CULTURAL SCIENCE

Historical sights Throughout its rich 2700 year long history, Vietnam seems to be always on the struggle. Most of Vietnams history up to the 19th century is a constantly struggle against Chinas dominating influence culturally, politically and militarily while still flourishing culturally and economically. Becoming a French colonization in the late 19th century, the Vietnamese thought they would see independence after the famous Dien Bien Phu battle in 1954. However, war continued until 1975. This war, known internationally as the Vietnam war and locally as the war with the US involved the Soviet Union and Republic of China supporting the North; and the USA supporting the South. Though subdued to heavy bombing and warfare, numerous sights witnessing Vietnams rises and falls still stand until today throughout the country. They can be found in any city and most are open to tourists. To name a few famous sights, from North to South: Dien Bien Phu: A quiet valley in North West Vietnam. Here, reminiscents of the famous battlefield that witnessed the 57 day siege leading to Frances defeat still remains. Hanoi: C Loa citadel: This 18km long spiral shaped fortress was built around 250 BCE and is connected to many legends about a Vietnamese princess blinded by love and loosing her kingdom to a Chinese prince. Co Loa festival is held annually on the 6th of the first month according to lunar calendar. Hoa Lo prison: built in 1904 by the French, this prison was used by the French to hold Vietnamese revolutionists; and later was also used by the Vietnamese to hold captured American pilots. Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and Ba Dinh square: where Ho Chi Minh, Vietnams renowned leader used to live, work and made many famous speeches. Uncle Hos body is today still kept here. Quang Tri: the DMZ (demilitarized zone) trace its root back to the Vietnam war, when the S-shaped country was divided into two part by Ben Hai river. A one day trip to visit Vinh Moc tunnel, Truong Son cemetary and such historical places is accessible and worth your time. Tours can be arranged on site or in Hue. Hue: This beautiful city on the two sides of the Huong River is the countrys last ancient feudal capital. Relatively young, many of its ancient looks and architectures are still preserved. Hues forbidden walls, palaces and royal tombs are a must see and have been certified as a World Culture Heritage by UNESCO. Hoi An: Once Vietnams important international seaport and trading center. Hoi An with its ancient architecture and lifestyles that seems unchanged since the 17th century deserves its position as a World Culture Heritage. Cu Chi tunnels: a network of connected underground tunnels, hand dug and used as a hiding and living spot for militaries and civilians during the Second Indochine war. Cultural sites: * Religious sites: Vietnam has many different religions and ethnic minorities. Throughout its history, Buddhism was and still is the most popular religion; nearly every village throughout the nation has its own temple or pagoda, varying in size and architecture. Some nation-famous pagodas have sophisticated architecture and decorations and receive millions of visitors each year, to name a few: Cha Mt Ct (One pillar pagoda- Hanoi), Chua Hng (Perfume Pagoda- Ha Tay), Cha Thin M (Hue) Roman Catholism first entered Vietnam during the 16th century. Many churches have been built in Vietnam, such as the 110 year old Phat Diem church in Ninh Binh. This Catholic Church, made from

stone and wood, resembles a Vietnamese pagoda yet has distinct elements of a typical Catholic church, harmoniously combining Eastern and Western architecture. Cao Dai is a religion unique to Vietnam, worshipping both God and Buddha and having three saints: Victor Hugo, Sun Yat Sen and Nguyen Binh Khiem. Cao Dai has aspects that borrow from Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Catholic. God is symbolized by the Divine Eye. Temples can be found in many cities, but Cao Dais Holy See (the first temple), built between 1933 and 1955 near Tay Ninh province has unique architecture and designs. Make sure you spend some time on this site when you cross border from Cambodia to Vietnam, or while you are in Saigon. These sights are not only famous tourist attractions but until now are still where local Vietnamese practice there beliefs. Tourists visiting religious sites should pay respect to these beliefs. Many places have a strict dress code (no sandals, shorts, skirts, hats) and prohibit taking pictures inside. It would make an interesting experience to listen to the monks stories and lectures. Visiting the people One cannot claim to have known a culture until one has understood and seen the lifestyles of the people. It is always a joy to stroll around the bustling crowded city streets, watching farmers grow rice in the fields, buying fruit from street venders and eating the meals cooked by the people! Vietnamese people are generally friendly and would not mind a foreign tourist wandering harmlessly through their towns and might even try starting a conversation! Homestay tours are now also quite popular, allowing tourists to live and eat with local Vietnamese around the country. Sapa, Mai Chau, are the best places for a homestay. Vietnamese is an ethnically diverse country. Besides the majority Ethnic group, the Viet (or Kinh) there are 53 other ethnic minorities, each with different languages, clothing, and customs. These ethnic groups are scattered around the country (mostly in mountainous areas) and visiting there home towns is also a novel adventure! Before taking picture or entering any house, make sure you get their permission. Try to respect the local lifestyle and you will understand them more. Halong Bay: Just a short few hours from Hanoi, the bay at Halong, with its craggy limestone towers dotting the wide-open bay all the way to the horizon, has long inspired Vietnamese poets and philosophers. A ride on the bay these days is a rather busy, crowded affair, but some luxury tours and a few eco-tour operators can take you to the back of beyond, exploring little-known caves by kayak. Phong Nha -- Ke Bang National Park: These massive caves (more or less an off-the-track site popular with backpackers) are about halfway between Hue and Vinh. You have to arrange your own transport or go with a tour. Hoi An: Tourism has exploded on the ancient streets of Hoi An. A hub of international craft and commerce since the 14th century, this is where Vietnamese, Chinese, and even Japanese tradesmen made and sold their designer wares. Many shops are still-operational wood, stone, and ceramic workshops, but now among them are fine-dining outlets, funky little hotels (as well as new resorts on the outlying beach area of Cua Dai), and lots of bespoke tailors. Shoppers swoon.

