There are many interesting facts in Vietnam that surprise not only foreign tourists but also Vietnamese people.
In this article, Vietnamdrive has selected the top exciting and fun facts to introduce; they may help you more or less when you travel to this beautiful country.
Fact 1: Traffic is as confusing as a spider web.
Traffic is one of the top concerns of most tourists when visiting Vietnam. It is because when you set foot in this beautiful country, you will become a factor in the vibrant and quirky traffic rhythm here.
During rush hours, Vietnam’s traffic begins to become bustling. In particular, intersections and roundabout areas are considered the convergence point for all “oddities” of traffic in this country.
Standing in front of any roundabout, specifically looking at it from above, you will see the complicated traffic flow. It seems like a strange machine pre-programmed with IA technology for smooth movement. But the more you look, the less you will understand what the main rules are applied by traffic participants right on the roads. It’s like a hypnotic circle that makes you dizzy.
Many people think that perhaps there is some hidden convention or a “telepathic” connection between people participating in traffic on the road. Thus, they can clearly understand each other right away while they move. Everyone is conscious of obeying the traffic rules and moving according to the yield principle.
That principle of yielding has become a habit for every Vietnamese person when traveling on the streets. And it is a vital factor that helps Vietnamese traffic look confusing but smooth.
When you are a first-time tourist to Vietnam, we encourage you to refrain from driving your car, motorbike, or even bicycle on the streets, especially in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. To ensure your safety and a perfect trip, contacting one of travel companies in Vietnam to arrange reasonable transportation is better. Vietnamdrive is always with you to help you do that.
Fact 2: Crossing the street is a “breathtaking” experience.
Crossing the street seems very easy for the locals, but it is a “breathtaking” challenge for foreigners.
During their first visit to Vietnam, many international tourists spent a lot of time testing their courage at pedestrian crossings. As soon as they tried to put one foot on the road, they immediately stepped back onto the sidewalk.
Many tourists humorously say that when you cross the streets in Vietnam, you are going on a free adventure tour or maybe participating in the most unique Halloween festival on the planet. What a funny fact that you will face, too!
Although there are lines for pedestrians to cross the streets, Vietnamese law also stipulates that pedestrians have priority, and you will not see any vehicle stopping to give way to walkers crossing the roads.
Pedestrians keep walking while vehicles move according to the “roundabout” principle. This means that the drivers control their means to pass in front or behind the walkers depending on the distance and speed of the crossers and other vehicles. So, when you cross the streets, calmly walk, don’t run, and never turn back while you’re in the middle of this “unique adventure.”
In places with traffic lights, crossing the street seems easier. However, you are not subjective because, at many intersections, vehicles are still allowed to turn right when the red light signals.
When crossing the streets in Vietnam, a good suggestion is to follow the locals. If you cannot cross the road alone, you can also seek their support. Of course, remember that the elders and children cannot help you solve this problem.
Fact 3: The country has the most motorbikes in the world.
According to the Vietnam Motorcycle Manufacturers Association, more than 8,000 motorbikes are sold daily, equivalent to nearly six new motorbikes purchased every minute. (source: tuoitre.vn)
The number of motorbikes in Vietnam may be huge, and they have become the most popular means of personal transportation. This makes Vietnam one of the countries with the highest proportion of motorbike users worldwide.
In big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, or Hai Phong, you will be overwhelmed by long lines of motorbikes on the streets. Motorcycles circulate everywhere, on all large and small roads. During rush hours, whether on the car lane or the sidewalk, as long as there is a space, a motorcycle will immediately fill it.
Like most major cities in the world, Ho Chi Minh City gets traffic jams that often last for hours and frequently occur. The main difference lies in the number of motorbikes that cover the entire congested road.
If you are unlucky enough to be in that line of vehicles in jams, it will be an unforgettable experience. Everywhere, there is the smell of dust, engine sounds, horns, and sometimes even difficult-to-hear angry sounds.
Look at the traffic jam on the street from the sky. Cars that fortuitously fall into the circle of motorbikes will still be like unmovable prey. Hundreds of motorbikes follow each other, inching forward, behind, left, and right, as if wanting to “swallow” each car lying helplessly on the road.
Motorbikes have become suitable and popular in Vietnam because they are useful and convenient when traveling on narrow roads. This creates the unique traffic culture of this beautiful country.
Some adventurous travelers visiting Vietnam choose motorbikes as a means of transportation as part of their exciting journey of discovery. However, this is an experience that we do not encourage you to try because the level of danger is absolute.
Fact 4: The spirit of entrepreneurship and business is widespread.
