Vietnam report

 Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
(SRV), is the easternmost country on the Indochina
Peninsula in Southeast Asia.
 In 2014, it has an estimated 90.5 million inhabitants
 it is the world's 13th-most-populous country, and the
eighth-most-populous Asian country.
 The name Vietnam translates as "Southern Viet"
(synonymous with the much older term Nam Viet)
 The country is bordered by China to the north, Laos
to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and
the South China Sea to the east.

Official Symbols
Flag. The Vietnam flag was officially
adopted on November 30, 1955. The
gold five-pointed star symbolizes the
five groups of workers in the building of
socialism (intellectuals, peasants,
soldiers, workers and youths), while the
red symbolizes bloodshed, and the
revolutionary struggle.
Emblem. The emblem of Vietnam is
circular, has red background and a
yellow star in the middle which
represent the Communist Party of
Vietnam, the revolutionary history and
bright future of Vietnam. The cog and
crops represent the cooperation of
agriculture and industrial labor.

Basic facts about the country
Motto: "Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc"
"Independence – Freedom – Happiness“
Anthem: Tiến Quân Ca
(English: "Army March")
Capital: Hanoi
Largest City: Ho Chi Minh City
Official Language: Vietnamese
Official script: Vietnamese
Government: Marxist-Leninist single party-state
Legislature: National Assembly

Ethnic Groups
Kinh (Viet). They are the
majority ethnic group of
Vietnam, comprising 86% of
the population at the 1999
census.
Tay. There are about 1.7 million Tày
people living in Vietnam (based on
the 2009 census and 5 years of
population growth). This makes
them the second largest ethnic
group in Vietnam

Tai. They comprised 1.7% of
the population of Vietnam.
The Tais live along the
banks of the Red and Black
Rivers in northern Vietnam.
Mường. The Muong people
(1.5% population in Vietnam)
inhabit the mountainous
region of northern Vietnam,
concentrated in Hòa Bình
Province and the mountainous
districts of Thanh Hóa
Province.

Khơ me comprised 1.4% of
the Vietnamese population.
Kho me people in southern
Vietnam literally means
"Khmer from below"
Hoa (Chinese people) has a
total of 1.1% population in
Vietnam. It refers to a minority
group living in Vietnam
consisting of persons
considered ethnic Chinese
("Overseas Chinese")

The Nùng, comprising 1.1% of
the Vietnam population, are an
ethnic minority in Vietnam
whose language belongs to
the Central Tai branch of the
Tai-Kadai language family
Hmong comprised 1% of
Vietnam population. They are
an ethnic group from the
mountainous regions of China,
Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.

Government and Politics
 The Socialist Republic of Vietnam, along with China,
Cuba, Laos, and North Korea, is one of the world's
five remaining single-party socialist states officially
espousing communism.
 Its current state constitution, which replaced the 1975
constitution in April 1992, asserts the central role of
the Communist Party of Vietnam in all organs of
government, politics and society.

KEY POSITIONS
Communist Party General
Secretary: Nguyễn Phú Trọng
 The General Secretary of the
Communist Party performs
numerous key administrative
and executive functions,
controlling the party's national
organization and state
appointments, as well as
setting policy. Only political
organizations affiliated with or
endorsed by the Communist
Party are permitted to contest
elections in Vietnam.

Chairman of National
Assembly: Nguyễn Sinh
Hùng
 The National Assembly of
Vietnam is the unicameral
legislature of the state,
composed of 498 members.
Headed by a Chairman, it is
superior to both the executive
and judicial branches, with all
government ministers being
appointed from members of
the National Assembly.

 The Supreme People's Court of Vietnam, headed by a
Chief Justice, is the country's highest court of appeal,
though it is also answerable to the National Assembly.
Beneath the Supreme People's Court stand the
provincial municipal courts and numerous local
courts.
 Military courts possess special jurisdiction in matters
of national security. Vietnam maintains the death
penalty for numerous offences.
 As of February 2014, there are around 700 inmates on
death row in Vietnam.