Theatre
Ci lng (modern folk opera) Compared to tung and cho, ci lng is more popular in modern Vietnam. Originating in the early 20th century, ci lng includes historical and contemporary themes. Ci lng has remained adaptable for modern innovations and now includes electric guitar and other new inventions. It is accompanied by nhc ti t, which is a complex and partially improvised form of chamber music. Ci lng singing utilizes a great deal of vibrato; the words are extended when singing and the vibrato follows. A common melody used in ci lng is Vng c.

Although ci lng remained extremely popular as late as the 1970s and the 1980s, nowadays this popularity has dwindled, especially among the younger generation, and the remaining troupes are only able to preserve the art because of government funding.[1][2] Ri nc Water puppets. Water puppetry, or ri nc, is a distinctively Vietnamese art form which arose in the 12th century. In water puppetry, a split-bamboo screen obscures puppeteers, who stand in water manipulating the puppets in front of the screen using long poles hidden beneath the water. Due to strict restrictions on learning the art of water puppetry, the form had nearly died out before the Maison des Cultures du Monde intervened in 1984 and helped reinvigorate the genre. Today, water puppetry is popular with tourists to Vietnam.

Museum
Ho Chi Minh Museum Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh Museum or Uncle Hos Museum is located on the junction of the Saigon River, near the end of Saigons Nguyen Tat Thanh Street. This museum is popularly known as the Dragon House or Nha Rong Harbor. The architectural design of Saigons Ho Chi Minh Museum represents a unique mix of traditional Vietnamese and French architectural style. For its spectacular architecture, the building of this museum is no doubt much more interesting than most of the items displayed inside the museum. Erected long back in 1863, this building initially served as the original French customs house in Ho Chi Minh City. All the visitors coming to this once colonial city used to pass through this building when they docked at the port of Saigon. Ho Chi Minh, the most famous hero of Vietnam, passed through this building on the way during his 30-year visit across America and Europe. This museum has a rich collection of Uncle Hos personal belongings. Some of his journals are also preserved in this museum. Items like Ho Chi Minhs pencils, his watering can, rubber sandals, fragments of his clothing and many more vividly describe the life of Vietnams most famous hero. Over the years millions of people have visited this famous museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic
groups of Vietnam. The mission of the Museum is scientific research, collection, documentation, conservation, exhibition and preserving the cultural and historic patrimony of the nations different ethnic groups. The museum also serves to guide research, conservation, and technology that are specific to the work of an ethnographic museum. In its planning for the future, the Museum intends to present the cultures and civilisations of other countries of South-East Asia as well as in the region. v Establishment Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country, which is composed of 54 ethnic groups. Perceiving the importance of having an ethnographic museum to preserve and present the cultural heritages of ethnic groups, the Government decided to establish a museum of ethnology in Hanoi. The Proposal for the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology was officially approved on December 14, 1987. Land was allocated for construction: in 1987, 2,500m2 and in 1988, 9,500m2. Then, in 1990, the Prime Minister decided to allocate the entire 3,27 acres of land to the Museum. During construction (1987 to 1995), the Project Managing Board and the Museum Department were a part of the Institute of Ethnology. On October 24, 1995, the Prime Minister made the decision on establishment of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, under National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities. On November 12, 1997, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology inaugurated its permanent exhibition and officially opened to the public.

