History UsefulNotes / Vietnam

** National Assembly Chairman: Vương Đình Huệ

** President: Võ Văn Thưởng

* '''Area:''' 331,699 km
(128,070 sq mi) (66th)

[[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Vietnam has a special place for]] UsefulNotes/KoreanWave. Aside from KDrama, as mentioned earlier, just about any media made by Koreans is readily eaten up by their fans at a breakneck speed. Saying that [[KoreanPopMusic K-pop]] is popular there is an {{understatement}} -- K-pop is a whole phenomenon. Music/{{BTS}}, Music/RedVelvet and Music/{{Blackpink}}'s music are beloved by thousands and often played in [[BreadEggsMilkSquick schools, parks, toilets, government buildings]], etc. One might say Vietnam's love for K-pop is so enormous that their fans would go apeshit. [[https://cdn.phunuvagiadinh.vn/nguyensang/auto/30_7_2021/thanh-ngoac-mom-nhe-rang-cuong-kpop-noi-hon-sao-chau-a-khoc-tuc-tuoi-o-san-bay-tung-khung-hoang-ai-xem-hinh-that-la-choang2-2021-07-30-10-25.jpeg One such example is this]] [[Music/TAra T-ara]] fanboy whose face went from zero to [[ChewingTheScenery scenery-chewing]] upon having heard about T-ara's upcoming tour in Vietnam. That guy later [[MemeticMutation became a meme in his homecountry]].

Vietnam is a secular country -- most of the time. Making it an oddball compared to other Southeast Asian countries which are very religious. This is phenomena is likely in part due to it's status as part of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinosphere Sinosphere]] in addition to Southeast Asia, as the countries that make up the former are also known for being fairly secular as well. Approximately 3/4 of the population is either irreligious or practice folk religion. The most popular religions in the country are Buddhism and Christianity. As a Southeast Asian, you might be asking, "are any Muslims?" Well, behold the Chams -- the only ethnic group in Vietnam who are predominantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslims]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer You heard that right]]. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, Islam is considered an "alien" foreign religion here[[note]]Christianity is also seen as a "foreign religion", but at least it has quite a long history in Vietnam, so much so that it's influence still lingers in Vietnamese society. How so? The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is one of the famous landmarks of Vietnam, on par with the Temple of Literature and Ha Long Bay.[[/note]]. And as if this wasn't bizarre enough, not all Muslim Chams are the same -- the ones living in Central Southern Vietnam -- called "Cham Bani" -- practice Shi'a Islam while also adhering to many pre-Islamic traditions[[note]]There was a case when some Chams worshipped Ali and not God (something that is blasphemous in Islam, even among Shi'ites), until Muslims from other SEA countries visited their village and told them to worship Allah instead[[/note]], whereas the ones living in southwestern provinces practices mainstream Sunni Islam. The Chams speak an Austronesian language that is closely related to languages in Indonesia and Malaysia, and their culture almost resembles Indonesia. To the point that if you tried taking a few images of a Cham village, remove every Vietnamese text in the images; people would certainly mistake the village for an Indonesian one.

Anyway, after the War, Vietnam [[PyrricVictory was still screwed]]. Massive economic problems followed the collectivization of farms and factories (the communist state took over private ownership of them and declared they belonged to the State, without appropriate repayment). Of course, the rationing of food and goods were followed, since people got the same amount of stuff however hard they worked, they couldn't be bothered to work anymore. Those who remained working produced useless goods that people never wanted to pay for, and inflation followed like a tornado into the '''''TRIPLE-DIGIT'''''. There was also humanitarian problems, with the communists trying to prosecute those who supported the previous government. Massive numbers of people fled the country in crudely built boats, becoming the Vietnamese Boat People that are distributed around Australia, United States and other countries today.

