Tradition: Vietnam

Located in the easternmost part of Asia, Vietnam is one of the most gorgeous countries on Earth. Ranking at number 15 with its population, this land of wonders is home to around 95 million people.

Its largest city is Ho Chi Minh and its capital city is Hanoi. Around 73% of the population are irreligious while 12% worships Buddhism, 8% Christianity, 4.8% Caodaism, 1.4% Hoahaoism and the rest follow other religions. With China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, part of Thailand to the southwest and the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia across the south china sea to the east and southeast. the total area of Vietnam is 331'212 square kilometers, the official language is Vietnamese and the official script is latin alphabets. VND is their official currency and their driving side had always been on the right side.

Vietnamese Etiquettes

The Vietnamese believe that the face reflects a person's reputation, dignity and prestige. They think that it is possible to lose the face, save the face or give the face to another person, which shows that we shall be aware of what we do and say. We lose the face by criticizing and accusing people of poor performance and their wrong actions. To save or be given the face, the individual can compliment and praise others for their work. Hierarchy holds an important role in the community. For example, the oldest in a group will be greeted and served first. Within the group/family, the head or the lead would be responsible for the  making and approving of decisions. Etiquette in Vietnam is very strict. According to the public rules, the individual isn't supposed to touch someone's head, point with a finger, cross their arms on their chests, pass anything over someone's head, touch anyone on the shoulder nor touch a member of the opposite gender. I know this is hard to believe, but Vietnams are only allowed to wear shorts at the beach. If invited to a Vietnamese home, you must bring fruit, sweets and flowers as a sign of gratitude. If bringing a gift, the gift should be wrapped in colorful paper only. At meals, guests should wait to be shown where to sit and once seated, they should pass dishes to the others with both hands. When using a bowl, you should hold your bowls close to your face and when given utensils, you should hold the spoon only in your left hand while eating the soup. It is disrespectful to leave food on your plate so try to eat everything given to you. When you are finished eating, place your chopsticks on top of your rice bowl and remember to always cover your mouth when using a toothpick.

Wildlife and Nature 

Vietnam is ranked 16th with its biological diversities in the world which is highly impressive. It is home to a large number of 16% of the whole animal species of the planet and in that there are 310 mammal species, 260 reptile kinds, 840 bird types, 120 amphibian species, 7750 insect types and 15986 varieties of flora.

Vietnam used to be full of forests, swamps and such but those had to be pushed back to make room for agricultural purposes. From the Vietnam War and the rapid growth of human population these last few years,  illegal poaching and hunting reports had increased but  sadly, not every criminal had been caught. The government have taken the problem very seriously. They have put reforestation projects into action, which prevents some parts of the country unable to develop like the modern world and stay wild. These protected areas have been protected by the government and most of them are still untouched by today, according to the news. Recent years have shown recovery in Vietnam's nature and they hope to keep it that way.

One of Vietnam's most popular animals: The Water Monitor                             

The Asian water monitor is a large varanid lizard that is originally from south and southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is from the animalia kingdom and its binomial name is Varanus salvator. They are, in average, 40-50 cm long and they weigh 1 kg.

Halong Bay, located in the Gulf of Tonkin, is the representative image of unspoiled nature. It attracts many travellers and by 2012, it was added as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. With approximately 1600 big and small islands, the limestone pillars in the area of Halong Bay have gone through 500 million years of formation and for your information, the breathtaking view of the ocean is a real treasure for photographers. If you are visiting Vietnam, be sure to explore this beautiful place, too!  

Festivals of Vietnam

Hue Arts Festival is the ideal festival for culture vultures. It is originated from the Nguyen dynasty and celebrates the customs that used to be practiced back then. It is a great insight into the art scene and the amazing heritage of this historical town. The festival takes place every 2 years and features impressive live concerts and street performances as well as very interesting activities. It truly is a unique Vietnamese  celebration. Ghost festival, also known as Trung Nguyen, is the second largest festival in Vietnam. It is a Buddhist celebration based on the belief that people either go to Heaven or Hell when they die. The day before the celebration, families travel to the temples to make offerings of food and flowers for the lost souls and alters are set up in each home to guide ancestral spirits home. As perhaps Vietnam's most famous festival, the Hoi An Lantern festival is a must see for the tourists and travellers. It attracts a huge number of visitors and when it becomes dark inside and out (since they cut the power off for the people to enjoy the show without any distractions), the lanterns fly high up into the infinite sky, above everyone, and lights up the dark sky like a million stars. This is a real wonder that brings everyone together to savour every second of the extraordinary show.  

Mongolian Culture and Vietnamese Culture: Similarities and Differences

Mongolia and Vietnam are both Asian countries. They have similar lifestyles, finance, facial features and attitudes toward certain things. We all act the same way toward superstitions and beliefs; we follow them like they are the key to personal achievements. To us, they actually are. 


Vietnams culture and traditions were inspired by China while the world-wide famous Mongolian culture is original and pure. According to studies, the Vietnamese average life span is 74 years while the Mongolian average is 70 years. In Vietnam, 2.1% of adults are obese while in our country, that number is 20.6% of the population. Mongolians also make more money than the vietnams which means our development rates are very different and unalike to those of Vietnam's. However, not many people get a chance to occupy a proper job position here in Mongolia which leaves 7.3% of the people unemployed while more people in Vietnam are able to get jobs. While 17.3% kids die before reaching the age of one in Vietnam, 21.1% of newborn kids die in Mongolia. Tragic story, we know. Fortunately, Mongolians have 21.9% more children than the Vietnams which can fill up the space for the losses of others. Mongolia isn't perfect though, no other country is. Even though our country has better financial support for the locals and citizens,  Mongolians are less likely to have internet access by 57.7%. 

The two countries can be different in many ways, but we are all human species. We live by similar schedules, lives and overcome the same obstacles in life. We aren't allowed to discriminate each other for their nationality or appearances because in the end, we all face the exact same things in life.  

7A class by Ninjin, Tuvshinzaya, Auring and  Anar. Bat