The Museum is located in a large open area on Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay District, about 8 km from the city centre. This area used to be paddy field of the local people. During the construction of the Museum, all of the infrastructure was built, including the 700m road from Hoang Quoc Viet Street to the entrance of the Museum. (In the near future, this road will reach the Daewoo Hotel, which is situated between Cau Giay and Lieu Giai Streets) The Vietnamese Government first invested in the Museum in 1986 and construction of the foundation began in late 1989. According to the proposal, the total budget for construction was 27 billion of Vietnamese dong (US$ 1.9 million), not including 4 billion dong (US$ 285,000) for collecting and exhibiting the artefacts. The exhibition building of the Museum was designed by the architect Ha Duc Linh, a Tay minority, who works for the Living Houses and Public Works Building Company, Ministry of Construction. The interior architecture was done by Mrs. Veronique Dollfus, a French architect. The Museum is divided into two parts: an indoor and an outdoor exhibition. The indoor part is composed of the exhibition building, office, research centre, library, storage, technical lab and auditorium. These offices cover 2,480m2, including 750 m2 for storage of artefacts. The outdoor exhibition, which will be accomplished in the first years of the 21st century, is to highlight different types of houses in all parts of Vietnam. Pathways link the indoor and outdoor exhibitions with each other. Since its inauguration on the occasion of the 7th Summit of Francophony in Hanoi, give date the Museum receives about 60,000 visitors annually. What is new at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology? The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a valuable centre for the exhibition and the preservation of cultural heritages of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. To date, the Museum has collected 15,000 artefacts, 2,190 slides, 42,000 photographs, 237 audiotapes, 373 videotapes and 25 CD-ROMs. It is also a centre for ethnographic research employing many experts on the different ethnic groups. People come to the Museum just not to visit or entertain, but also to learn about these ethnic groups, their cultural diversity and the uniqueness of each group and region, as well as traditional values throughout the Vietnamese country. For this reason, national and international visitors, children and students, professionals and nonprofessionals are attracted to the Museum. The artefacts of the Museum are not only priceless antiquities, but many are everyday objects, such as knives, baskets, garments, flutes, pipes and mats. These objects reflect tangible and intangible cultural heritages of the communities, representing lives and creative activities of the people. Thus, artefacts of the Museum are so varied that they are organised into different collections. The Museum has 54 collections of each individual ethnic group. Functionally classified, there are collections of clothing, jewellery, of agricultural tools, fishing instruments, weapons, household utensils and musical instruments. In addition, there are collections of artefacts related to the various religions, beliefs, wedding ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and other social and spiritual activities. Based on the specific collections, the Museum organises exhibitions and publishes books and catalogues in different formats in order to meet the needs of various audiences of different backgrounds. The two-floor building, which is inspired by the Vietnamese famous and ancient bronze drum, holds the permanent collection. A granite bridge leads from the main gate to the entrance of the exhibition, creating a feeling of going up to a house-on-stilts which is very popular in many areas of Vietnam. On entering the Museum, the granite floor is decorated with dark tiles arranged in the shape of an S. This decoration symbolises the shape of the Vietnamese coastline, the earth is in dark colour and the ocean is light grey. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has been designed to reflect the country's technical and scientific progress as well as the Museums objectives. First of all, the Museum was created for everybody. This is reflected in both the architecture and the display techniques. The Museum has ramps for physically