President: Trương Tấn
Sang
The President of
Vietnam is the titular
head of state and the
nominal commander-in-
chief of the military,
serving as the Chairman
of the Council of
Supreme Defense and
Security.

Prime Minister: Nguyễn Tấn
Dũng
 The Prime Minister of
Vietnam is the head of
government,
presiding over a
council of ministers
composed of three
deputy prime
ministers and the
heads of 26 ministries
and commissions.

Viet Minh declare independence
from France
2 September 1945
Fall of Saigon 30 April 1975
Reunification (Liberation)/ The end
of Vietnam war
2 July 1976
Current constitution 28 November 2013 (in effect since 1
January 2014)
Formation

 The Vietnamese became independent from Imperial China
in 938, following the Vietnamese victory in the Battle of
Bạch Đằng River. Successive Vietnamese royal dynasties
flourished as the nation expanded geographically and
politically into Southeast Asia, until the Indochina
Peninsula was colonized by the French in the mid-19th
century.
 Following a Japanese occupation in the 1940s, the
Vietnamese fought French rule in the First Indochina War,
eventually expelling the French in 1954. Thereafter,
Vietnam was divided politically into two rival states, North
and South Vietnam.
 Conflict between the two sides intensified, with heavy
intervention from the United States, in what is known as
the Vietnam War.
 The war ended with a North Vietnamese victory in 1975.

 Vietnam was then unified under a communist government
but remained impoverished and politically isolated. In
1986, the government initiated a series of economic and
political reforms which began Vietnam's path towards
integration into the world economy.
 By 2000, it had established diplomatic relations with all
nations. From that year, Vietnam's economic growth rate
has been among the highest in the world, and, in 2011, it
had the highest Global Growth Generators Index among 11
major economies.
 Its successful economic reforms resulted in its joining the
World Trade Organization in 2007.
 However, regardless of the advancements that have been
made in recent years, the country still experiences
disparities in access to healthcare and a lack of gender
equality.

 *Throughout its history, Vietnam's key foreign relationship has been
with its largest neighbor and one-time imperial master, China
 Vietnam's sovereign principles and insistence on cultural
independence have been laid down in numerous documents over
the centuries, such as the 11th-century patriotic poem Nam quốc sơn
hà and the 1428 proclamation of independence Bình Ngô đại cáo.
 Though China and Vietnam are now formally at peace, significant
territorial tensions remain between the two countries.
 Currently, the formal mission statement of Vietnamese foreign policy
is to: "Implement consistently the foreign policy line of
independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development;
the foreign policy of openness and diversification and multi-
lateralization of international relations.
International Relations

 Vietnam declares itself to be "a friend and reliable
partner of all countries in the international
community, actively taking part in international and
regional cooperation processes."
 By December 2007, Vietnam had established
diplomatic relations with 172 countries, including the
United States, which normalized relations in 1995.
 Vietnam holds membership of 63 international
organizations, including the United Nations, ASEAN,
NAM (non-aligned movement), Francophonie and
WTO.
 It is furthermore a member of around 650 non-
government organizations.

Religion
Bell Tower of Bái Đính Temple
in Ninh Bình Province  In 2010 about 45.3% of the
Vietnamese adhere to
indigenous religions, 16.
4% to Buddhism, 8.2% to
Christianity, 0.4% to other
faiths, and 29.6% of the
population isn't religious.
(reference: Pew Research Center)

 According to the General Statistics Office of
Vietnam's report for 1 April 2009, 6.8 million (or 7.9%
of the total population) are practicing Buddhists, 5.7
million (6.6%) are Catholics, 1.4 million (1.7%) are
adherents of Hòa Hảo, 0.8 million (0.9%) practice
Caodaism, and 0.7 million (0.9%) are Protestants.
 According to the 2009 census, while over 10 million
people have taken refuge in the Three Jewels of
Buddhism, the vast majority of Vietnamese people
practice ancestor worship in some form. According to
a 2007 report, 81% of Vietnamese people do not
believe in God.
 About 8% of the population are Christians, totaling
around six million Roman Catholics and fewer than
one million Protestants.

