Languages
We speak Vietnamese in Vietnam! Xin chao = Hello
Though each ethnicity speaks their mother-tongue and some even have their own script such as the Thai, Hmong, Tay, Nung and others, Vietnamese is a common language used everywhere.
From the monotonic Mon-Khmer languages, Vietnamese derived a significant percentage of its basic words. Chinese gave Vietnamese most of it philosophical, literary, technical and governmental vocabulary as well as its traditional writing system. For century, the Vietnamese language was written in standard Chinese characters ( Chu nho). Around the 13th century, the Vietnamese devised their own system of writing (Chu nom), which was derived by combining Chinese characters or using them for their phonetic significance only.
The Roman-based script (Quoc ngu- national language) was developed in the 17th century by Alexandre de Rhodes, who first preached in Vietnam by 1627. Every syllable in Vietnamese can be pronounced six different ways. The six tones of spoken Vietnamese are indicated with 5 diacritical marks in written form ( The first tone is left unmarked).
The most widely spoken foreign languages in Vietnam are English, Mandarin, French
Religions and Beliefs
Like other nations, the Vietnamese have popular beliefs such as animism and theism. But their cult of ancestors is the most famous.
Vietnam is a multi-religious State. At present, there are over 30,000 places of cult for organized religions throughout the country. Buddhism is the most important religion
Buddhism
 It was introduced into Vietnam from India in the 2nd century A.D in two ways: the Mahayana (Great vehicle) sect via China, and the Theravada (Small vehicle) sect via Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. During the ten-century feudal reign of Vietnam, it was then regarded as the official religion dominating court affairs. Buddhism was preached broadly among the population and it enjoyed a profound influence on people’s daily life. Its influence also left marks in various areas of traditional literature and architecture. Many pagodas and temples were built during this time. At the end of the 14th century, Buddhism began to show signs of decline. The ideological influence of Buddhism, however, remained very strong in social and cultural life. Presently, over 70% of the population of Vietnam are either Buddhist or strong influenced by Buddhist practices
Mother worship (Tho Mau)
.jpg) Researchers describe the Vietnamese mother-worship Cult as a primitive religion. Mother-Me in the Vietnamese language is pronounced Mau in Sino-script. The mother-worship Cult might be originated from the Cult of the Goddess in ancient ages. In the Middle Age, the Mother was worshipped in temples and palaces. Due to the fact that it is a worshipping custom and not a religion, the Mother worshipping Cult has not been organized as Buddhism and Catholic have. As a result, the different affiliations of the Cult have yet to be consistent and different places still have different customs.The custom of Mother-worship originated from the North. In the South, the religion has integrated the local goddess such as Thien Y A Na (Hue) and Linh Son (Tay Ninh). In fact, the Mother-worship Cult was influenced by other religions, mainly Taoism
Catholicism and Protestantism
Catholicism was introduced into Vietnam by Spanish, Portuguese and French missionaries in the early 17th century. There are now over 6,000 churches in operation throughout the country; over 500 damaged in the US air war against Vietnam are being rebuilt. About 10% of the population is considered Catholic.
Protestantism came to Vietnam in 1911 and developed throughout the country in 1920, but the number of adherents is not great. At present, most protestant live in the Central Highlands. There still remains a Protestant church on Hang Da street in Hanoi. The number of Protestants living in Vietnam is estimated at 400,000.
Islam
Islamic followers in Vietnam are primarily from the Cham ethnic minority group living in the Central part of the central coast. The number of Islamic followers in Vietnam 5,000
Caodaism and Hoa Hao Sect
 Caodaism was first introduced to the country in 1926. Settlements of the Dai followers in South Vietnam are located near the church in Tay Ninh, the number of followers of this sect is estimated at 2 millionsHoa Hao sect was first introduce to Vietnam in 1939. More than a million of Vietnamese are followers of this Sect. Most of them live in the south-west of Vietnam | 
© 2008 Orienttrails group. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
