Be A Learner: May 2012

Basic Information

Full name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Land area: 329,566 square kilometer
Capital City: Hanoi
National Language: Vietnamese
Religions: Buddha, Taoist, Confucial, Hoa Hoa, Coadist, Muslim, Christian.
Languages: Vietnamese(official), Chinese, English, French, Russia

Did you know?????

It is very rude to touch a person on its head because it is considered as the scariest part of a body.
The communist Party is the only legal political party in the country.
Vietnam is a home to eight hundred spices of birds, along with monkeys, iguanas, black squirrels, and two hundred types of others animals.

Vietnamese Holiday

New Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jan 1^st
Vietnam New Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jan 27th
Anniversary of the founding of the Vietnamese Communist Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Feb 3^rd
Liberation Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .April 30^th
International Workers Day, or May Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 1^st
Buddha Birthday. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .First full moon in May
Anniversary of Dien Bien Phu 1954 victory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .May 7th
Ho Chi Minh Birthday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .May 19^th
National Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sep 2^nd
Buddha’s Enlightment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec 8^th
Christmas Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. .Dec 25^th

Can you say it in Vietnamese?

English                                                              Vietnamese                                                       Pronouncing
Hello                                                                 Xin Chao                                                           (seen-CHOW)
Good-bye                                                         Tam Biet                                                            (tam BEET)
Please                                                               Xin                                                                    (seen)
Thank you                                                       Can on                                                               (cam UHN)
Yes                                                                   Da                                                                     (yah)
No                                                                 Khong                                                                (khum)

Basic Paragraph

The full name is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam is located in the south east of Asia. The population in Vietnam is 84,402,966 people. The land area in Vietnam is 329,566 square feet. The capital city is Hanoi. The national language they speak is Vietnamese. The religions are Buddhism, Taotist, Confuctain, Hoa Hoa, Caodai, Muslim, and Christian. Some plants in Vietnam are rice, fruit, soybean, Royal Pagoda, Wild Pagoda, Milk hung flower, Red Blossom.

Weather

Hills and mountain are mostly found in the far North. While South experienced the tropical weather. The country only has two seasons rain and drought. In winter months the temperature do not reach freezing. In the South, May to September is hot. In October to March is warm, humid, and dry.

Flag

Vietnam’s flag is red. There is a gold star in the middle. Red stands for communism. Also the color of luck and happiness. The gold star stands for the color of the people skin that live in Vietnam.

Food

The most common food in Vietnam is rice. It is serve with food both sweet and savory mixed with small amounts of others food. When the family eats each person take some rice from a common bowl into his or her own bowl. Then cover it with fruits or vegetables or meat that goes with the meal.

Animals

Tigers, deer, and crocodiles live in Vietnam. Leopard and black bear wander through the mountains. Poisonous snakes like the king of cobra slide through the jungles. The Javan Rhinoceros lives in Vietnam. It is one of the rarest animal in the world. It weigh up to 3,300 pounds.

Dating and Marriage

Youth begin dating in their late teens. In urban areas, young people generally go as couples to coffeehouses or movies. In rural Vietnam, they tend to socialize in groups. Young people are free to choose their mates; they are encouraged to marry after the man is at least 25 and the woman 23. Some weeks or months before a wedding, the two families meet to get to know each other. Later, there will be a formal proposal ceremony, when the man asks permission of the bride's parents to marry her. At a traditional wedding, the two families sit on opposite sides of a table in front of an ancestral altar.

Landforms

Four major rivers are in Vietnam. The Red river flows from China into the Gulf on Tonkin. The four major rivers are Mekong, Red, Ma and Perfume. The Mekong river torn into nine smaller rivers. My country had lots of farmland so most people are farmers.

Holidays

There are 11 major holidays in Vietnam. The most important one is Lunar New Year. Before the Lunar New Year, people clean their houses. During the holidays they have big meal. Children receive presents and other stuff. Friends and families give children red envelopes with money inside.

Economy

The President is Truong Tan Sang. The Prime Minister is Nguyen Tan Dung. The three most powerful leaders are the president, the prime minster and the secretary general. The president is elected by the National Assembly. Many people is starting their own business most people farm rice for living.

Landmarks

There are many famous places in Vietnam. Here are some famous places in Vietnam the marbles mountains, Hanoi, City Hall, Hoi An, Da Lat, Vung Tau, Ha Long Bay, Con Dao, PhuQuoc, NinhBinh, NhaTrang, Cu Chi Tunnels, Turtle Towers, Sword Lake, Status of Ly Thai Lo, Tram Huong tower, Saigon. Many landmarks in Vietnam are landforms.