 The Vietnamese government is widely seen as
suspicious of Roman Catholicism. This mistrust
originated during the 19th century, when some
Catholics collaborated with the French colonists in
conquering and ruling the country and in helping
French attempts to install Catholic emperors.
 Furthermore, the Catholic Church's strongly anti-
communist stance has made it an enemy of the
Vietnamese state.
 The Vatican Church is officially banned, and only
government-controlled Catholic organizations are
permitted.

 Several other minority faiths exist in Vietnam. A
significant number of people are adherents of
Caodaism, an indigenous folk religion which has
structured itself on the model of the Catholic Church.
 The Vietnamese government rejects allegations that it
does not allow religious freedom. The state's official
position on religion is that all citizens are free to their
belief, and that all religions are equal before the law.
 Nevertheless, only government-approved religious
organizations are allowed.

 Some elements of the national culture have Chinese
origins, drawing on elements of Confucianism and Taoism
in its traditional political system and philosophy.
 Vietnamese society is structured around làng (ancestral
villages);
 all Vietnamese mark a common ancestral anniversary on
the tenth day of the third lunar month.
 The traditional focuses of Vietnamese culture are humanity
(nhân nghĩa) and harmony (hòa); family and community
values are highly regarded.
 Vietnam reveres a number of key cultural symbols, such as
the Vietnamese dragon, which is derived from crocodile
and snake imagery; The lạc – a holy bird representing
Vietnam's National Mother, Âu Cơ – is another prominent
symbol, while turtle and horse images are also revered.
Culture of Vietnam

 In the modern era, the cultural life of Vietnam has
been deeply influenced by government-controlled
media and cultural programs. For many decades,
foreign cultural influences – especially those of
Western origin – were shunned. However, since the
1990s, Vietnam has seen a greater exposure to
Southeast Asian, European and American culture and
media

Literature
 The Temple of Literature
in Hanoi.

 The country has a rich tradition of folk literature, based
around the typical 6–to-8-verse poetic form named ca dao,
which usually focuses on village ancestors and heroes.
 Written literature has been found dating back to the 10th-
century Ngô dynasty, with notable ancient authors
including Nguyễn Trãi, Trần Hưng Đạo, Nguyễn Du and
Nguyễn Đình Chiểu.
 Some literary genres play an important role in theatrical
performance, such as hát nói in ca trù.
 Some poetic unions have also been formed in Vietnam,
such as the Tao Đàn.
 Vietnamese literature has in recent times been influenced
by Western styles, with the first literary transformation
movement – Thơ Mới – emerging in 1932.

 The earliest surviving literature by Vietnamese
writers are written in Classical Chinese (called Hán
Văn 漢文).
 works must be translated into colloquial Vietnamese
since Chinese script is foreign to modern Vietnamese
speakers (these works are mostly unintelligible)

 In chronological order notable works include:
- Chiếu dời đô or Thiên đô chiếu (遷都詔) 1010, Edict on transfer
the capital of Đại Cồ Việt from Hoa Lư (modern Ninh Bình) to Đại La
(modern Hanoi).
- Nam quốc sơn hà (南國山河) 1077, Mountains and rivers of the
Southern country, poem by general Lý Thường Kiệt
- Đại Việt sử ký (大越史記) Annals of Đại Việt by Lê Văn Hưu, 1272
- Hịch tướng sĩ (Dụ chư tỳ tướng hịch văn 諭諸裨將檄文),
Proclamation to the Officers, general Trần Hưng Đạo, 1284
- An Nam chí lược (安南志略) Abbreviated Records of An Nam,
anon. 1335
- Gia huấn ca (家訓歌 The Family Training Ode), a 976-line
Confucian morality poem attributed to Nguyễn Trãi 1420s
- Lĩnh Nam chích quái (嶺南摭怪) "The wonderful tales of Lĩnh
Nam" 14th Century, edited Vũ Quỳnh (1452-1516)
- Đại Việt sử lược (大越史略) Abbreviated History of Đại Việt, anon.
1377
- Việt Điện U Linh Tập (越甸幽靈集) Spirits of the Departed in the
Viet Realm, Lý Tế Xuyên 1400
-Bình Ngô đại cáo (平吳大誥) or Cáo bình Ngô, Great Proclamation
upon the Pacification of the Ming dynasty, Nguyễn Trãi 1428
-

 Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (大越史記全書) Complete Annals of
Đại Việt, Ngô Sĩ Liên 1479.
 - Truyền kỳ mạn lục (傳奇漫錄, Collection of Strange
Tales, partly by Nguyễn Dữ, 16th century
 - Hoàng Lê nhất thống chí (皇黎一統志) Unification
Records of the Le Emperor, historical novel ending with Gia
Long. anon.
 - Chinh phụ ngâm (征婦吟) "Lament of the soldier's
wife", the original Chinese version by Đặng Trần Côn d.1745
 - Đại Việt thông sử (大越通史) history by Lê Quý Đôn
1749
 - Vân đài loại ngữ (芸臺類語) encyclopedia Lê Quý Đôn
1773
 - Phủ biên tạp lục (撫邊雜錄) Frontier Chronicles Lê
Quý Đôn 1776
 - History of the Loss of Vietnam (越南亡國史 Việt Nam
vong quốc sử), by Phan Bội Châu in Japan in 1905

Works in modern Vietnamese include:
 Việt Nam sử lược History of Vietnam by Trần Trọng
Kim 1921
 Số đỏ by Vũ Trọng Phụng

Folk literature
*Unlike written literature, early oral literature was
composed in Vietnamese and is still accessible to
ordinary Vietnamese today.
*It is not only an oral tradition, but a mixing of three
media: hidden (only retained in the memory of folk
authors),
fixed (written), and
shown (performed)
*Folk literature usually exist in many versions, passed
down orally, and have unknown authors.

 Vietnamese folk literature came into being very early
and had a profound effect on the spiritual life of the
Viets.
 The folk literature always praised beauty, humanism,
and the love of goodness, and contributed to the
formation of a national sense.
 Legends, fairy tales,humorous stories, folk songs,
epics and so on have a tremendous vitality and have
lived on today.

Myths and legends
 Myths consist of stories about supernatural beings,
heroes, creator gods, and reflect the viewpoint of
ancient people about human life.
 They consist of creation stories, stories about their
origins(Lạc Long Quân, Âu Cơ), culture heroes (Sơn
Tinh or Mountain Spirit- Thủy Tinh or Water Spirit).

Notable writers in Vietnam
Aimee Phan
Aimee Phan is a Vietnamese-American author. She was born
and raised in Orange County, California. She received her MFA
from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she won a Maytag
Fellowship. Her first novel, We Should Never Meet, was
named a Notable Book by the Kiriyama Prize in fiction and a
finalist for the 2005 Asian American Literary Awards. Her
writing has appeared in The New York Times, Virginia
Quarterly Review, USA Today and The Oregonian.
Đặng Thân
Đặng Thân is a notable bilingual poet, fiction writer
and essayist, based in Vietnam. In the feature
article, "Demilitarized Zone: Report From Literary
Vietnam", the New York-based Poets & Writers
wrote of Than: "In the literary circles he runs in,
Dang is praised for his idiosyncratic prose and
rebellious style." He is, of course, highly appreciated
by the Vietnamese elite. There he is regarded "the
typical figure of Post-Doi Moi

Dương Thu Hương
Dương Thu Hương is a Vietnamese author
and political dissident. Formerly a member of
Vietnam's Communist party, she was
expelled from the party in 1989, and has
been denied the right to travel abroad, and
was temporarily imprisoned for her writings
and outspoken criticism of corruption in the
Vietnamese government.
Hàn Mặc Tử
Nguyễn Trọng Trí, penname Hàn Mặc Tử was
a Vietnamese poet. He was the most
celebrated Vietnamese Catholic literary
figure during the colonial era. He was born
Nguyễn Trọng Trí, at Lệ Mỹ Village, Đồng Hới
District, Quảng Bình Province. His pen names
included: Minh Duệ, Phong Trần, Lệ Thanh,
and finally Hàn Mặc Tử, by which name is
known today.

