Traditional festivals and folk customs: Vietnam’s traditional festivals are the same as those in China, including the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, etc., among which the Spring Festival is the most grand festival. Vietnamese folk customs are simple and the people are civilized and polite. When meeting, it is customary to say hello, nod, shake hands, or hug each other according to French etiquette. They are usually addressed as brothers and sisters. Vietnam is deeply influenced by Chinese culture and many believe in Buddhism. Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. After the tenth century, Buddhism was revered as the state religion. There are currently about 20 million Buddhists in the country. In addition, Catholicism has been introduced to Vietnam for more than 400 years, and there are currently more than 3 million believers, mostly in the south. Vietnamese worship their ancestors and are generally superstitious about the City God and the God of Wealth. Most people have altar tables and incense tables in their homes, and they worship at home during holidays. Clothing is simple. For formal occasions, men wear suits, and women wear ethnic "long shirts" (similar to cheongsam) and trousers. The eating habits are similar to those of some ethnic groups in Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan in my country. He eats with chopsticks and likes to eat light, cold, sour and spicy food. Vietnamese people are taboo about taking a group photo of three people together. You cannot use a match or lighter to light cigarettes for three people in a row, as it is considered unlucky. You don't want others to touch your head, and you can't point your feet towards others when sitting on the floor.

Names and titles The main surnames of the Kinh ethnic group in Vietnam include Nguyen, Chen, Wu, Li, etc. Like the Chinese, the Vietnamese also have their surname first and their given name last. Most of them have a single surname and a double-character name, but a few also have a single surname and a single-character name. In the Vietnamese's address, in addition to the more commonly used neutral "I" (pronounced "dui") in the first person, the second person "you" and the third person "he" (she) do not have neutral personal pronouns, and are usually based on the other person's pronouns. To express affection or respect, for example, for people of the father's generation, the second person is directly used as "uncle", "aunt", "uncle", "aunt", etc.; for the third person, "that uncle" is used. , "that aunt", etc. The Vietnamese do not distinguish between "morning and evening" and "goodbye". They usually use "chao" to express their greetings. For example, when meeting, they say "zhao comrade". It means "Hello, comrade". When saying goodbye, "call comrade" means "goodbye, comrade". When Vietnamese people address each other, they usually use the title together with the last name, and rarely use both the surname and the given name. This is considered impolite. For example, a man named Ruan Xingqiang can be called "Uncle Qiang", "Uncle Qiang", "Brother Qiang", "Brother Qiang" or "Mr. Qiang" or "Comrade Qiang" according to his age and closeness.

In ancient times, the Kinh people of Vietnam wore various pullovers and long skirts. In the Middle Ages, civilians wore brown cloth, and officials wore blue geese. After the 15th century, the rich usually wore Jinluo. Sa Ge wore red robes when attending sacrifices and banquets, officials wore brown or black cloth, officials wore cyan clothes, and common people wore dark-colored coarse cloth. After the French entered Vietnam, the clothing of civilians began to change greatly. , women wear knotted tops and trousers. In modern times, men in Vietnamese cities mostly wear suits, and women wear colorful narrow oil robes. They can be said to be the national dress of Vietnamese women. The attire is colorful, the hem is stretched and opened to the waist, making it easy to move. What is particularly important is that when Vietnamese women wear robes, they also wear a pair of black or white wide-leg floor-length trousers. , rings, and more long hair, or tied with hairpins at the back of the head. The Jing people, Dai people, Thai people, and Aidi people in Vietnam all have a special hobby of chewing beach nuts. Rub a little lime paste or alkali on the coconut and chew it in your mouth to cause a chemical reaction in the mold. The juice will flow out from the corner of the mouth without swallowing. When chewing the coconut, spit out the residue. It is usually bitter at first and then sweet. , can stimulate the nerves, refresh the mind, remove accumulation and reduce swelling. The Jing people also regard the nut as a token, whether it is a proposal or a treat, it is an ancient custom of the Jing people to chew the nut and dye their teeth. As long as they reach the age of 17 or 18, they start to dye their teeth. According to their custom, starting to chew thumbnails and dye their teeth means that they are old enough to get married. From then on, these young men and women can freely participate in any local entertainment gatherings and participate in couples. Song, choose the object. With the development of the times, this ancient custom has gradually declined, but in rural Vietnam, you can still see many elderly women whose teeth are dyed black and bright. In their eyes, they want to keep their teeth white. Such as jade is a sign of poor quality and bad style, and teeth are most beautiful if they are dyed black and bright. Festivals Vietnam also uses the solar calendar and the lunar calendar. In addition to national statutory holidays such as New Year's Day, International Labor Day, National Day, etc. Vietnam also celebrates Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Spring Festival, etc. Like the Chinese, the Spring Festival on the lunar calendar is the biggest festival of the year. There is a folk song in Vietnam: "Fat meat, ginger, scallions and red couplets, flags, firecrackers and big rice dumplings." It means that when the Spring Festival is here, you should prepare sumptuous meat dishes, cook rice dumplings, and put up red couplets and high flags on the door. Flags fluttered in the wind and firecrackers sounded. From this folk song, we can see how much Vietnamese people attach great importance to the Spring Festival. At the transition between the new year and the old year, Vietnamese people also have the habit of keeping the year old. On New Year's Eve, people usually sing sleeping songs for the entertainment of local soldiers, which later spread among the people. The so-called military drum is actually a wooden or iron barrel. Two pillars are erected at the end of the village. The barrel is tightened with hemp rope or steel wire and fixed on the pillar. The rope is struck with a stick to make a ringing sound. The men and women stood on each side, singing to each other while knocking, laughing and singing together, and the atmosphere was cheerful and warm. Some young men and women establish feelings and establish love relationships through antiphonal songs.