Thousands of large and small shops, including coffee shops, milk tea shops, eateries, and snack shops covering the streets, are proof of the entrepreneurial spirit of Vietnamese people.
In addition to the crucial business and production sectors controlled by the state to balance life and society, the small projects of the locals are an indispensable factor contributing to the appearance of the economy. A large number of people in Vietnam choose to do freelance business to improve their desire to be self-employed in terms of time, finances, and lifestyle.
A series of small shops exist all over Vietnam, from rural to urban areas, especially in crowded streets and near supermarkets and large restaurants. They thrive thanks to their convenience and competitive prices.
A powerful entrepreneurial spirit also plays a vital role in forming a flavorful street food scene in Vietnam. This feature enriches Vietnamese cuisine, which becomes a good plus point in attracting foreign tourists.
Fact 5: Mouse and snake meat is still a specialty dish in many places.
Have you ever imagined having a plate of mouse meat on the dining table or preparing this typical dish in your kitchen?
In Vietnam, for many people, mouse meat is a delicious and irresistible specialty. They can process mice into countless tasty dishes: steamed, boiled, grilled, roasted, sauteed, stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, roasted, etc. It can be used as a snack for men to enjoy with beer or a unique treat for guests.
With the characteristics of an agricultural country specializing in wet rice cultivation, field mice are a familiar object to Vietnamese farmers. The mice have small bodies and live in wet rice fields. Their major food is rice and young seedlings. Therefore, rice-field mouse meat is clean, tasty, and nutrient-rich.
The habit of eating field mice has existed for a long time in rural areas when Vietnamese farmers were still struggling and lacking food sources. During the flooding season, mice from the rice fields lose their shelters and find their way to higher areas. That’s when people come together to catch mice for food. This habit has lasted for many generations to this day: mouse meat is still a Vietnamese specialty, which is a part of the culture of wet rice agriculture.
Besides mice, snakes are also a staple food for many Vietnamese people. Due to their unique food source, snake meat is expensive compared to other common dishes. In many areas, people also build snake farms to provide meat for restaurants specializing in this typical food.
According to Vietnamese Oriental Medicine, snake meat has a sweet and salty taste, a fishy smell, and warm properties. It also repels leprosy, reduces fever, and eliminates dampness. Because of its high nutritional content, many people use snakes as a rich source of nutrition to nourish the body.
In addition to processing snakes into typical dishes, such as porridge, stir-frying with lemongrass and chili, or making sausage, snakes are also a valuable ingredient in favorite snake wine bottles for many Vietnamese men.
Currently, the number of people in Vietnam who eat mouse and snake meat is decreasing, so the number of restaurants selling these specialties is not large, making it hard to find them. Usually, only locals know where they are.
In addition to strange dishes like mice and snakes, many people eat balut eggs (called Trung Lon in Vietnamese), coconut worms, duck blood pudding, and pig blood pudding. But Vietnamdrive advises you to think carefully before trying any strange dishes in Vietnam.
Fact 6: Hanoi is the capital, but the economy in Ho Chi Minh City has developed enormously.
Many tourists mistakenly believe that Ho Chi Minh City is the capital of Vietnam. Still, in fact, Hanoi is the capital of this beloved country. These are the two largest cities, located at two ends of the country: Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh in the south.
If Hanoi is the leading administrative center, Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s significant economic engine.
The economy in HCM is dynamic, covering a full range of vital economic sectors such as finance, trade, services, tourism, transportation, logistics, high technology, software technology, and industrial manufacturing. The robust economy, culture, and modern urban development have made Ho Chi Minh City a highlighted landmark in Vietnam.
Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are economic locomotives and important cultural, educational, and medical centers of the country. However, each place stands out with its own unique culture and lifestyle. The cultural imprint of each place is clearly shown through accent, way of speaking, cuisine, architecture, house layout, or communication culture.
When you travel to Vietnam, don’t miss these two cities. Pay attention to the narrow houses; you will see exciting things.
Fact 7: Some places still use flat toilets.
A flat toilet requires the users to do the Asian squat skillfully. Not being able to squat or not squatting long enough will cause you to have stinky trouble with this toilet style.
Flat toilets in Vietnam are still quite popular, especially in rural areas or public restrooms, because they are not a problem for the locals and seem cleaner in a few situations. However, these toilets have become a concern for international tourists.
If you are traveling in Vietnam, it is better to learn how to use this unique type of toilet in advance because it can appear at some tourist attractions in rural areas, public stops, or gas stations on a long journey. Practice the Asian squat, which can help you use the toilet more quickly and confidently in this country in some cases.
