Vietnamese Culture For Dummies
Hi! My name is Jeff Luu. I am a student at City College of San Francisco. This blog is for an assignment in the class Intercultural Communication taught by Dr. Jennifer Kienzle. If you have any questions or comments about this project, please contact Dr. Kienzle: jkienzle@ccsf.edu
A Brief Look through Vietnamese History
Vietnam is a country located in Southeast Asia, and has many cultural similarities to China such as the celebration of the Lunar New Year. This is thanks to the over 1,000 year long occupation of Vietnam under Chinese rule. Since Vietnam was occupied by China for such an extended period, Vietnamese norms, values, and traditions have been heavily influenced by Chinese culture. Vietnam is primarily a Buddhist nation with over half of the population practicing Buddhism or Confucianism, and has a population of over 85 million people as reported by a census in 2009.In addition to the Chinese influence on Vietnamese culture, French cultural influences from it’s occupation of Vietnam in the 19th century can be seen in the architecture and certain cuisine, and Western cultural influences can be seen in Vietnamese popular culture during and after the Vietnam war. If you are familiar with Chinese culture, then you are already on the fast track to understanding Vietnamese culture.
Cultural Symbolism’s
There are many Vietnamese symbolism’s that draw inspiration from mythology, animals, totems, shrines, and nature. A particularly popular symbol is the dragon, the dragon has been a symbol of royalty, strength, and prosperity since ancient times.
In contrast the lily flower is a symbol of simple, pure beauty and can be seen all around Vietnam, especially in businesses and households.
As mentioned earlier, Vietnam does celebrate the Lunar New Nears with similar traditions like lighting firecrackers, lion dancing, and dragon dancing. Lion dancers are especially popular, they traditionally perform at business openings and weddings to ward off malicious spirits, and bring good fortune.
Common Communication Mistakes/Challenges
Many people know more about Vietnam by its wars rather than its beauty and culture. Plus, Vietnam is still a developing nation and there are many everyday aspects that differ from other Asian first world countries.
The first thing to understand is that the Vietnamese language is very vocal, direct, and dynamic to varying degrees depending on the dialect (Northern vs Southern). Non-verbal expression is very common through the use of hand gestures and facial expressions. Many visitors to Vietnam may get the impression that they are annoying the locals when asking for assistance, that they have offended them in some way, or that the locals are just downright unpleasant.
While many Vietnamese natives in major cities like Saigon, and Hanoi speak English and Vietnamese, most other Vietnamese, especially in the countryside, do not speak English at all. Often when a foreigner approaches a Vietnamese local that does not speak English the local will remain silent or shy away from the foreigner. This is often misinterpreted as a prejudice against foreigners and may leave the tourist feeling like they have to shout into a megaphone just to be acknowledged.
Vietnam, like many other Asian countries, has a thriving night market, but what many visitors to Vietnam don’t know is that bartering is apart of the process when buying and selling goods. Often the price on the tag can be talked down with some negotiating. It is important to remember that when bartering to not go too low with the offer as it can be taken as an insult by the business owner.
Vietnamese also invest a lot of value into a shared face saving ideology. While there are some Vietnamese that may say nothing or clam up when a foreigner approaches them due to language barriers, many Vietnamese will smile and nod their heads as if they’re saying yes, but this is a face saving method which can be wrongfully perceived and result in misinterpreted information.
Communication Tips/Guide to Experiencing Vietnam
When going on any trip out of the country there is an inherent amount of risk and circumstance that inevitably befalls us, no matter how well we plan for it. Some things are unfortunately just out of our control. That’s not to say that we can’t still try our best to lower these risks! Here are a few cultural do’s and don’ts while visiting Vietnam.
Some Cultural Don’ts:
Finger pointing- AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS! It is perceived as simply rude and disrespectful, if you need to address somebody motion using your entire hand. Think of your hand as a loaded gun, don’t point it at people.
Avoid talking with your mouth full! It is customary to cover your mouth while speaking if you currently have a mouth full of food. Additionally avoid planting your chopsticks vertically in a bowl of food, this is considered to bring bad luck. The proper way to rest chopsticks is laid out flat on the table, or flat on the bowl.
Showing too much affection in public is also a big don’t. Vietnamese people hold a lot of value in saving face and believe that public displays of affection is shameful. Culturally acceptable forms of physical contact in public include hugging, holding hands, and quick kisses. Frenching your significant other in public however is a no no.
Some Cultural Do’s:
While talking to the locals of Vietnam, remember to maintain eye contact. This is considered to be polite and since many Vietnamese live by a high face saving ideology, looking down or away during a conversation is considered to be a sign of dishonesty.
Be patient! Remember that you are the visitor! A little bit of patience can go a long way and will help in avoiding any misinterpretation of information that leads you into less than comfortable situations.
The Wrap Up
Hopefully this guide has given you some information to touring around Vietnam! With this information interacting with the locals might not be as nerve wracking as you think. Some key takeaways is to be patient, and courteous as you would in any country that you are visiting. Be a polite visitor and safe travels!