Vietnam War

Soon, the leaders of the south, who weren’t communist, and the leaders of the North, who were communist, created the Vietnam War for control of all Vietnam, The United State quickly sent troops to help the South, and the and the Soviet Union provided support for the North. American troops began fighting in 1965 but they couldn’t defeat the communist army. The U.S. troops left in 1973, and the North eventually took over the entire country two years later. In 1975 North and South were joined as a communist country called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Chinese Invasion

Long ago, the Vietnamese lived in small kingdoms and farmed for living. But in the third century BC, Chinese invaders began to take over these kingdoms. The Vietnamese united to fight the Chinese but they weren’t a match for the mighty Han Dynasty. For a thousand years, China spread its culture and politics throughout the land. Finally in the AD 900’s rebels defeated Chinese Troops and declared independence.

French Era

In 1801 a ruler named Nguyen Anh overthrew the Tay Son brothers with the help of a French army. Nguyen Anh was a harsh king. He turned on the France and the villagers who hated him. France invaded and by 1883 controlled all of Vietnam. After World War II, a popular communist leader named Ho Chi Minh declared the north was an independent country. By 1954, he had forced the French out.

Religions

Buddhism is practiced by 9 percent of the population. Temples and pagodas (places of worship) are busy with people offering prayers for success and health. About 7 percent is Roman Catholic. Christianity is becoming more popular cites. Regardless of religion, nearly all Vietnamese perform rituals for their ancestors. The Vietnamese believe that the dead help or hinder the living. Almost every Vietnamese family has an altar for ancestor worship. Family members place fruit and/or flowers on the altar twice a month. They also burn incense and offer prayers to ancestors for support in overcoming bad luck and obtaining good luck.

Today

The civil war killed millions and ruined the economy. After the war, the Vietnamese were very poor and had little stuffs, but they slowly began to rebuild their country . At first, communist laws gave people little freedom. But in 1989, the Vietnamese government began to relax some of its laws. Today the Vietnamese government began to relax some of it’s laws. Today the Vietnamese still has many problems but new leaders with international help, are beginning to solve them.

Games and Sports

Soccer and volleyball are favorite sports, but badminton are table tennis are also popular. Girls don’t play organized sports as often as boys do. Many kids play a kind of freeze tag, called choi do, at night while their parents visit each other. Kids in rural areas have less time and fewer toys to play with than city kids. Instead, they like hide-and-seek and dodgeball, and they make their own toys and games out of anything handy.

Getting Around

Not many Vietnamese own cars. In cities, they ride bicycles or motor scooters. In the countryside, they might also ride the family buffalo, ride on a cart, or just walk. Buses are really crowded and sometimes are falling apart, but people often take them to get around the cities or to go from one city to another. People also take trains to travel between cities. The Vietnam war destroyed many roads, some are still in need of repair.

Animal Kingdom

A saying in the United States is that a dog is a man’s best friend. In rural Vietnam, however, a man’s best friend would probably be his water buffalo. The buffalo plow fields and carry people and supplies around the villages. Usually, farms also include ducks, which are raised for their eggs and for their meat. Wild animals in Vietnam include tigers, black bears, large poisonous snakes, elephants, leopards, and crocodiles.

Time Line
1558-Regional wars are fought among the leader in Vietnam
1786- Three Tay Son brothers reunite all of Vietnam and change laws to help poor villagers
1802- With France help Nguyen Anh defeats the Tay Son kings make him king and change the country name to Vietnam.
1847- France invades Vietnam.
1883- France gains full control over Vietnam.
1939-1945: Japan controls Vietnam during World War II. But France take over again when Japan is defeated.
1945- Ho Chi Minh declares the North Vietnam is an independent country.
1946-1954: In Viet Minh War communist soldiers in North defeat France.
1955- South Vietnam dived from North since 1945, becomes the republic of Vietnam.
1965-The U.S. enters the Vietnam War and support the South Vietnamese leaders against the communist North.
1975- After U.S. troops leave North Vietnam conquers South Vietnam.
1976- North and South Vietnam become one country named the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
1994- The U.S. begins trading again with Vietnam.
2005- Prime minster Phan Van Khai visits the U.S. the first such visit by a Vietnamese leader since the Vietnam War.

Recourses

www.culturegrams.com
Vietnam By: Michael Dhal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam
http://www.ncwiseowl.com/zones/elementary/index.htm

Important Pictures