Ancestor Worship Vietnamese people, like other Orientals, pay attention to filial piety. In every family, it is indispensable for children to honor their grandparents and parents. The Vietnamese worship their dead ancestors very deeply, so they attach great importance to their ancestor worship beliefs and inherit them from generation to generation, forming a large scale. People believe that although a loved one dies, his soul still exists, plays a role in protecting and supervising future generations, and dominates all people's activities. Many disasters and blessings in the world depend on the blessing and relief of the ancestors. Every Vietnamese household has a shrine, a shrine, or a shrine. It is an altar to worship ancestors and a holy place to worship ancestors and gods. No one can offend it, and no one can have any dirt on it. In the city, due to the cramped living quarters, the altar design was small and varied. Such as nailing a board to the wall or using the top of a cabinet as an altar to worship ancestors. An incense burner is placed in the center of the altar, with two incense candles on both sides. A thin red lacquered wooden plate or plastic is placed in front of the incense burner. There are fruits in glass dishes, a pair of vases and a number of cups and saucers for sacrificial offerings. There are also couplets posted on both sides of the altar in some families, such as "The merits of the ancestors flourish for thousands of years, the sons and daughters are filial and the virtuous and virtuous are prosperous for thousands of generations", "The family is prosperous with blessings and rituals, and the wealth and wealth are prosperous", etc.

Vietnamese people regard worshiping their ancestors as an important matter, and use it to express gratitude to their ancestors for their upbringing. Although many families have different religious beliefs, worshiping their ancestors cannot be ignored. Before the Spring Festival comes, the altar must be rearranged, incense candles must be inserted, and offerings must be placed. During the three days of the Spring Festival, the altar is always lit with incense, and parents and clan members pray before the family has a reunion dinner. Vietnamese people's worship of ancestors is also reflected in taboo names. In normal times, descendants should avoid mentioning the names of their ancestors and fathers. If some nouns overlap with the names of their ancestors and fathers in real life, they should avoid them or use synonyms instead. When children are young, parents do not let them know the names of their ancestors to prevent them from shouting randomly and disrespecting their ancestors. If someone points at the name of an ancestor and ridicules or insults him, the person being ridiculed or insulted will think that he has suffered a great shame and humiliation, which will arouse deep hatred. In recent years, taboo names have become less common in cities, but in rural areas this custom is still maintained. In addition to worshiping ancestors, ancient Vietnamese people generally had superstitious beliefs about city gods, divination, astrology, Feng Shui, spirits, etc. All natural objects and natural phenomena, such as rivers, lakes, mountains, big trees, wild beasts, wind and rain, etc., in their minds, have spirits residing in them, and they should be worshiped and sacrificed in order to ward off disasters and bring blessings. For example, in Kim Lien Village in Don Do District, Hanoi, there is still an inscription of the God of the Mountain King, erected in 1510. In rural areas, the earth god, banyan tree god, snake god, tiger god and the center stone of the village are usually worshiped. Center board etc. People sacrifice it in places where tigers often hang out, and they must not offend it in their words and deeds, calling it "the king of the mountain" in a low voice. If you encounter a tiger, not only cannot you kill it, but you must also offer various sacrifices. In ancient times, Vietnamese people generally worshiped ancient trees that were evergreen all year round and had luxuriant branches. They believed that if these big trees that had withstood violent storms and lightning strikes for a long time could survive, there must be gods under the trees. Therefore, there were often people under the shade of the trees, especially the banyan trees. Incense tables are placed underneath or temples are built in the open space next to the trees. Feng shui masters and fortune tellers often gather here.

Religious Religion Starting from the Western Han Dynasty in China in 111 BC, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism began to be introduced into Vietnam from China, which had a great influence on the ideology of the Vietnamese. The Buddhism introduced from China is Mahayana Buddhism, which the Vietnamese call "Northern Buddhism". In addition, some Vietnamese believe in Theravada Buddhism, which they call "Southern Buddhism", which was introduced from Thailand and Cambodia. Among Vietnamese who believe in religion, Buddhism accounts for the largest proportion, and the majority of them believe in Mahayana Buddhism. There are many temples in various places. Buddhists avoid killing and believe in karma and retribution. On major festivals and personal birthdays, people generally go to Buddhist temples to worship Buddha, offer gifts, and listen to monks chanting sutras.