Vietnam is a secular country -- most of the time. Making it an oddball compared to other Southeast Asian countries which are very religious. Approximately 3/4 of the population is either irreligious or practice folk religion. The most popular religions in the country are Buddhism and Christianity. As a Southeast Asian, you might be asking, "are any Muslims?" Well, behold the Chams -- the only ethnic group in Vietnam who are predominantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslims]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer You heard that right]]. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, Islam is considered an "alien" foreign religion here[[note]]Christianity is also seen as a "foreign religion", but at least it has quite a long history in Vietnam, so much so that it's influence still lingers in Vietnamese society. How so? The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is one of the famous landmarks of Vietnam, on par with the Temple of Literature and Ha Long Bay.[[/note]]. And as if this wasn't bizarre enough, not all Muslim Chams are the same -- the ones living in Central Southern Vietnam -- called "Cham Bani" -- practice Shi'a Islam while also adhering to many pre-Islamic traditions[[note]]There was a case when some Chams worshipped Ali and not God (something that is blasphemous in Islam, even among Shi'ites), until Muslims from other SEA countries visited their village and told them to worship Allah instead[[/note]], whereas the ones living in southwestern provinces practices mainstream Sunni Islam. The Chams speak an Austronesian language that is closely related to languages in Indonesia and Malaysia, and their culture almost resembles Indonesia. To the point that if you tried taking a few images of a Cham village, remove every Vietnamese text in the images; people would certainly mistake the village for an Indonesian one.

* Examples of Vietnamese films:
** Vũ Ngọc Đãng's Film/LostInParadise, or ''Hot Boy Nổi Loạn và Câu Chuyện Về Thằng Cười, Cô Gái Điếm Và Con Vịt''.
** The 2007 martial arts period piece, ''The Rebel'' or ''Dòng Máu Anh Hùng''.
** Historical epic ''Film/ThePrinceAndThePagodaBoy''.
** Vietnamese-made {{wuxia}} movie ''Film/SwordOfTheAssassin''.
** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tran_Anh_Hung Tran Anh Hung]]'s Vietnam Trilogy
** The 2019 martial arts film ''Hai Phượng'', released internationally as ''{{Film/Furie}}''. It broke the record for the highest grossing Vietnamese film in history.
* French movies like ''Film/{{Indochine}}'' and ''L'Amant'' that take place in early 20th century Vietnam i.e. the colonial era.

* A lot of movies from Vietnam that you have probably never heard of

In the mid-nineteenth century, the French invaded. The Nguyễn's control was gradually eroded eventually until after a series of fighting, France took control of Vietnam and [[UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}} surrounding]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Laos}} countries]] to establish French Indochina. It began to westernize the country, establishing French as the official language in education and government, and gradually replacing the old Chinese-like ''Nôm'' writing system with the alphabet as seen today. It established a plantation economy that would exist until today, with focus on rubber, tobacco, tea, coffee... Waves of nationalist movements emerged, with leaders usually who studied in foreign countries and came back to push for political freedom. However, resistances were quickly broken, and the French maintained control over Vietnam...

Japanese media is another mainstay in Vietnam -- with mangas being regularly sold in mom-and-pop bookstores and latest animes made available on local streaming platforms e.g. Vietnam's localised version of Creator/{{Netflix}}. Much of the West is generally crazy about ''Franchise/DragonBall'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', but in Vietnam, their influences are pretty much as big as a baby's fist when compared to giants like ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' and ''Manga/CaseClosed'' (known as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Detective Conan]]''). ''Doraemon'', in particular, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is a whole phenomenon]]. The manga set foot on Vietnamese shores in '92 -- about a good 6 years after the country's economic reform -- and became hot selling overnight. Its publisher Shogakukan [[ScrewedByTheLawyers wasn't thrilled by this]], but after seeing [[RefugeInAudacity the enormous sale there]], they went "screw it" and gave the local publisher the right to publish ''Doraemon'' (and also established a scholarship foundation called "Doraemon Scholarship Fund"), and the rest is history. ''Doraemon'''s success in Vietnam is no understatement here -- according to a news article, by 2006 over 40 million copies were sold, and there's a vibrant community who create [[RuleOfFunny silly and hilarious]] RemixComic[=s=] based on the manga, in which the main cast become either [[WorldOfJerkass jerks]] or [[AdaptationalDumbass dumbasses]] DependingOnTheWriter.

