VIETNAM’s
Cultural Passport
CULTURAL
PASSPORT
“This is your personal passport to Viet Nam. Please bring this along as a travel guide to help you explore in detailed Viet Nam’s beautiful and rich culture.
Useful Phrase List Get use to this list will help you better in communication in VietNam Hello. Chào. (jow) Hello. (on the phone) Á-lô. (AH-loh) How are you? Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?) Fine, thank you. Khoẻ, cảm ơn. (kweah, gam uhhn) What is your name? (formal, to a man/woman) Ông/Bà tên là gì? (ohng/ba theyn la yi) My name is ______ . Tôi tên là ______ . (Thoye theyn la _____ .) Please. Làm ơn. (lam uhhn) Thank you. Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)
You're welcome. Không sao đâu. (kohng sao doh) Yes. Vâng (affirmative). (vuhng); Dạ (affirmative, respectful) (ya'a) ; Đúng (correct) (duhn) No. Không. (kohng) I'm sorry. Xin lỗi. (seen loh'EE) Goodbye Chào. (jow), Tambiet Do you speak English? Biết nói tiếng Anh không? (bee-IT noh-Y thee-IHNG ayng kohng) Help! Cứu (tôi) với! (gih-OO (thoy) vuh-y!) Look out! Cẩn thận! (guhn tuh'n!) I don't understand. Tôi không hiểu. (thoy kohng hee-oh) Be back soon Sẽ quay lại sớm (...)
The Clothing
Ao Dai WHATISISÁO DÀI? WHAT
traditionally for everyone is literally means "long dress" or "long tunic. Áo’ stand for clothing and ‘Dài’ means long.
IS VIETNAMESE NATIONAL COSTUME
NÓN LÁ
Known as LEAF HAT. IS VIETNAM’S SYMBOLS OF CHARM. USUALLY WEAR TOGETHER WITH ‘AO DAI’
TO PRONOUNCED -ow zhai in the North -ow yai in the South
Hooks & Holes for button
WHEN TO WEAR?
TET Holiday
Inside seam
Weddings
Front flap Black flap Ceremonies
Pantaloons
a long silk pant
Formal Occassion
Ao dai
+
Non la
= Typical VietNam’s
FORMAL GIRL DRESS WORN BY
A plain white ao dai is a common high school uniform. Flight attendants, receptionists, restaurant staff, and hotel workers in Vietnam may be seen wearing it.
Ao Gam WHATISISÁO GÂM? WHAT
traditionally for the noble classes
a version of the ÁO DÀI made of
thicker fabric. I’m wearing another version of ‘Ao dai’ for men.
KHAN ÐÓNG
USUALLY WEAR TOGETHER WITH ‘AO DAI’ FOR BOTH BRIDES AND GROOMS IN THE WEDDING. Known as a crown-like headgear which is made from silk brocade
Hooks & Holes for button Sleeve
Men’s sleeve is shorter and wider than women’s.
Front flap Black flap
Pantaloons
MEANINGS The word ‘gam’ means ‘brocade‘. Hence it have the name ‘ao gam’ means brocade tunic/ brocade robe
WHEN TO WEAR?
ANY circumstances where the MEN and WOMEN wear
WEDD ING
an expensive
version of
‘ÁO DÀI’
Ceremonies
Birthday Celebration
Death
Festival
Ao Tu Than WHATISISÁO TU THÂN? WHAT
The basic ÁO TÚ THÂN consist of 4 parts
traditionally for the peasant woman
also known as ‘4-PART-DRESS’
associated specifically with northern women
Flowing Outer tunic Reach almost to the floor, open in the front like jacket
YEM
is an ancient bodice, women wear as inner under tunic and skirt.
