| The U.S.-based Huffington Post has named | | | | terms were devised for Western ideas imported |
| Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi among a top | | | | through the French. However, the Romanized |
| ten of great winter destinations in the world. | | | | script did not come to predominate until the |
| “Hanoi maintains a relatively warm and dry | | | | beginning of the 20th century, when education |
| winter, which can be a lot more manageable than | | | | became widespread and a simpler writing system |
| the hot, wet summers. Combined with the city's | | | | was found more expedient for teaching and |
| fascinating history and amazing food, Hanoi a | | | | communication with the general population. |
| great winter destination,”the website wrote. | | | | People |
| Vietnam’s capital last year drew more than | | | | Although it is a small country with the area of |
| 1.3 millions international visitors and is currently | | | | 329,560 square kilometers, there are up to 54 |
| preparing hundreds of cultural activities for its | | | | different ethnic groups inhabiting in Vietnam, of |
| 1,000th anniversary in 2010. | | | | which Kinh (Viet) people accounts for nearly 86% |
| The other Top Ten are St. Petersburg, Russia; | | | | of the whole population, and the others are ethnic |
| Reykjavik, Iceland; Krakow, Poland; Tokyo, Japan; | | | | minority groups that represent about 14%. |
| Tallinn, Estonia; Mumbai, India; Edinburgh, | | | | According to historical materials, Viet people was |
| Scotland; Berlin, Germany; and Sydney, | | | | the first group living in Vietnam. And then other |
| Australia. | | | | people came from the Southeastern Asian area. |
| General Information | | | | Almost of them are from China. Their ancestors |
| Population-84million people | | | | migrated to Vietnam few hundred years ago. |
| Total Area - 329,560 square kilometers | | | | There are ethnic minority groups such as Khmer |
| Capital - Hanoi | | | | and Cham, descendents of inhabitants who lived in |
| Time Zone - Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +7 | | | | central and southern Vietnam before the area |
| hours | | | | was conquered by Vietnam. The other groups are |
| Location | | | | Muong, Pathen, Pu peo,etc. All of them are divided |
| Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries | | | | into 5 major groups following the language they |
| located in the South East Asia. In the North, | | | | speak: Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Viet-Muong, |
| Vietnam shares the long borderline with China. In | | | | Sino-Tibetan, and Austronesian. |
| the East, Vietnam is bordered by the Gulf of | | | | Nowadays, Kinh (or Viet group) mostly base in |
| Tonkin, inn the East and South by the South | | | | plains, especially in the Red River Delta and the |
| China Sea, in the South West by the Gulf of | | | | Mekong Delta. The ethnic minority groups locate in |
| Thailand, and in the West by Cambodia and Laos. | | | | the mountainous areas. Each group has their own |
| Owning to stretching the length of the | | | | custom and tradition. However, they are all |
| Indochinese Peninsula, Vietnam boasts a unique | | | | friendly and love peace. |
| shape of an elongated S and a long coastline of | | | | Food |
| 3,444km (2,140 miles) with a lot of wonderful | | | | Eating out in Vietnam ranges from street food to |
| sites. | | | | fine dining in luxury hotels. Though from |
| Climate/Weather | | | | anywhere, it cannot be denied that Vietnamese |
| Although Vietnam lies entirely within the tropics, | | | | food is tasty and healthy. It is often made by |
| the Vietnam’s climate surprisingly varies from | | | | different kinds of vegetables. Rice is the staple |
| region to region with the annual average | | | | cereal and fish-sauce "nuoc mam" is extensively |
| temperature from 22ºC to 27ºC because of | | | | used. The most popular dish among the local |
| its topography. The mountainous people of Sapa | | | | people is the Ph? - a noodle soup with meat, beef |
| in the north might be seeking shelter from snow | | | | or chicken. The chicken soup (pho ga) or beef |
| while the urban dwellers of Ho Chi Minh City in the | | | | soup (pho bo) is quite spicy and available at all |
| south seek refuge from mid-day heat. | | | | food stalls at US $0.60 per bowl. Pho Bo Tai is a |
| In the North (from Hai Van mountain pass in the | | | | soup with rare beef fillets. Another specialty is the |
| middle of Vietnam to the North), it is the weather | | | | spring roll, which is found in many versions, with |
| of four different seasons in a year: Spring, | | | | varying ingredients used. |
| Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Spring lasts from | | | | The menu in restaurants is mainly non-vegetarian |
| February to April with warm weather. In Spring, it | | | | with dishes made from pork, fish and beef, snake |
| is characterized by fine drizzle that helps plants | | | | and soft-shell turtle, which is considered a delicacy. |
| grow fast and flowers bloom brightly. Summer | | | | Chè is a dessert made from sticky rice, beans, |
| lasts from May to August with hot and showery | | | | and a seasonal fruit. International cuisine such as |
| weather. The sun shines almost days. And there | | | | French, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and American is |