Japanese media is another mainstay in Vietnam -- with mangas being regularly sold in mom-and-pop bookstores and latest animes made available on local streaming platforms e.g. Vietnam's localised version of Creator/{{Netflix}}. Much of the West is generally crazy about ''Franchise/DragonBall'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', but in Vietnam, their influences are pretty much as big as a baby's fist when compared to giants like ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' and ''Manga/{{CaseClosed}}'' (known as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Detective Conan]]''). ''Doraemon'', in particular, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is a whole phenomenon]]. The manga set foot on Vietnamese shores in '92 -- about a good 6 years after the country's economic reform -- and became hot selling overnight. Its publisher Shogakukan [[ScrewedByTheLawyers wasn't thrilled by this]], but after seeing [[RefugeInAudacity the enormous sale there]], they went "screw it" and gave the local publisher the right to publish ''Doraemon'' (and also established a scholarship foundation called "Doraemon Scholarship Fund"), and the rest is history. ''Doraemon'''s success in Vietnam is no understatement here -- according to a news article, by 2006 over 40 million copies were sold, and there's a vibrant community who create [[RuleOfFunny silly and hilarious]] RemixComic[=s=] based on the manga, in which the main cast become either [[WorldOfJerkass jerks]] or [[AdaptationalDumbass dumbasses]] DependingOnTheWriter.

Japanese media is another mainstay in Vietnam -- with mangas being regularly sold in mom-and-pop bookstores and latest animes made available on local streaming platforms e.g. Vietnam's localised version of Creator/{{Netflix}}. Much of the West is generally crazy about ''Franchise/DragonBall'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', but in Vietnam, their influences are pretty much as big as a baby's fist when compared to giants like ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' and ''Manga/{{CaseClosed}}'' (known as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Detective Conan]]''). ''Doraemon'', in particular, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is a whole phenomenon]]. The manga set foot on Vietnamese shores in '92 -- about a good 6 years after the country's economic reform -- and became hot selling overnight. The manga's publisher Shogakukan [[ScrewedByTheLawyers wasn't thrilled by this]], but after seeing [[RefugeInAudacity the enormous sale there]], they went "screw it" and gave the local publisher the rights to publish ''Doraemon'' (and also established a scholarship foundation called "Doraemon Scholarship Fund"), and the rest is history.

Japanese media is another mainstay in Vietnam -- with mangas being regularly sold in mom-and-pop bookstores and latest animes made available on local streaming platforms e.g. Vietnam's localised version of Creator/{{Netflix}}. Much of the West is generally crazy about ''Franchise/DragonBall'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', but in Vietnam, their influences are pretty much as big as a baby's fist when compared to giants like ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' and ''Manga/{{CaseClosed}}'' (known as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Detective Conan]]''). ''Doraemon'', in particular, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is a whole phenomenon]]. The manga set foot on Vietnamese shores in '92 -- about a good 6 years after the country's economic reform -- and became hot selling overnight. The manga's publisher Shogakukan [[ScrewedByTheLawyers weren't thrilled by this]], but after seeing [[RefugeInAudacity the enormous sale there]],

Japanese media is another mainstay in Vietnam -- with mangas being regularly sold in mom-and-pop bookstores and latest animes made available on local streaming platforms e.g. Vietnam's localised version of Creator/{{Netflix}}. Much of the West is generally crazy about ''Franchise/DragonBall'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', but in Vietnam, their influences are pretty much as big as a baby's fist when compared to giants like ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' and ''Manga/{{CaseClosed}}'' (known as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Detective Conan]]'').

Japanese media is another mainstay in Vietnam -- with mangas being regularly sold in mom-and-pop bookstores and latest animes made available on local streaming platforms e.g. Vietnam's localised version of Website/{{Netflix}}. Much of the West is generally crazy about ''Franchise/DragonBall'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', but in Vietnam, their influences are pretty much as big as a baby's fist when compared to giants like ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' and ''Manga/{{CaseClosed}}''

