A nation scarred by war and economic hardship is being reborn with the help of new trade relations and a fresh new appeal to tourists. While the struggle for growth is far from over, perhaps this tattered nation’s greatest strength is that its refugees — scattered throughout the globe — are coming home again. Armed with new ideas, new skills and a measure of wealth, those we remember as "boat people" are making a comeback.
Ethnicity
The Vietnamese are a homogenous race formed from Chinese and Thai stock. The Vietnamese often refer to themselves as "Kinh" meaning "lowlanders," as opposed to the highland "tribes."
Language
Vietnamese is an Austro-Asiatic language that is monosyllabic with distinct tones. The script with Roman letters was first penned by Catholic missionaries in the 1600s. Other languages used by the Vietnamese are French, Russian and English.
Population
About 87% of Vietnam’s population (of 74.5 million), or approximately 65 million, are Vietnamese.
Location
The Red River and Mekong deltas, containing less than a quarter of the total land area of Vietnam, is home to over 70% of the all ethnic Vietnamese. Refugees live in the U.S., France, China, Singapore, Laos and Thailand.
Culture
War, totalitarian regimes, political power struggles, extreme poverty and isolation had left the nation spiritless until things began looking up in the last couple of years. Economic changes are bringing rapid changes to the culture.
Still, the Vietnamese society is organized by patrilineal clans; male children are highly valued. Though there are fewer males entering the priesthood than in the neighboring Buddhist nations, those who do so tend to be full-time professional monks, devoted to study. Culture is firmly rooted in the village and to the centaur temple compound, also called a "dihn."
Only 20% of the population is urban, and with urbanisation comes some westernization. But for the vast majority in Vietnam, life takes place in a small rural village with bamboo and thatch houses.
Livelihood
Most Vietnamese are poor, with a per capita income of only US$200, behind the rest of East Asia. Two thirds of the work force are involved in farming, fishing or forestry. Wet rice and root crops (maize, sorghum and cassava) are the main crops. The country has many natural resources: coal, teak, zinc, copper, tin and offshore oil. Industries include food processing, textiles, mining, manufacturing machinery, cement, fertiliser, glass and tires. Each village has arts and crafts. Tourism is booming. In a bid to re-invigorate the economy, the Vietnamese government has been introducing economic reforms, and the economy has gradually improved.
Political
The Communist Republic was declared in North Vietnam in 1945. There was continuous warfare between 1941 and 1985 under the Japanese and then against the French, South Vietnam and the U.S. as well as all surrounding lands. North Vietnam finally conquered the South in 1975 and Cambodia in 1978-85.
Religion
While animism and folk religion still flourishes in the rural areas, it is officially reported that 52% of the Vietnamese are Mahayana Buddhists — with some Taoist and Confucionist thought blended in. There are two varieties of Buddhism unique to this country that appeal largely to the peasants. The Cao Dai is a combination of Catholicism, Confucianism, Taoism and the traditional spirit and ancestor worship of Vietnam. Hao Hao is a new sect, that combines revised Buddhist rituals with a teaching that no intermediary or holy place is needed to pray to God Himself. Beliefs in astrology, geomancy and the intervention of spirits in human life is widespread. Another 9% of the country is Catholic and only 0.8% are Protestants. Consistent communist pressure stifles religion of any kind, even though the constitution guarantees religious freedom. Some 30% of the population claim to be non-religious.
Christianity
There are three groups of churches in Vietnam: the official church, the unofficial church, and the tribal church. Vietnam is a communist state and therefore officially atheist. There is a distrust for all religions due to the fear that religion could be a potential political force in the country, as it was in the past. The government also fears that some foreign power could use religion to subvert the country. Therefore, the military is placed on alert on key religious days such as Good Friday and Christmas. Protestants constitute only 0.8% of the population, but their numbers have grown rapidly in recent years. The government now allows a measure of freedom of worship; most Protestants worship in the Evangelical Church in Vietnam, the government-authorized and closely-watched denomination. Many feel the growing house-church movement has increased pressure on the authorized church.
Unregistered churches, or illegal house churches, have flourished as Christians grow more disillusioned with government regulations. House churches are facing increased pressure to register with the government. Many have been under surveillance and their leaders imprisoned and forced out of their meeting points.
Bibles and hymnals are in short supply and there is limited Christian literature available, although religious groups can import Bibles and publish religious books and magazines. Radio broadcasts are still widely heard in spite of persecution of listeners. Local Christians are not allowed contact with foreigners and are also not allowed to evangelize to hill tribes.