challenged people and an electric elevator allowing access to the second floor. All steps have handrails that are very comfortable for older people. Learning from the experiences of many museums in the world, the museum texts are not in capital letters but small letters so that it is easy for people of different ages to read them. Panels are presented at reasonable heights, for both adults and children. In addition to objects, there are photographs, texts, videos and many reference materials, all of which can be brought into full play to inform visitors with different levels of education and different needs. The objects are displayed as centrepieces because they reflect the everyday lives of the people. The Museums consistent point of view is that the display should be simple, so that visitors can admire the beauty and finesse of each ordinary and simple item. Although there are no illustrative paintings in the Museum, photographs and videos are used to illustrate peoples lives. A restricted number of 700 objects and 280 photographs are displayed in the Museums permanent exhibits, which helps visitors avoid being distracted by an over-representation of artefacts. The different collections are displayed according to language groups and territories. Most of the objects presented in the 97 showcases are original. The showcases have either one-sided windows or four-sided windows, depending on the artefacts presented. For example, some cases present many artefacts; others have only one significant object. Among the showcases in the display, 50 cases are accompanied by texts. Each object has a label denoting its name, the ethnic group and the place where it was created. There are also mannequins, maps, graphs, hardcover books, photographs, videotapes, cassette tapes, models, and 33 section panels. Though the Museum is not large, dioramas highlight certain customs or cultural features of ethnic groups. Adding to the many layers of information available to visitors, the museum provides hundreds of panels composed of explanations, illustrative photographs and maps. Unfortunately, because of limited space, the texts are condensed. Not only do the texts and the object labels serve a national audience, they are also translated into English and French in order to facilitate international visitors. Thus, visitors experiencing the museum, even without a tour guide, are able to understand the main messages of the displays. New technical solutions have been used throughout the Museum, such as focused lights. The light radiates inside and outside the glass windows focusing on the most significant aspect of each object in order to set off its beauty and draw visitors attention. In addition, a ventilation system has been installed within each display area to protect the objects from mould and decay. The outdoor exhibition area is only large enough for the most popular architectural styles to be represented. Already presented are the Ede long house, the Tay stilt house, the Yao house half on stilts, half on earth, the Hmong house whose roof is made of pomu wood, the Viet house with tile roof and the Giarai tomb. There are future plans to present the Bahnar communal house, the Cham traditional house and the Hanhi house made with beaten walls. Between the houses, there are trees indigenous to the area of each house, zigzagging paths and a meandering stream crossed by small bridges. The outdoor museum is being realised step by step.

EVENTS
Describe the birthday party Last Saturday I was invited to a birthday party. My best friend Anna had birthday. We went to Anna's house by car. We were there at 8 pm. On the pavement we could hardly heard the music that Anna was playing by her powerful Nautilus speakers. Anna was standing in the anteroom and greeting all her guests. We wished her the best wishes and then saw a big table. We gave her a small present and we saw about

ten prepared plates and a lot of food and beverages. There was also a huge cream cake in the middle of the table. It seemed that everything was waiting for us. When we entered the room, we greeted our friends. They were laughing and speaking loudly. Then some people started dancing, whereas the other were sitting and chatting. We sat at the table and started a conversation with the people. They appeared to be very nice and cheerful people. Anna invited us to help ourselves and eat everything we wanted. Then we also began dancing and singing the well-known songs. Anna was nice and tried to talk to everybody not to offend anyone. Then we danced together. We were happy. The party lasted until the dawn, when we had to go back home. During the way home we were still singing. I really enjoyed that party. The amount of food and beverages was really big. Everyone could find someone interesting to talk to. I had a great time. I think that any other party couldn't be compared with Anna's. Wedding Went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago(Sept.13) It was my husband and mine friend's daughter who got married!We did not go to church because I have 5 year old twins and had to get a babysitter and the church was at 1:00. they got to sleep over my parent's house, which was great for me! I had a few drinks. They open bar!She gave out programs at church and at reception that listed all the bridal party.(she had 27 people total in bridal party!) WOW! She wrote how she met her boyfriend/husband. And a little history about them. It was cool! She had a picture of them on a BIG picture frame surrounding picture to sign your name and write message! That was different. The girls dresses were RED and BLACK! Her dress had RED on back of dress to match girl's dress. REAL PRETTY!At each place setting- she put a menu which listed all foods you were going to eat! The menu was in red! At dance floor, she had hanging roses coming down. And at table- she crumbled up red rose petals in middle of table with Hurricane lamp with candle in middle which person with closet birthday got to keep! She had alot of different and unique ideas that I did not see at other weddings! It was fun! She had a cool DJ that gave out mardi gras necklaces and those glow -in -the dark-bracelets for the kids. We are Italian and they played Italian music too.He got everyone on the dance floor to do fun dances. It was a fun wedding! I had NO KIDS so I had more fun!!! Tt Holidays I'm from Vietnam, a country located in the southeast of Asia. Being different from most of the Western countries, our New year officially starts on the 1st January counted following the Lunar calendar, it means that we step in New year latter about 1 month than many countries in the world. In Asia, there are some countries have the similar New year time to us like: China, Taiwan,...In my country, the New year occasion called "Tet", the most important time in year to all Vietnamese people. We have about 1 week day-off for enjoying our great time. Before "Tet", almost of all households tidy carefully their houses, go shopping for buying many goods in the very exciting environment. Vietnamese have many beautiful and unique customs in "Tet" holiday. We usually decorate our houses with the special kinds of trees called :"Quat","dao","mai". In term of food, "trung"cake( a traditional cake made of rice, green peas, meat;it is boiled in water), meat-roll, chicken-boiled, bamboo spout soup are indispensable on the table of each Vietnamese house hold. On "tet"days, as the old traditional custom, Vietnamese children will be received the red-envelope which has amount of money inside(called"Li xi") from their parents, relations, known adults; this habit is very meaningful that blessing the children, expelling evils, giving best wishes for them...On the first day of New year, Vietnamese people has a practice to go to the pagoda to pray for good health, prosperous, lucky, alive coming to all members of family. An other nice custom of us is that people always make a visit to their parents, grandparents,..eating a big meal with them, giving them

good says like longer living, being healthier, always happy... "Tet" lasting with a series of entertainment activities; It's always such a great time of each Vietnamese people any way...