[[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Vietnam has a special place for]] UsefulNotes/KoreanWave. Aside from KDrama, as mentioned earlier, just about any media made by Koreans is readily eaten up by their fans at a breakneck speed. Saying that [[KoreanPopMusic K-pop]] is popular there is an {{understatement}} -- K-pop is a whole phenomenon. Music/{{BTS}}, Music/RedVelvet and Music/{{Blackpink}}'s music are beloved by thousands and often played in [[BreadEggsMilkSquick schools, parks, toilets, government buildings]], etc. One might say Vietnam's love for K-pop is so enormous that their fans would go apeshit. [[https://cdn.phunuvagiadinh.vn/nguyensang/auto/30_7_2021/thanh-ngoac-mom-nhe-rang-cuong-kpop-noi-hon-sao-chau-a-khoc-tuc-tuoi-o-san-bay-tung-khung-hoang-ai-xem-hinh-that-la-choang2-2021-07-30-10-25.jpeg One such example is this]] [[Music/TAra T-ara]] fanboy whose face went from zero to [[ChewingTheScenery scenery-chewing]] upon having heard about T-ara's upcoming tour in Vietnam. That guy later [[MemeticMutation became a meme in his homecountry]], and to this day [[NeverLiveItDown is still known for his scenery-chewing face back in those days]].

Vietnam is a secular country -- most of the time, making it an oddball compared to other Southeast Asian countries which are very religious. Approximately 3/4 of the population is either irreligious or practice folk religion. The most popular religions in the country are Buddhism and Christianity. As a Southeast Asian, you might be asking, "are any Muslims?" Well, behold the Chams -- the only ethnic group in Vietnam who are predominantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslims]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer You heard that right]]. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, Islam is considered an "alien" foreign religion here[[note]]Christianity is also seen as a "foreign religion", but at least it has quite a long history in Vietnam, so much so that it's influence still lingers in Vietnamese society. How so? The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is one of the famous landmarks of Vietnam, on par with the Temple of Literature and Ha Long Bay.[[/note]]. And as if this wasn't bizarre enough, not all Muslim Chams are the same -- the ones living in Central Southern Vietnam -- called "Cham Bani" -- tend to maintain pre-Islam traditions[[note]]There was a case when those Chams worshipped Ali and not Allah (something that is blasphemous in Islam, even among Shi'ites), until some Muslims from other SEA countries visited their village and told them to worship Allah instead[[/note]], whereas the ones living in southwestern provinces practices mainstream Sunni Islam. The Chams speak an Austronesian language that is closely related to languages in Indonesia and Malaysia, and their culture almost resembles Indonesia. To the point that if you tried taking a few images of a Cham village, remove every Vietnamese text in the images; people would certainly mistake the village for an Indonesian one.

* Ho Chi Minh (Hồ Chí Minh), a very controversial figure in modern Vietnamese history depending on who you talk to. A RealLife example of a TragicHero with a TragicDream.[[note]]Although he [[WellIntentionedExtremist resorted to communism to fight the French]], it kind of worked. So maybe he was [[TheExtremistWasRight partly right]]. Should be noted that no one else was willing to help his country aside from the Soviet Union and later Communist China. All he ever wanted was the independence of Vietnam from western imperialists, and it showed in his ascetic lifestyle (the man lived in a small wood house after becoming the leader of North Vietnam and specifically requested to be cremated so his funeral wouldn't cost his people anything). Can be considered the OnlySaneMan of Communist Vietnam. Sadly, he is now a mummy, not unlike Lenin, used for propaganda. The biggest {{irony}} is he viewed the United States as the perfect nation that all nations should emulate.[[/note]]

Anyway, after the War, Vietnam was still screwed. Massive economic problems followed the collectivization of farms and factories (the communist state took over private ownership of them and declared they belonged to the State, without appropriate repayment). Of course, the rationing of food and goods were followed, since people got the same amount of stuff however hard they worked, they couldn't be bothered to work anymore. Those who remained working produced useless goods that people never wanted to pay for, and inflation followed like a tornado, '''''TRIPLE-DIGIT'''''. There was also humanitarian problems, with the communists trying to prosecute those who supported the previous government. Anyway, massive number of people fled the country in crudely built boats, becoming the Vietnamese Boat People that are distributed around Australia, United States and other countries today.