Catholicism has been introduced to Vietnam for more than 500 years. At the beginning of the century, Western missionaries began to preach in Vietnam, but they were officially prohibited. The first missionaries to Vietnam were Odreco Badeneau and Francis Xavier, two French missionaries. During the French period, Catholicism gained legal status in Vietnam and developed rapidly. By 1966, there were 11 dioceses in North and South Vietnam with 3 million Catholic believers. Christianity also has many believers in Vietnam, mainly distributed in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ha Tay, Thua Thien, Quang Nam, Pleiku, Binh Thuan and other places. Christianity is a new sect that split off from Catholicism. It has only been introduced to Vietnam for nearly a hundred years and is called the "gospel" in Vietnam. In 1893, Christian pastor David Lollahan went to Saigon to preach. Subsequently, pastors successively went to Vietnam to preach, but they were banned by the French colonial authorities. It was not until 1920 that Christianity gained a foothold in Vietnam.

Most of the Kinh farmers in Xining, Dishi and other places in southern Vietnam believe in the Cao Dai religion. The full name of the religion is the "Pudu Cao Dai religion in the third phase of Dao Dao". It was founded by Wu Wenchao and Li Wenzhong in 1926. . This religion combines Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Taoism, and Confucianism, and believes in Confucius (humanity), Jiang Taigong (Shinto), Jesus (holy way), Laozi (immortal way), and Shiji (Buddhism). Followers of Caotai Religion can worship their ancestors, but they cannot offer grass or use paper horses. They must avoid killing, greed, meat, sex, and foul language. They must burn incense and chant sutras at 6:00, 12:00, 18:00, and 24:00 every day. .

Many people have joined the Hoa Hao Church in An Giang, Dong Thap Mui, Ha Tien, Dong Xuan and other places in southern Vietnam. The religion is a variant of Buddhism and was founded in 1939 by Vietnamese Huang Fuchu. The village where Huang Fuchu lived was named "Hehao Village", so it was named after it, which means filial piety and good relations.

Like Buddhism, the teaching also talks about compassion. The believers of fraternity, great harmony and karma are mostly farmers, and it is also called "peasant Buddhism". Hehao teaches monks but does not build temples. A piece of red cloth is used instead of the image of the god and Buddha. The believers make offerings to the Buddha twice in the morning and evening. The offerings are flowers and water. Flowers represent steadfastness and water represents purity.

In just a few months of living in Vietnam, I was fortunate enough to see the grand scene of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam celebrating the Liberation Day in the South. Vietnamese friends said that April 30 is the most memorable day for the people of southern Vietnam because on April 30, 1975, southern Vietnam was liberated.

As Liberation Day approaches, cities in the south, especially Ho Chi Minh City, show a lively scene.

Bright national flags are hung in the streets and alleys, and red flags are flying when walking on the streets; various units are making various preparations; every household is also beaming with joy... People are easily attracted by this. Infected by this atmosphere.

The most exciting thing is that a large-scale ethnic customs garden has been held in the Reunification Square in the center of Ho Chi Minh City. In it, you can see various customs and customs of Vietnam, which is a microcosm of Vietnam.

Vietnam’s human chess is the most special. What attracts people’s attention is the huge chess board, but the most curious thing is that there are people standing on the chess board, wearing clothing with logos. They are the “chess pieces” ". The "commander" outside the field directs the attack route of the "chess pieces", and the method of playing chess is similar to that of Chinese chess. When the "chess pieces" are facing each other head-on, both sides fight against each other with all their strength, and the weaker side is eliminated. The whole game of chess makes people feel "alive".

Swinging is also a traditional program in Vietnam. According to Vietnamese friends, it is an indispensable part of every temple fair.

The swing is very big, and the frame is very high. The rope holding the swing is covered with a long bamboo pole, so when it is swinging, the rope will not bend and the curvature is large. Generally, two people can stand on the swing, and there are people below pulling it with ropes. You can imagine that a Vietnamese girl wearing elegant traditional clothes is standing on it, and when the swing is swung high, she looks like a butterfly flying in the air.

"Bang bang..." Fireworks flew up, followed by bursts of lively gongs and drums. When I squeezed forward, I saw that it was a water puppet show. Vietnam's water puppet show is a wonder in the garden of puppet shows in the world. "Water" is the artistic life of water puppets, and water puppet show artists have brought it into full play. Amidst bursts of firecrackers, gongs, drums, and conch trumpets, dragons, fish, and turtles scrambled to jump out of the water. The animal characters of these gods were shaped according to the traditional Vietnamese folk painting art, and were painted with raw lacquer gold powder and various colors to appear simple. cute. In the traditional repertoire of water puppet shows, people can see beetles spraying water and fairies dancing to the "Divine Comedy" in fantasy performances.

The performances on the stage are traditional Vietnamese operas, including reform operas. The performers wore traditional costumes, sang ancient tunes, and danced rhythmically. The performance is very old and unique, and is welcomed by the locals. This charming music will linger in your ears wherever you go.

In the Ethnic Customs Garden, there are also various food exhibitions, including spring rolls, rice noodles, roll noodles and other delicious snacks with Vietnamese characteristics. Visiting there is not only a feast for the eyes, but also a feast for the mouth. More importantly, it allowed us to feel the various customs and customs of Vietnam.

(Ma Lini)

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