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Lifestyle in Vietnam

Vietnam is slowly yet steadily emerging as an international city of South East Asia and
is now seen as a tourist destination for many westerners and Asians as well. Vietnam is
not only gaining momentum in terms of infrastructural development but also growth in
areas like medical care, property, tourism, education, technology and entertainment.
With popular cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City running the race of
industrialization, Vietnam has become a favorite of many who have planned their
retirement.

The Lifestyle
The lifestyle of the people living in Vietnam is strongly influenced by its culture and beliefs.
Thus depending upon the culture and religion observed by people residing in different areas,
the lifestyle too many vary from place to place. With the growth in modernity and
westernization, the young are very slowly transforming the everyday lifestyle and this has led
to a certain divide between generations. But inspite of this change, some aspects of life
continue to remain unchanged and unperturbed.

Vietnamese people give a lot of importance to family ties and it is not uncommon to see
people living in extended families which are well knit together. Since both male and female
members of the family are working in most families, it is the parents of the couples who look
after their babies. Traditionally, the father of the family is considered the head and is
responsible for providing for food and shelter.

Throughout Vietnam, the lifestyle followed by people has a strong influence of the old-age
Confucian values and virtues. This value system demands everybody to pay respect to people
senior to them in age and standard. Some virtues of this system are trustworthiness,
benevolence, respect, dedication and duty. Thus the way people live in general is a result of
these values and moral system.

Lifestyle in the Cities

The lifestyle of people living in urban areas of big cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi is
different from that of people living in rural areas of villages etc. Life in the city is often
modern and complicated. City life is busy and most adults are working. The lifestyle is
competitive and the daily routine consists of work till the evenings and then spending time
with family or friends at night. Most of the inhabitants in the city work at many different
positions like secretaries, doctors, teachers, government workers factory workers and street
vendors etc. The cost of living in the urban areas is more than that in the countryside.

Because of this reason, people tend to work hard to make ends meet. People live in plush
apartments, mansions and big houses. They use many modern day amenities like internet,
mobile phones, cars, bikes, television and satellite connection etc. In the evenings, many
youngsters head to the nightclubs and restaurants for a nice time. These youngsters are seen
wearing modern and western clothes and this is an impact of westernization in Vietnam.
Lifestyle in the Countryside
80% of the Vietnamese population lives in rural areas and villages which are scattered
throughout the lowlands areas and along the coastal line. In these areas, the way people live
on a daily basis is in strong contrast to the life in urban areas and larger cities. People work in
groups and take up jobs as farmers and fishermen. Everybody is helpful to one another and is
involved in a variety of activities such as raising livestock, making handicrafts and farming
etc.

People in the countryside of Vietnam live in small groups or communities and are generally
religious people who worship in temples. These individuals give a lot of importance to the
Confucian system of values and celebrate all festivals with extreme faith. Along the coastal
line, fishermen are very dependent upon the sea as it is their only means of livelihood. These
fishermen are thus very hardworking and worship their work.

Those people residing in central highlands or northern mountains live by growing a number
of things like rice, coffee, rubber trees and tea etc. They also hunt to earn a livelihood. But
the slow industrialization of the country is changing the lifestyle of these people by a very
slow rate. Due to this, many farmers have taken up jobs in industries and even moved to
cities in search of better jobs.

Life of Youth and Parents


In earlier times, children were taught to be respectful of their parents and not raise their voice
in front of the head of the family. But with changing times, this concept has changed and
children have started expressing their opinions. With technological advances, young people
have access to ongoing fashion trends, music and cinema etc. This has a great influence on
them and hence their lifestyle varies from their parents and grandparents. Young people are
now free to go out and live on their own. They do not hesitate in looking for jobs at an early
age, which is a mark of independence.

http://www.presscenter.org.vn/lifestyle-in-vietnam_t221c1142n57024tn.aspx

CLOTHING
Vietnamese native clothing is very bright, natural and modest. Traditional attire is made of
natural fabrics like cotton, silk, and hemp. It is woven, often hand-woven. Such fabric is very
good for a tropical Vietnamese climate. It helps to cope with heat and humidity.
Color is also very important for Vietnamese people. Traditionally men used to wear clothes
of exact color according to the status. For example, yellow color was for kings; brown and
black – for civilian men; red – for high grade mandarins; green and blue – for lower grade
mandarins. Today such color gradation is not actual for men any more. Every person may
wear outfits of any color.
But mostly women still use color gradation, especially in big cities. White color is for young
girls, pastel colors are for young unmarried women, married women use brightly-colored
tunic over white or black trousers.
Men's national clothing
Traditionally men wear brown garment (something like a men's tunic or pajama), turban or
conical hat, and wooden shoes or sandals. Formal dress consists of a white and black
combination.
The early traditional men's costume in Vietnam wasn't very bright. It consisted of white
trousers, a brown top, a scarf and shoes (sandals or wooden clogs). The official clothing
consisted of long velvet or cotton dress and a turban. Official costume often was black&white.

