The game of squares (O an quan)
Either boys or girls, usually age’s seven to ten, play the two-person game of O an quan (literally “Mandarin’s Box”). They draw a rectangle on the ground and divide it…
Kites that make music (dieu sao)
Kite flying is popular throughout the year in Viet Nam but especially so in summer. People of different ages make kites of many shapes, sizes and materials. Children’s kites are…
Bamboo Jacks (choi chuyen)
This girls’ game (chơi chuyen) includes ten thin, well-sharpened, round bamboo sticks and a ball, which traditionally is a fig, a miniature variety of eggplant, a small rock or a…
Spinning Tops (con quay)
In summertime, groups of children often play with tops along Ha Noi’s streets and alleys. Their enthusiasm and happy laughter attract an audience, old and young, and remind older viewers…
Rice cooking competitions (thi thoi com)
During Tet, a number of villages in northern and central Viet Nam hold cooking contests that may sound simple, but follow strict and complex rules: Cooking in the wind and…
Wedding Ceremony
Getting married is an important event in a Vietnamese’s life. The procedure of the ancient wedding ceremony was very complicated. Current wedding ceremony procedures include the following steps: the search…
Customs of Chewing Betel and Areca Nuts and smoking thuoc lao
According to legends, chewing quid of betel and areca has been a custom since the Hung Vuong period and is connected to the antique legend of betel and areca. A…
Villages – Guilds
The Vietnamese culture has always evolved on the basis of the wet rice civilization. Thus, the lifestyle of the Vietnamese population is closely related to its village and native lands.…
Worship of Ancestor Custom
A very popular belief among Vietnamese is the custom of the ancestor cult. In every household, an ancestor altar is installed in the most solemn location. Vietnamese believe that the…
Viet Nam Handicrafts
Viet Nam is a country rich in handicraft products, thanks to the hard-working, dexterous, and creative qualities of the Vietnamese people. For a very long time, handicraft products have been…