There were also periods of war. The Khmer Rouge massacred quite a lot of Vietnamese and razed the villages bordering them. In 1978, it removed the Khmer Rouge from power and ruled over Cambodia until 1989. China wasn't pleased, so the following year (1979), it launched a brief invasion into North Vietnam (the Sino-Vietnamese War). After the war with China, the northern border became a site of constant artillery duels and cross-border skirmishes until the end of the Cold War.

In 1986, when destitute Vietnam was near the verge of collapse, a progressive faction in the Communist Party rose to power and implemented a course of economic reform called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_Moi Renovation]], similar to what Deng Xiaoping did to China eight years earlier. Vietnam thus ceased to be a CommieLand in the strict sense of the term, and nowadays it's a young market economy with rather shaky macroeconomic conditions, dictated by a one-party regime which is in fact an oligarchy. Their relatives (or even themselves) are heads of the very keystone corporations in Vietnam, while the people working for the government for paycheck are unabashedly [[ObstructiveBureaucrat obstructive bureaucrats]]. Corruption in the police force is fairly common, with the police often being accused (not without reason) of being useless to anyone without money.

Government propaganda still centers on Marxism-Leninism, but of course, InNameOnly. As in the case of China, most people can be described as "apolitical" - if you're not a supporter of the regime, that's the only safe way to go about it.

Vietnam has a love-hate relationship with its big Northern neighbor ''slash'' traditional enemy China. Thousands
of years under Chinese influence surely left heavy impact on Vietnamese culture, to the point that the Nguyen Dynasty considered themselves rather than the Qing to be the true successors of the Han civilization. Many Vietnamese people today continue to have a fascination with Chinese culture, both ancient and modern. Chinese films, music, celebrities, and even obscure content creators are all topics Vietnamese people discuss. On the other hand, every dynasty but the last one picked up a fight against contemporary China at least once, with [[OccupiersOutOfOurCountry varying]] [[ShockingDefeatLegacy results]] better remembered by the Vietnamese [[ButForMeItWasTuesDay than by their neighbors]]. As a result, a continual struggle for independence forms the core of national spirit, and mistaking a Vietnamese for a Chinese will likely trigger a BerserkButton. Nowadays, the Communist regime looks up to the PRC as the last remaining ideological reassurance but relations between the two has never been truly friendly. The Sino-Vietnamese war of 1979 is still remembered, and sorest points of contention nowadays include possession of the Spratly and Paracel Islands and China's taking over bauxite mining activities in Vietnam, not to mention long-standing border disputes. All seems to fuel the fear that [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld China is about to take over the world]], or at least Asia, and she would start with Vietnam. This animosity had surprisingly served the country extremely well during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, with the country having no problem cutting off economics and diplomatic ties to China during the early days of the Pandemic, something which other countries struggled or outright refused to.

Relations with the US are likewise uneasy but have been normalized at a surprising rate since 1986, and now ended up even more cordial than with China, in spite of Washington's constant criticism on the state of human rights in Vietnam. Whether Vietnam will open its military port at Cam Ranh to American port calls is a matter of debate, but it's obvious that Vietnam is looking for a counterweight to the growing China threat. With UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia swept aside, who could be better suited for the job than [[EagleLand that superpower that messed up this land just 35 years ago]]? Nice tightrope Vietnam's walking there, but then, [[{{Realpolitik}} realist foreign policy]] makes for strange bedfellows, and--and you might think this odd--Vietnam is, on a people-to-people level, one of the most ''pro''-American countries in Asia (approval ratings for the United States in polls of ordinary Vietnamese people have hovered around 70% since 2012). (Maybe DefeatMeansFriendship?)