Two flaps infront are not sewn together, can be tied together or left dangling
Long skirt worn under the tunic
Sash
Usually made by silk, tied at the waist as a belt
PAST & PRESENT Morden day
ACCENT
20th century
12th century was a daily dress of commoners and peasant woman
often made with plainer fabric and in darker colors
ancient Vietnamese preferred more muted colors
obsolete in terms of its daily use in Vietnam
only can be seen often in traditional occasions such as festivals.
extremely colorful
AO Ao YEM Yem WHAT ISIS ÁO YEM? WHAT IS ANCIENT VIETNAMESE BODICE BASIC FORM/SHAPE
traditionally worn by northern Vietnamese women
use primarily as an undergarment
HAIR ACCESSORY
USUALLY WEAR TOGETHER WITH ‘AO YEM’.
have many variations, but all are simple form/shape, the most common were diamond or square-cut shape
The piece of cloth (top) draped over a woman's chest with strings to tie at the neck and back.
SPECIFIC
CASUAL
for daily wear and use, simply black & white
OCCASIONAL for special occasions, the colours more festive and brighter
The Toys
To He WHAT IS TÒ HE?
TOY FIGURINE is traditional toy for children in VietNam.
appear the most in children’s favorite holidays
MAKING OF ‘TO HE’
TET
MADE FROM GLUTINOUS RICE POWDER in form of edible figurine
characters in folk stories
is one of the rare surviving traditional toys of Vietnam.
Moon festival
Holiday
+ ordinary animals
STICK ON BAMBOO STICKS legendary animals
Mua Roi Nuoc WHATISISMÚA RÔI NUOC? WHAT
WATER PUPPET WHAT THEMEIS
literally called "puppets that dance on water" Rural living in VietNam
VIETNAMESEFOLKFLORE
Vietnamese folk tales
often have a humorous twist
Legend
Natural history
THE ‘WATER PUPPET’ SHOWS ARE PERFORM IN A
WAIST-DEEP POOL
of 4 meters square
controlled by puppeteers stand behind a splitbamboo screen
THE PUPPETS Carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg. enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water
The Food
Banh Chung WHATISISBÁNH CHUNG? WHAT Sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf
BÁNH TÉT another version of ‘Banh Chung’
SYMBOLIZED THE EARTH Square shape: I’m famous in the North
Cylindrical shape: I’m well-known by the South
MADE OF
TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE RICECAKE
GLUTINOUS RICE
FATTY PORK MUNG BEAN
(Greengram)
Banh day WHAT ISIS BÁNH DÀY? WHAT SYMBOLIZED THE SKY AND THE HEAVEN
‘BANH DAY’ CHEAP IN PRICE BUT IT’S THE MOST PRECIOUS AND VALUEABLE OF ALL
the round shape that is form of the sky
WHATPRESENT IS THE
‘BANH CHUNG’ and ‘BANH DAY’ can not be missed in TET HOLIDAY.
TOGETHER WITH ‘BANH CHUNG’, BANH DAY IS ALSO A TRADITIONAL & NATIONAL FOOD
PHO WHAT IS PHO? MOST POPULAR NATIONAL DISH IN VIETNAM
LISTED AT NUMBER 28 ON WORLD’S 50 MOST DELICIOUS FOOD WHITE RICE NOODLE (call Banh Pho)
CLEAR BEEF BROTH WITH BEEFCALLED ‘PHO BO’
GRANISH
green onions, white onions, Thai basil, fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon or lime wedges, bean sprouts and coriander, culantro Fish sauce hoisin sauce and chili sauce
(steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket or tendon, tripe, or meatballs in Southern)
WITH CHICKENCALLED ‘PHO GA’
GOI CUON WHAT IS GOI CUON? CONSITS OF: rice vermicelli, pork, prawn, herbs GOI CUON IS FRESH ROLL DIFFERENT FROM THE DEEP-FRIED ROLL
literally "mix salad rolled" WRAPPED IN Vietnamese ‘bánh tráng ‘ (rice paper)
LISTED AT NUMBER 30 ON WORLD’S 50 MOST DELICIOUS FOOD
VietNam’s Cultural Passport by Duong Chieu Dinh. 2012 Allrights Reserved