Vietnamese
Sources of Health Care
Financing, 2006
population had health insurance
coverage. By the end of 2007, 42% of
the population was covered. The
biggest increase was seen in the poor
and disabled.
Household
Out-ofPocket
State
Budget
Donors
Problem
The cost of health care is not evenly
divided, yet.
Health
Insurance
Environmental Concerns
•  Vietnam War
•  Deforestation
•  Over farming
•  Construction of
Hydroelectric Dams in China
(13% of drought comes from
China)
• Electric Power Lines
Transportation
• In 2009, Vietnam reported 11,500
traffic-related deaths
• Traffic and helmet laws are not
being followed
Motorcycles – three up
Spider’s nest of cables, wires
View the intersection
From the window
Several stories up
Van and bus windows, up
Protection from the smog
Of motorcycles revved up
And geared down,
Protection for the young
Who have yet to grow up
And discover all that goes up
Must come down
Veita Jo Hampton, Windows to Vietnam
The Paracel and Spratly Islands
 Spratly Islands: Disputes with
China, Malaysia, the Philippines,
and Taiwan
 Paracel Islands: Occupied by
China. Also claimed by Vietnam
and Taiwan
  The waters around these islands
are rich in oil, natural gas, and
mineral deposits
Vietnamese
The Six Tones
Middle Tone
Rising Tone
Falling Tone
Low, Rising Tone
High, Broken Tone
Low, Broken Tone
ma (ghost)
má (mother)
mà (but)
mả (tomb)
mã (horse)
mạ (rice seedling)
• There are 6 distinct tones per vowel, and
72 possible combinations of tones.
Possible Vowel/Tone Combinations
Religion
Citizens today adopt Western habits in
Clothing, jeans, t-shirts, baseball caps,
Tennis shoes, zippered windbreakers,
Bleached hair, pierced parts
Slacks, sandals or flip-flops lured into that
Western Shrine of chicken and fries to honor
The white, bearded face of a mysterious Kentucky
Colonel
Of fast, fried-fowl restaurants that even here
Occupy a prime space
On a corner of the intersection
Midtown among the motorcycles
Where all may look up to admire
A Buddhist Temple, a Cao Dai Monastery, or,
There? The Holy Mary Mother of Christ.
Veita Jo Hampton, Windows to Vietnam
Customs and Traditions
Betel and Areca
Chewing cuts of betel and areca nut
makes the mouth fragrant, decreases bad
tempers, and makes digesting food easy.
The tradition is seen at wedding
ceremonies.
The Ancestral Alter
The Most Respected Place in the Home
•  The alter is cleaned and decorated to welcome ancestors into
the home for the New Year. Some families do this on the
anniversaries of ancestors’ deaths.
• The eldest son maintains the alter in his home.
Wedding Ceremony
Depending on specific ethnic groups,
marriage includes various steps, but
generally there are two main ceremonies:
Le an hoi and Le Cuoi.
Le an hoi (betrothal ceremony)
The groom and his family visit the bride
and her family with round lacquered boxes
filled with areca nuts and betel leaves, tea,
cakes, fruit, wine, and other delicacies
covered with red cloth and carried by
unmarried girls or boys. Families pick a
good wedding day.
Le cuoi (wedding ceremony)
The couple prays before the later asking
their ancestors for permission. Then, they
thank both groom’s and bride’s parents for
raising and protecting them. Guests share
their joy in a party later.
Funeral Ceremony
Modern Funerals
• The dead body is covered and put into the coffin.
• There is a funeral procession.
• The coffin is placed into the grave.
• The family visits the tomb.
• The deceased person’s family members wear a white turban or a black
mourning band.
• Some families, depending on their beliefs, have their deceased cremated.
Traditional Clothing
Arts and Crafts
Pottery
Cultured Pearls
Silk
Lacquer Painting
Music
Dan Nhi
Two-String Fiddle
• Influences: China, India,
religious Missionaries, and
Ho Chi Minh
• Problems with modern
music and tonality
Dan Nguyet
Two-String Guitar
Sao Truc
Bamboo Flute
Dan Ty Ba
Four String Guitar
Dan Tranh
16-String Zither
Dan Tam –
Three-String Lute
Trong Com
Rice Drum
Water Puppet Show
Vietnamese
Food
Some Regional Fruit
Durian
Jackfruit
Rambutan
Longan
Mangosteen
Dragon
Fruit
Day and Night Market
Thank You – Xin Cám Ơn