Vietnam is a secular country -- most of the time, making it an oddball compared to other Southeast Asian countries which are very religious. Approximately 3/4 of the population is either irreligious or practice folk religion. The most popular religions in the country are Buddhism and Christianity. As a Southeast Asian, you might be asking, "where are the Muslims?" Well, behold the Chams -- they are the only ethnic group in Vietnam who are predominantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslims]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer You heard that right]]. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, Islam is considered an "alien" foreign religion here[[note]]Christianity is also seen as a "foreign religion", but at least it has quite a long history in Vietnam, so much so that it's influence still lingers in Vietnamese society. How so? The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is one of the famous landmarks of Vietnam, on par with the Temple of Literature and Ha Long Bay.[[/note]]. And as if this wasn't bizarre enough, not all Muslim Chams are the same -- the ones living in Central Southern Vietnam -- called "Cham Bani" -- tend to maintain pre-Islam traditions[[note]]There was a case when those Chams worshipped Ali and not Allah (which BTW, is blasphemous in Islam), until some Muslims from other SEA countries visited their village and told them to worship Allah instead[[/note]], whereas the ones living in southwestern provinces practices orthodox Islam. The Chams speak an Austronesian language that is closely related to languages in Indonesia and Malaysia, and their culture almost resembles Indonesian, to the point that if you had a few images of a Cham village, and you tried removing every Vietnamese text in the images and showing to your friends, they would certainly mistake the Chams and their village for a generic Indonesian village.

Given the nature of French colonialism in Vietnam, it's natural that they have the second largest population of Overseas Vietnamese. Approximately 350,000 Vietnamese live in France, primarily in Paris. Unlike the United States or Australia, they are less likely to live in [[FriendlyNeighborhoodChinatown Vietnamese enclaves]] and are more disbursed through the population, likely owing to the fact that they have been in France much longer due to their much longer mutual history.

In the nineteenth century, the French invaded. The Nguyễn's control was gradually eroded eventually until after a series of fighting, France took control of Vietnam and [[UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}} surrounding]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Laos}} countries]] to establish French Indochina. It began to westernize the country, establishing French as the official language in education and government, and gradually replacing the old Chinese-like ''Nôm'' writing system with the alphabet as seen today. It established a plantation economy that would exist until today, with focus on rubber, tobacco, tea, coffee... Waves of nationalist movements emerged, with leaders usually who studied in foreign countries and came back to push for political freedom. However, resistances were quickly broken. The French maintained control over Vietnam...

...until UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. France sucked at that period, and UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan soon took over Indochina. Vietnam's resources were exploited to fight the war on the Pacific, eventually led to the death of 2 million (about 10% total population) during the Famine of 1945. 1941 was also the year where the [[LaResistance ''Việt Minh'']] was established, which was a communist and nationalist liberation movement led by Ho Chi Minh. Following the defeat of Japan in WWII, Viet Minh quickly took over Hanoi and proclaimed a provisional government, and which started playing the French and Japanese off against each other before trying to [[OmnicidalNeutral defeat them both.]] Eventually, the Japanese won out, overthrew the current government, and retained an iron hold over Indochina in the face of Communist, Chinese, and Western Allied attempts to liberate the region... [[DeusExMachina until the Japanese surrendered.]]

In 938 AD, a Vietnamese lord named Ngô Quyền finally defeated the Chinese, and reclaimed independence. [[note]]It definitely helped that China herself was engulfed in the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era.[[/note]] The following centuries saw a golden age for the nation, with culture flourishing under the rule of the Lý and Trần dynasties. The change in the family in rule was often because the descendants of the family became gradually worse in both morals and control of the country. Nevertheless, Vietnam still grew quite a bit. Buddhism took over Confucianism as the state religion. Vietnam also was able to [[DavidVersusGoliath repel three Mongol invasions]] around the 13th century (pretty good, eh?).

->The flag was adapted from that of North Vietnam, the victor of UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. Its red field symbolizes blood as well as communism in general, while the yellow five-pointed star represents the union of workers, peasants, intellectuals, youths and soldiers in building solidarity in Vietnam.

Vietnamese people have a creation myth involving Lạc Long Quân, the Dragon Lord of Lac Viet. Having [[RatedMForManly battled monsters here and there]], he [[InterspeciesRomance settled down]] with Âu Cơ, the [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fairy]] princess of Âu Việt. She gave birth to a sac with 100 eggs inside, which hatched into 100 children. Because of the couple's insurmountable differences, their marriage didn't work out and they had to split the family. Half the kids would follow their father to the sea where he ought to live, the rest stayed with Âu Cơ in the dry, hilly land and founded a kingdom. [[OpeningNarration And thus]] resulted the Bách Việt people, Văn Lang the first Viet nation and [[ArsonMurderAndJayWalking the first known divorce in Vietnamese history]]. Modern Vietnamese still call themselves "con rồng cháu tiên", or "children of the dragon, grandchildren of fairies''. Pretty convenient if you want to forge a common identity for a genetic goulash.