Nguyễn Quốc Chánh
Nguyễn Quốc Chánh is a Vietnamese
poet. He was born in Bạc Liêu, and now
lives in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the
author of four collections of poems,
Night of the Rising Sun, Inanimate
Weather, the e-book Coded Personal
Info and the samizdat Hey, I'm Here. His
poems have been translated into
English by Linh Dinh and published in
the journals The Literary Review and
Filling Station, and in “Of Vietnam:
Identities in Dialogues”.
Linh Dinh
Linh Dinh is a Vietnamese-
American poet, fiction writer,
translator, and photographer.
He was a 1993 Pew Fellow.

Vu Trong Phung
Vũ Trọng Phụng was a popular Vietnamese
author and journalist, who is considered to
be one of the most influential figures of the
Vietnamese literature in the 20th century.
Today, several of his works are taught in
Vietnamese schools. Vũ Trọng Phụng's
ancestral village was Hảo village, Mỹ Hào
District, Hưng Yên Province, yet he was born,
grew up, and died in Hanoi.
Xuan Dieu
Ngô Xuân Diệu more commonly known
by the pen name Xuân Diệu, was a
prominent Vietnamese poet. A colossal
figure in modern Vietnamese literature,
he wrote about 450 poems especially
love poems, several short stories, and
many notes, essays, and literary
criticisms.

Quang Nhuong Huynh
Quang Nhuong Huynh is a
Vietnamese author. He has
written two books, and has
received several awards for his
autobiographical work The Land I
Lost. Huynh is credited as being
the first Vietnamese author to
write fiction and non-fiction in
English.
Nguyễn Chí Thiện
Nguyễn Chí Thiện Vietnamese-
born American dissident, activist
and poet who spent a total of
twenty-seven years in prison

The Power of Poetry
To me life by day is artificial.
Labouring in shame, usually faint with hunger,
In trivial chatter, I tease away everything.
My release seems unnecessary,
It's only with the coming of the night that I fully
Live, bitterly, past, present and future.
My heart, my brain, tense and intensified
Bearing the blossoming buds and poetry.
My poems, though they may have the shape of flowers,
Explode with a power that is ten thousandfold.
1972
Three poems by Nguyen Chi Thien

 I Kept Silent
I kept silent when I was tortured by my enemy:
With iron and with steel, soul faint in agony —
The heroic stories are for children to believe.
I kept silent because I kept telling myself:
Has anyone, who entered the jungle and who was run
over by the wild beast
Been stupid enough to open his mouth and ask for
mercy?
1974

Planting Peanuts
Peanut seeds were sown, mixed with ash and dung.
To keep prisoners from tasting them DDT was added.
And did the prisoners touch them?
In the end, tons of peanut seeds were secretly eaten.
Though peanut seeds in the ground
could not sprout
thanks to the 'fertiliser'
the Party announced
that its Winter-Spring project
was successfully completed all the same.
1962

 http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-writers-from-
vietnam/reference
 http://www.vietnamemb.se/en/index.php?option=com_co
ntent&view=article&id=78&Itemid=62
 http://nofixedpie.blogspot.com/2012/10/three-poems-by-
nguyen-chi-thien.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_literature
 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/628557/Vietn
amese-literature
 http://diacritics.org/2012/c%E1%BB%95-tich-story-toad-is-the-
uncle-of-heaven
 https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=kinh+vietnam&biw=
1024&bih=489&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=iqw-
VYiKGZCpuwSsj4DQAQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q
=Hoa+vietnamese+national+costume
References

Vietnam report

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Vietnam report

Similar to Vietnam report (17)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (6)

Vietnam report