Men's national clothing in Vietnam. Photo from Pinterest.com


Nowadays one of the traditional men's costumes in Vietnam is Ao Dai. But it differs from
women's ao dai. It is much shorter and fuller. It doesn't fit tightly. And it is worn with
trousers.
Everyday men's ao dai is usually brown, but festive one can be of any color. Festive ao dai is
usually ornate – mostly richly decorated with patterns on fabric.
As a headdress turban and conical hat are used. Simple sandals – as shoes.
Women's national clothing
Traditional women's costume includes a tunic (or several tunics), trousers, a conical hat and
shoes. Formal women's dress includes 3 tunics: one of black or light brown, one of light
yellow, and on the inside, a rose tunic.
Traditional women's garment is called Ao Dai. It is a kind of tunic that is tight-fitted and
shows every curve of a body. Almost every woman in the streets of Vietnam is wearing ao
dai. This clothing makes a woman look very slim, graceful and beautiful. The ao dai is worn
over wide, floor-long trousers. Ao dai has splits on the sides that extend above waist height.
That's why this outfit is very comfortable, it is easy to walk and do some work in it.
Ao dai is made individually, because it shout fit perfectly.
Vietnamese women in ao dai. Photo from Tranhgaorang.com
In some regions married women wear bright and colorful ao dai, unmarried girls – dresses of
pastel colors, and young girls – white ao dai. It's their everyday clothes, in which they go to
work or school. But in another parts of the country women wear light brown short shirts and
long black skirts in everyday life.
Actually, ao dai wasn't the first national dress in Vietnam. The earliest version (since 12th
century) was Ao tu than, which used to be rather popular centuries ago. Later it evolved into
the early ao dai which had five flaps: one under the front lap, two in the back, and two in the
front. Ao tu than wasn't so tight-fitted and had a lower collar.
Vietnamese conical hats
People in Vietnam prefer to wear conical hats which protect them from hot sun, rain, rough
wind and help them in ordinary life a lot. Both men and women use them. But the design and
look of such hats vary pretty much. There are more than 50 different types of conical hats in
Vietnam: made for men, women, children, Buddists, army, rich people and so on.
Men's conical hat has a higher cone and smaller rims. Women's is low, broad-rimmed and
often beautifully decorated.
Women often use their conical hat not only as a piece of clothing. They carry fruit and
vegetables in hats as well. Also they can scoop up some water from a well with a hat and
drink. Vietnamese women prefer one of the designs of a conical hat, called "Poetical Leaf".
Women's hats are often beautifully decorated and use ribbons or nice delicate stripes to fix
the hat on the head.
Vietnamese conical hats are always handmade. Such materials as bamboo, young palm leaves
and reed are used. Palm leaves and special kind of bamboo are used to knit a hat and threads
are made from the leaves of a special kind of reed. It is rather hard to make everything nice
and precisely.
Wooden clogs
Men and women in Vietnam traditionally wear special shoes that are popular only in Asian
countries. They are wooden clogs which are called "guoc". They have a symbolic meaning
for Vietnamese people. There are even different legends about the appearance of wooden
clogs.

Such shoes are very convenient for Vietnamese climate and


way of life. The thing is, Vietnamese people spend a lot of time on rice fields and in the water
fishing. So, they needed shoes that can handle the usage in wet places for long time. No cloth
could be used, and there were no synthetic materials yet. At first men and women in Vietnam
walked barefoot. Then clogs were invented. But for a long time after this invention people
didn't use clogs widely. Those who had such shoes used them only for holidays, not in
everyday life. Even in 15th century clogs weren't too popular among ordinary Vietnamese.
Usually clogs are carved from wood (the sole) or made from ivory twigs, bamboo roots,
coconut shells etc. A lot of natural materials can be used. Men's and women's clogs are
different. Women's ones are shaped like hour-glasses, men's clogs have a straight sole.
Modern clogs are much more convenient. They are usually made of plastic and rubber. But
traditional clogs are still used on festivals and ceremonies to honor the past.

http://nationalclothing.org/22-nationalclothing/asia/vietnam/19-national-clothing-in-vietnam-
ao-dai,-conical-hats-and-wooden-clogs.html

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