Hung King Temple Festival

Every year, a large number of visitors from all over the country participate a national festival - Hung King Temple Festival - an incense offering ceremony in honor of Hung Kings, who were instrumental in the founding of the nation. Legend associated with the Hung Kings It is said that thousands of years ago, Lac Long Quan (King Dragon of the Land of Lac) had superhuman strength and liked to stay near water. He succeeded to the throne of his father, and governed the Lac-Viet tribe. De Lai, king of a northern tribe, with his daughter Au Co made a trip to visit the south. Admiring Lac Long Quan's talent, De Lai married Au Co to Lac Long Quan. Au Co became pregnant and gave birth to a membranous sac. The sac kept getting larger and larger, and burst on the seventh day. Surprisingly, there were one hundred eggs in the sac, which hatched into one hundred beautiful babies. The children of Lac Long Quan and Au Co were the ancestors of Vietnam, and so the Vietnamese are known as "Dragon and Fairy descendants." The eldest son of Lac Long Quan and Au Co, who was with this mother, established himself at Phong Chau, now the southern part of Phu Tho Province, and made himself king. That was King Hung I whose realm was made up by 50 tribes. The 18 Hung kings then ruled the country from 2879 to 258BC. According to historical records, the regime of the Hung Kings was an impressive, brilliant and outstanding start for establishing Viet Nam as a sovereign nation. The 18 generations of the Hung Kings saw the birth and development of a nation and are credited with forging national characteristics such as the sense of community, mutual affection, patriotism and unwillingness to yield to oppression. From this original settlement, the Hong (Red) River civilization and the pre-Dong Son cultures grew. From generations to generations, the Vietnamese people hold a festival nationwide on the 10th day of the third lunar month to commemorate the anniversary of their ancestor's death, founder of the Vietnamese nation - the first Hung King. Hung King Anniversary The Hung King Temple Festival is annually held from 8 th to the 11th days of the third lunar month. The main festival day is on the 10th day of the third lunar March, on which the National Assembly has approved Vietnamese working people to annually have one more national holiday to mark the anniversary of the Hung Kings death. Every year, on this traditional occasion, Vietnamese people worldwide join their brothers and sisters in spirit to observe Vietnam National Day in commemoration of their ancestors. The main ceremony takes place at the Hung Temple on Nghia Linh Mountain in Phong Chau District, Phu Tho Province, some 85km northwest of Hanoi. The Hung King Temple Festival is one of the most important and sacred festivals of the Vietnamese people, deeply imbedded in the minds of every Vietnamese citizen, regardless of where they originated from. Lets contemplate this historical vestige! The Hung Temple is an ancient and sacred architectural ensemble on the top of the 175 metre-high Nghia Linh mountain. The festival offers an opportunity for Vietnamese to visit their land of origin. A day before the festival, ancient and modern flags are to be hung along the road leading from Viet Tri to Hung mountain. A large ballon will also publicise the festival to surrounding areas. On the eve of the festival, 100 flying lights are released into the night sky. The main worship service is held in earnest the following morning, 10th day, beginning with a flower ceremony. In Den Thuong (Upper Temple) where the Hung Kings used to worship deities with full rituals, the ceremony consists of a lavish five-fruit feast. Banh chung (square cake) and banh giay (circle cake) are also served to remind people of the Lang Lieu Legend (the 18th Hung King who invented these cakes), and the merit of the Hung Kings who taught people to grow rice. Next to the stage procession for deities, there are several marches in the procession such as the

elephant march followed by the procession chair. The procession marches are followed by a Xoan song performance (a classical type of song) in the Den Thuong, a "Ca Tru" (a kind of classical opera) in Den Ha (Lower Temple), and other activities like cross-bow shooting, rice cooking, swinging contests, cock fighting, and dragon dancing. On the day of the Hung King Temple Festival, the Vietnamese always jubilantly take part in the festival with religious belief deeply imbedded in their minds, that is their love and pride of their ancestral land. The Festival not only attracts visitors from all over the country thanks to its special traditional cultural activities, but it is also a sacred pilgrimage back to the origins of the Vietnamese nation.