[[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Vietnam has a special place for]] UsefulNotes/KoreanWave. Aside from KDrama, as mentioned earlier, just about any media made by Koreans is readily eaten up by their fans at a breakneck speed. Saying that [[KoreanPopMusic K-pop]] is popular there is an {{understatement}} -- K-pop is a whole phenomenon. Music/BTS, Music/RedVelvet and Music/Blackpink's music are beloved by thousands. One might say Vietnam's love for K-pop is so enormous that their fans would go apeshit. [[https://cdn.phunuvagiadinh.vn/nguyensang/auto/30_7_2021/thanh-ngoac-mom-nhe-rang-cuong-kpop-noi-hon-sao-chau-a-khoc-tuc-tuoi-o-san-bay-tung-khung-hoang-ai-xem-hinh-that-la-choang2-2021-07-30-10-25.jpeg One such example is this]] [[Music/TAra T-ara]] fanboy whose face went from zero to [[ChewingTheScenery scenery-chewing]] upon having heard about T-ara's upcoming tour in Vietnam. That guy later [[MemeticMutation became a meme in his homecountry]], and to this day [[NeverLiveItDown is still known for his scenery-chewing face back in those days]].

[[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Vietnam has a special place for]] UsefulNotes/KoreanWave. Aside from KDrama, as mentioned earlier, just about any media made by Koreans is readily eaten up by their fans at a breakneck speed. Saying that [[KoreanPopMusic K-pop]] is popular there is an {{understatement}} -- K-pop is a whole phenomenon. Music/BTS, Music/RedVelvet and Music/Blackpink's music are beloved by thousands. One might say Vietnam's love for K-pop is so enormous that their fans would try to rush towards their idols no matter what.

Popular culture in Vietnam is very fascinating. Vietnam belongs to the Sinosphere, and as a result East Asian media are super popular there. [[KDrama K-Dramas]] and Chinese TV series are a staple of entertainment, with many TV channels -- including state-owned ones -- airing the bests of the bests. Some of the most well-known series include: the 2009 South Korean live-action adaptation of ''Manga/BoysOverFlowers'', ''Series/DescendantsOfTheSun'', ''Series/UnstoppableHighKick'', ''Series/JourneyToTheWest'', two live-action adaptations of ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' (1986 and [[Series/JourneyToTheWest2011 2011]]). Honorary mention goes to ''1986 Journey to the West''

Vietnamese =- notably Hanoian -= cuisine is also known for its desserts and treats, such as multiple types of chè (congee), cốm (young rice, a Hanoi specialty in the fall, wrapped in lotus leaves thus giving it an unique flavor) and more rice-based sweet/savory treats than you can imagine. Heck, Hanoians have officially elevated snacking (ăn quà) into an art! (But then again, native Vietnamese do joke that they've elevated swearing and insulting to an art, too...)

Popular culture in Vietnam is very fascinating.

!!History

The history is followed in the Politics and Economy part.

!!Politics and Economy

The government (as mentioned many times) is a unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic with four heads: the Party General Secretary[[note]]head of the Party[[/note]], the Prime Minister[[note]]head of the government[[/note]], the President[[note]]head of state, considered largely ceremonious[[/note]] and Chair of National Assembly[[note]]first among equals of the NA, which is the most democratic part of the system[[/note]]. Key positions are decided by the Party in the National Congress typically held once every five years just before the National Assembly Election.

!!Demography

As a result, two-thirds of the population has no memory of the Vietnam War, which explains why Vietnam has moved on so easily.

There are officially 54 ethnic groups that call Vietnam home, but over 80% of Vietnam's population is made up of lowland Viets, or Kinh people, so if you ever meet a Vietnamese, chances are you're meeting a Kinh.

