QUORA

Khanh Luu ·  Had lived in Vietnam for 22 years.Updated 9y

What is the country of Vietnam famous for?

I fortunately have a chance to talk to quite many foreigners whom shared with me good stories about my country. Here are things they’ve talked about the most, and probably are what Vietnam is famous for. Feel free to correct me if something is missing.

1. Vietnam’s traditions & culture

There is so much ones can learn about Vietnamese culture and traditions. With over 2000 years of history, 54 ethnics, decades of foreign influences (e.g. China, France, USA, Russia, etc.), traditions of Vietnam vary a lot between regions, provinces and cities. Even native Vietnamese are amazed with Vietnam’s cultural diversity when they travel to different parts of the country. To foreigners, Ao dai (Vietnamese dress) and Non la (conical hats) are amongst the most recognised symbols of Vietnamese culture. You can read more here: Culture of Vietnam

Ao dai and Non la of Vietnam

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2. Vietnamese Food

Thanks to the diversity of climate and cultural influences, Vietnam has a lot of great food to offer. Pho, BanhMi, Nem, you name it. Simplicity, Healthiness, and Multicultural influences are what make Viet food popular. I already wrote about this here: Why is Vietnamese food popular?

Banh Mi – Vietnamese Baguette

Pho – Vietnamese Noodle Soup

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3. Vietnam’s landscape

Vietnam is just a tiny country in South East Asia, but again, its special landmass provides the country with unique and picturesque landscapes that can quench the thirst of any world travellers and backpackers. You can read more here:

Huffington Post – Stunning Landscapes of Vietnam

Ha Long Bay

Son Doong Cave

Paddy fields in mountainous areas in Northern Vietnam

Quy Nhon’s beach

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4. Vietnam War

It’s quite understandable why many people know about this War since it involved the US and France, two of the most powerful countries in the world. However, decades of conflicts ended with an unexpected outcome: all foreign forces had to withdraw from Vietnam and the country was finally reunified. It’s quite likely this war would be mentioned in many history textbooks.

Oops, wrong picture! That was 40 years ago 🙂

But you think Vietnam is still at war or a dangerous place? Nope, not anymore. Today Vietnam is safe, peaceful and a great destination for travelling and doing business.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Hanoi’s Kaengnam Landmarks at night

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5. Vietnamese people

Everything listed above would not ever exist without the people behind it. Sure, Vietnamese can be very heroic and patriotic during the war time, but we are also very friendly and have a strong education-oriented ethic in the peace time. We are humans after all with our own identity, and welcome everyone to Vietnam as friends. Life may be tough in Vietnam for now, but that can’t stop us from being optimistic and having great sense of humour. The story of Humans of New York when he travelled to Vietnam made me burst out laughing every time I read it.

I hope this helps answer your question.

(Vietnam’s photos selected from various sources)

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