Impacts of Geography and History on Vietnamese Culture. UIUC Oct. 26, 2005

Questions we will answer Why Vietnamese alphabet is in Latin?

Questions we will answer How come southerners are dynamic and northerners have stronger traditions?

Questions we will answer Why Vietnam is small geographically, but so diverse in religions, traditions, ethnics…

A satellite view of Vietnam

Geography China in the North India not-too-far West Impact: both Buddhism and Confucius flourish. –Buddhism: popular in 10 th, 11 th. –Confucius: from 12 th, still very strong now.

A natural map of Vietnam

Geography A very long coast, so commercial interactions with Westerners started very early. Impact: western missionaries came to Vietnam to propagate Catholic, Protestant, Muslim… –Current Vietnamese alphabet was invented by missionaries to teach the Bible.

Geography North: –Delta of the Red River: small and having regular floods almost every year. –Hilly regions, surrounded by mountains. Impact: –Hard to make a living, need a lot of past experiences. –Hard to interact with outsiders: keep going with traditions.

Geography South: –Delta of the Mekong River: much better farms than the delta of the Red River. –Surrounded by people from the North, Cambodia, Indonesia… Impact: –Easy to make a living, can take risk. –Immigrants: open-minded, dynamic…

Geography Hilly in the South, Coast and plateau in the Central, (Mekong) Delta in the South Impact: diversity in geography results in diversity in religions, traditions, ethnics…

History of Vietnam

Vietnamese History in Brief Kinh Duong Vuong, Lac Long Quan, Au Co, Vua Hung (?), Chinese control (111 BC – 938 AD), Ngo Quyen earned independence (938), Ly Dynasty chose Hanoi as capital (1010), Tran Dynasty fought against the Mongols 3 times, Quang Trung: unified Vietnam (1789), French control ( ), Socialist Republic of Vietnam

History Hanoi: –Capital since 1010, –Through almost all dynasties. Impact: strong Confucius culture –Order in the family, school,… –Strong traditions.

History Hue: –Capital of the last Dynasty (Nguyen, since 1802) Impact: –Preserve many material or immaterial cultural heritages of Vietnam and the World.

Thanh Noi - Hue

History Ho Chi Minh City: –Established about 300 years ago. –Mostly immigrants from other parts of the country –Much interactions with foreigners. Impact: –Open-minded, dynamic,…

Ho Chi Minh City

Thank you!