| are sometimes sudden thundershowers that | | | | also available. |
| make summer less hot and become cooler. | | | | Fruit smoothies made from seasonal fruits are |
| Autumn lasts from September to November with | | | | popular. Fruits such as custard apple, sugar apple, |
| cool air, and dry and lightly windy weather. It can | | | | banana, avocado, durian, strawberry, jack fruit, |
| be said that it is the most beautiful season in a | | | | passion fruit, dragon fruit, lychee and mango can |
| year with yellow leaves falling on the streets and | | | | be found in fruit stalls. You will need to clean the |
| yellow bright shines in day time although | | | | fruit thoroughly before eating. |
| sometimes typhoons threaten life and agriculture | | | | It is also recommended that you buy bottled |
| in the country. Winter lasts from November to | | | | water rather than drinking tap water. Don't miss |
| January with cold and dry weather. It is the | | | | out the bia h?i (meaning ‘beer gas'), as the |
| coldest season in a year. Frost and snow can also | | | | Vietnamese call draught beer. Imported brands |
| occur in the mountains (over 1000m above level | | | | such as Carlsberg, San Miguel and Heineken are |
| sea), that make Vietnamese people eager to go | | | | available along with local brands such as Tiger, |
| up to see and take nice photos of such scare | | | | Saigon, and 333 (pronounced "ba-ba-ba"). |
| event of a year. | | | | Currency/ Money |
| The southern region is predominantly | | | | The currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). |
| sub-equatorial with two main seasons of wet | | | | Notes are available in denominations of VND |
| rainy season and dry season. A wet rainy season | | | | 100,000; 50,000; 20, 000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; |
| ranges from April to September. It is often sunny | | | | 1,000; 500; and 200 hundred. Many tourists call |
| in mornings and rainy in late afternoons. Showers | | | | Vietnam is a country of many thousand Dong. |
| often rain heavily but stop quickly. A dry season | | | | Coins have just recently been re-introduced and |
| spans the months of October to May. The | | | | are available in 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; and 200 |
| weather becomes hotter. The Sun shines all days. | | | | Dong denominations. |
| But it becomes so cool at night. Definitely, the | | | | The USD is widely used in Vietnam's cities. |
| weather is rather stable in the south. | | | | Tourists can use USD when travel around |
| Language | | | | Vietnam but please look at exchange rate in the |
| The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese, | | | | exchange rate table before coming to Vietnam. |
| which is the mother tongue of the Vietnamese | | | | VISA, MasterCard and American Express cards |
| people who constitute 86% of Vietnam's | | | | are accepted in major hotels, restaurants, and |
| population, and of about three million overseas | | | | shops in the urban areas. Travelers Checks are |
| Vietnamese. And it is the second language of the | | | | easily changeable at banks and moneychangers all |
| ethnic minority groups in the country. It is | | | | over the country. Commissions are US$1 for a |
| monosyllabic, with each syllable having six different | | | | US$100 TC at Vietcombank, US$2 at ANZ Bank. |
| tones that can change the meaning of the word. | | | | Shopping |
| This makes it quite difficult for new learners. | | | | Vietnam is not exactly a shopper's paradise, and |
| Beside the official language, each ethnic minority | | | | the streets are awash with little shops selling all |
| group has its own dialect that has been used and | | | | manner of items. You can do a lot of souvenir |
| preserved in daily life. | | | | shopping in Hanoi, Hanoi’s Old Quarter is |
| The Vietnamese writing system in use today is | | | | particularly excellent for visitors with shops selling |
| an adapted version of the Latin alphabet, with | | | | clothes, gold, embroidered tablecloths and |
| additional diacritics for tones and certain letters. | | | | handbags. Around Hanoi have many handicraft |
| The different tones are indicated by the use of | | | | villages, Good souvenirs are marble figurines and |
| accent marks. This system of writing, called quoc | | | | vases, ceramics from Bat Trang village, silk |
| ngu, was created by a French Catholic missionary, | | | | paintings from silk village, and hand-painted |
| Fr. Alexander De Rhodes, in the 17th century to | | | | greetings cards. In particular, the lacquer ware, |
| translate the scriptures. When France invaded | | | | tailor-made ao dais (female national costume), |
| Vietnam in the late 19th century, French gradually | | | | mother-of-pearl inlay work, silk paintings, and |
| replaced Chinese as the official language in | | | | wood block prints are very artistic and worth |
| education and government. Vietnamese adopted | | | | acquiring to take back home. The hill tribes of the |
| many French terms, such as ??m (dame, from | | | | Central Highlands and the north of the country |
| madame), ga (train station, from gare), s? mi | | | | now sell colorful woven bags and clothing. Ho Chi |
| (shirt, from chemise), and búp bê (doll, from | | | | Minh City is also a good place to shop for |
| poupée). In addition, many Sino-Vietnamese | | | | jewellery, carpets and leather work. |