Vietnamese knowledge, page 25

Traditional food

Southern Bánh Tét: a Tet offering wrapping up the wish for family reunion

Southern bánh tét is a signature Tet offering that symbolizes prosperity and family reunion. See its origins, meaning and traditional wrapping methods.

Traditional festivals

Hung Kings Temple Festival (Phu Tho): Origins and Distinctive Features

Origins, rituals and cultural values of the Hung Kings Temple Festival in Phu Tho, held on the 10th day of the third lunar month to honor the Hung Kings.

Traditional festivals

Dien Bien Ban Flower Festival - A Cultural Symbol of the Northwest

Explore the Dien Bien Ban Flower Festival, a unique cultural event recreating traditional rituals of Northwest ethnic groups like Thai, Mong, Dao, and Ha Nhi.

Tet and seasonal rites

Full Moon of the First Lunar Month - Tet Nguyen Tieu: Why It Is Considered the Most Significant Full Moon of the Year and What to Prepare for the Offering Tray

Tet Nguyen Tieu, the first full moon of the lunar year, is greatly valued in Vietnamese culture. See why it matters and what to prepare for the offering tray.

Tet and seasonal rites

Thanh Minh Festival and the Distinctive Grave-Visiting Custom of the Vietnamese

Thanh Minh in Vietnam is mainly an occasion to remember ancestors by visiting graves, unlike China where spring outings also occur.

Tet and seasonal rites

Ramưwan Festival (Month of Fasting and Contemplation) of the Cham Bàni Community: A Cultural Beauty Toward the Roots

Ramưwan is the traditional New Year of the Cham Bàni community in Ninh Thuận, a month of grave visiting, ancestral offerings and fasting.

Vietnamese commemorative days

International Day of Older Persons (Oct 1): origin and meaning

The International Day of Older Persons on October 1 was established in 1990 by UN Resolution 45/106. Learn its origin, meaning, and how Vietnam observes it.

Traditional crafts

The conical hat craft villages of Hue and the poem hat

Explore the traditional conical hat villages of Hue, the meticulous craft of the poem hat, and the cultural value of the conical hat in Vietnamese life.

Vietnamese commemorative days

Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21)

Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day on June 21 marks the first issue of Thanh Nien newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc in 1925. Learn its history and meaning.

Vietnamese commemorative days

Founding of the Vietnam People's Army, December 22

Learn about the history of December 22, 1944, the founding of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army, predecessor of the Vietnam People's Army.

Traditional festivals

Khai Ha Festival - The Largest Folk Festival of the Muong People in Hoa Binh

The Khai Ha festival is the largest folk festival of the Muong people in Hoa Binh, held in the first lunar month to pray for good harvests.

Ethnic minority belief

Tày Beliefs and Festivals: Then Singing, the Tính Lute, and the Lồng Tồng Festival

The Tày of Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn and Tuyên Quang keep Then singing, the tính lute, and the Lồng Tồng festival, a heritage UNESCO inscribed in 2019.

Historical figures

Ba Trieu Temple Festival: Honoring the Heroine Trieu Thi Trinh

The Ba Trieu Temple Festival in Thanh Hoa honors heroine Trieu Thi Trinh, who led a 3rd century uprising, through rituals and community events.

Tet and seasonal rites

The "An Than" Ritual: Year-End Thanksgiving to Spirits of the Gie Trieng People

The Cha Chaih (An Than) ritual of the Gie Trieng people sends 7 young men into the forest for chaih charcoal, with vows to spirits and tool forging.

Folk belief

Ông Địa and Thần Tài: The Earth God and God of Wealth in Household Worship

Ông Địa and Thần Tài are the household deities most often worshipped together in Vietnam. Their origins, meaning, and altar placement.

Tet and seasonal rites

Choosing Auspicious Times and Directions for the First Outing of the Year: The Lucky Customs of Tet's First Day

The first outing and calligraphy of the new year are Vietnamese luck-bringing customs. See how times and directions are chosen by lunar calendar and deities.

Folk belief

The Rain-Praying Ceremony of the E De People in Buon Ma Thuot

The rain-praying ceremony of the E De people in Buon Ma Thuot asks the spirits for favorable weather, led by a village elder or shaman.

Historical figures

Goddess Thien Y A Na and Po Nagar Tower: The Cham-Viet Faith Interweaving in Nha Trang

Explore the journey from the Cham goddess Po Inư Nagar to Thien Y A Na in Vietnamese belief, through the lens of the Po Nagar Tower festival in Nha Trang.

Historical figures

Saint Giong - Phu Dong Thien Vuong: From the Legend of Defeating the An Invaders to an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Saint Giong, or Phu Dong Thien Vuong, is one of the Four Immortals in Vietnamese folk belief, and the Giong Festival was recognized by UNESCO in 2010.

Tet and seasonal rites

Xip Xi Festival - the Children's Tet of the White Thai People

The Xip Xi Tet of the White Thai people in Vietnam's Northwest is a festival for children, with rituals to worship spirits and ward off disease.

Folk traditional practices

Kieu Fortune Telling at Tet: When the Tale of Kieu Becomes a Message of New Year Luck

Kieu fortune telling at Tet uses verses from Nguyen Du's Tale of Kieu to predict outcomes. A randomly opened verse is read as an omen for the year.

Traditional festivals

Cau Ngu Festival: The Whale Worship Belief of Central Vietnam Fishermen

Cau Ngu festival honors the Whale God in central Vietnam, with fishermen praying for safe seas and good catches through rituals that bind the community.

Ethnic minority belief

Beliefs and Festivals of the Thái People in Northwest Vietnam: Xên Bản Xên Mường and Hạn Khuống

The Thái of Vietnam's Northwest follow animist beliefs with guardian spirits and hold the Xên Bản Xên Mường rites and Hạn Khuống festival.

Folk belief

The Mother Goddess Worship of Tam Phu and the Hau Dong Ritual in Vietnamese Spiritual Life

The Mother Goddess Worship of Tam Phu venerates the Holy Mothers and deities of the universe, guiding people toward a practical life.