Vietnam is a secular country -- most of the time, making it an oddball compared to other Southeast Asian countries which are very religious. Approximately 3/4 of the population is either irreligious or practice folk religion. The most popular religions in the country are Buddhism and Christianity. Speaking of the Chams, they are the only ethnic group in Vietnam who are predominantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslims]], as opposed. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer You heard that right]]. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, Islam is considered an "alien" foreign religion here[[note]]Christianity is also seen as a "foreign religion", but at least it has quite a long history in Vietnam, so much so that it's influence still lingers in Vietnamese society. How so? The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is one of the famous landmarks of Vietnam, on par with the Temple of Literature and Ha Long Bay.[[/note]]. And as if this wasn't bizarre enough, not all Muslim Chams are the same -- the ones living in Central Southern Vietnam -- called "Cham Bani" -- tend to maintain pre-Islam traditions[[note]]There was a case when those Chams worshipped Ali and not Allah (which BTW, is blasphemous in Islam), until some Muslims from other SEA countries visited their village and told them to worship Allah instead[[/note]], whereas the ones living in southwestern provinces practices orthodox Islam.

!!Vietnamese Emigrants Worldwide
Approximately 3 million Vietnamese live spread out over the world. The term for them is ''Người Việt Hải Ngoại'' (literally "Overseas Vietnamese") or ''Việt Kiều'' (literally "Vietnamese Sojourner"), the latter term is usually how they self-identify and the former is the official term used by the Vietnamese government. The vast majority of them are (or are descendants of) refugees from South Vietnam from the end of the Vietnamese War. The Vietnamese refugees fleeing the war are generally referred to as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_boat_people Vietnamese boat people]], no matter how it is they fled.

!!Culture and Language

A few phonetic peculiarities will be listed here. Like ''l'' and ''r'' in Japanese, some Northern Vietnamese speakers will mess up between ''l'' and ''n'', but not for the same reason. ''l'' and ''n'' are supposed to be distinct in Vietnamese, but because of the Northern accent, sometimes they switch place, with the ''l'' sounds like ''n'' and vice versa. Depending on the province, ''tr'' and ''ch'' , ''r'' and ''d'' and ''gi'', ''r'' and ''v'', etc. can also be pronounced very similarly or with little difference.

A few strange consonants and vowels are ng, nh, ă, ư, ơ...

<More to come>

!!Cuisine

Vietnamese - notably Hanoian - cuisine is also known for its desserts and treats, such as multiple types of chè (congee), cốm (young rice, a Hanoi specialty in the fall, wrapped in lotus leaves thus giving it an unique flavor) and more rice-based sweet/savory treats than you can imagine. Heck, Hanoians have officially elevated snacking (ăn quà) into an art! (But then again, native Vietnamese do joke that they've elevated swearing and insulting to an art, too...)

!!Vietnam (and the Vietnamese Diaspora) in Media:

[[caption-width-right:330:Kinda looks like a giant S shape, doesn't it?[[note]]Comparing it to a strip of silk is more common.[[/note]]]]

->''"Độc Lập - Tự Do - Hạnh Phúc"''[[note]]Independence - Freedom - Happiness[[/note]]
-->-- '''National Motto''' (Taken from Sun Yat-sen's idea: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Principles_of_People Three Principles of People]])

Speaking of the Chams, they are the only ethnic group in Vietnam who are predominantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslims]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer You heard that right]]. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, Islam is considered an "alien" foreign religion here[[note]]Christianity is also seen as a "foreign religion", but at least it has quite a long history in Vietnam, so much so that it's influence still lingers in Vietnamese society. How so? The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is one of the famous landmarks of Vietnam, on par with the Temple of Literature and Ha Long Bay.[[/note]]. And as if this wasn't bizarre enough, not all Muslim Chams are the same -- the ones living in Central Southern Vietnam -- called "Cham Bani" -- tend to maintain pre-Islam traditions[[note]]There was a case when those Chams worshipped Ali and not Allah (which BTW, is blasphemous in Islam), until some Malay imams visited to their village and told them to worship Allah instead[[/note]], whereas the ones living in southwestern provinces practices orthodox Islam.