We encourage you to “release all the excess inside your body” at the hotel before getting on the bus to go sightseeing. This is because most toilets at the rest stops on routes are of poor quality. Learn more about toilets in Vietnam here.
Although almost all drivers try to choose locations that specialize in serving tourists to use the “happy house,” it is still unavoidable that the toilet smells and only has a squat toilet. So, feel satisfied with the drivers when they can’t find a place with better restrooms than you expected.
Fact 8: There is a land where “nine dragons” reside.
The Mekong Delta, which belongs to the southern region of Vietnam, is called Cuu Long, meaning nine dragons. It’s called this because nine large winding rivers carry alluvium to the entire delta before flowing into the sea, like the shape of nine rising dragons. Therefore, local people call this region the land of Cuu Long.
This area has a dense river network: 1 km2 is estimated to have up to 0.61 km of rivers and canals. Along with two large rivers, the Tien River and Hau River, the tributaries in the Mekong Delta have a total length of nearly 14,900km.
When you visit this land, you will see a unique lifestyle on water and transporting goods mainly by boat. The local life has created a strange beauty that attracts plenty of tourists.
You can explore the river life of the people in the “nine dragon” land with one-day tours from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre or My Tho. With a longer duration, Can Tho city may attract you with the beauty of the Cai Rang floating market every early morning.
>> You may want to check the beautiful rivers in Vietnam.
Fact 9: Your mind can be confused about how to call the correct hierarchy.
Addressing people correctly according to hierarchy and relationship is always a “brain-damaging” problem for not only foreigners but also Vietnamese people, especially young people.
Before deciding to call a person, you must determine the relationship between yourself and the other person. That human is a friend if you and that one are the same age. If someone is younger than you, just calling them by their first name is enough, or call them “Em.”
On the contrary, it becomes more confusing if the other speakers do not belong to two groups of friends or younger people.
Vietnamese people call each other according to each person’s correct hierarchy. Still, that hierarchy is only established in the relationship with each specific communication object. However, this person’s relationship with different people is not the same, so it becomes a “brain hack” point in Vietnamese communication culture.
For example, with the same man named “Nam,” but in each different relationship, this person’s title will not be the same. It could be Cháu (nephew), Anh (brother), or Chú (uncle). And so, you will encounter the phenomenon that sometimes this person is called Anh Nam (older brother Nam), and other times Chú Nam (uncle Nam).
This hierarchy is most problematic in kinship relationships, where, at times, a much older person must call a very young person Anh (an older brother), Chú (uncle), or Ông (grandpa).
In daily social communication, the hierarchy of address will be more straightforward:
- For younger people, call “Em” – you’re Anh/Chị (older Brother/Sister);
- People of the same age call each other Bạn (Friends);
- A little older is called Anh/Chị (older Brother/Sister) – you’re “Em”;
- 18-20 years old can call Chú/Dì (Uncle/Aunt) – you’re Cháu (Nephew);
- 25 years old or older can be called Bác (Uncle) – you’re Cháu (Nephew);
- For older people over 70, call them Ông/Bà (grandpa/grandma) and you Cháu (Grandchild).
These rules of calling hierarchy seem complicated. If you visit a Vietnamese family, it’s best to ask your friend how to address you appropriately.
If you accidentally address someone in the wrong hierarchy, it’s okay; say sorry and ask again for the correct way. Many people are happy with the inappropriate way of addressing them when they first meet.
Fact 10: Beer shops are everywhere.
It is a small country with nearly 98 million people but consumes a large amount of beer. Estimatedly, Vietnamese people drank 4.4 billion liters of beer in 2020. (source PLO information)
High consumption is the basis for many beer brands in Vietnam that race to develop and promote throughout the country. Beer prices in this country are cheap, and with the manufacturers’ acumen, this particular drink is available everywhere.
Therefore, coming to Vietnam, whether in the countryside or the city, from small alleys to big streets, you can easily see beer shops. To wit, Vietnam is a vast beer garden.
Almost every major city in Vietnam has its own beer brand with local characteristics, such as Huda in Hue, Hanoi beer, 333 in Saigon, and Laru in Da Nang.
Trying a few beers can be an exciting experience for your trip to this “100% drunk” country.
If you are a beer fan, don’t miss the streets known as beer streets, such as Ta Hien Beer Street in Hanoi, Bui Vien Walking Street in Ho Chi Minh, and Vo Thi Sau Walking Street in Hue. There are also hundreds of other restaurants ready to serve you cool beers.
Those are typical facts about Vietnam, which Vietnamdrive would like to introduce you to. This S-shaped land also has many exciting things waiting for you.
Let’s explore Vietnam, experience its uniqueness, and find more exciting features from the cultural difference!
