Vietnam
Fun facts about Vietnam. By: Annie Nguyen.
The South Vietnamese flag
The South Vietnamese flag has 3 red stripes and 2 yellow small stripes. The three red stripes in the former flag of South Vietnam (1948-1975) represent the three regions of Vietnam, while the colors are associated with the expression, "red blood and yellow skin".
The North Vietnamese flag.
The north flag of Vietnam has a yellow star. The red around the star represents communism. The star represents five main classes in Vietnamese society including intellectuals, farmers, workers, businessman and militaries.
The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi. The population is about 93,421,835 people.
The food
Most families eat rice with nuoc mam (fermented fish sauce). This sauce is the trademark of Vietnamese cooking and is served as a dressing on almost all foods, including pork, fish, and vegetables. Noodles are almost as popular. One favorite noodle soup, called pho, is often eaten for breakfast. Usually, a heaping bowl of rice or noodles is served with many side dishes made of all kinds of vegetables, meats, and sauces. Because Vietnam borders the sea, dishes often include shrimp, eel, fish, and octopus. Spring rolls(fried rolls made from thin rice paper stuffed with vegetables and meat) are a popular snack, while nuoc chanh (fresh lemonade) is a common drink.
Fact 1:
- Nguyen is one of the most common last names in Vietnam. Around 30 million people share it!
Fact 2:
- Vietnam is home to about eight hundred species of birds, along with monkeys, iguanas, black squirrels, and two hundred other types of animals.
Fact 3:
- It is very rude for a non–family member to touch a person on the head because it is considered the most sacred part of the body.
Fact 4:
- Hanoi has been the capital city of Vietnam for more than a thousand years!
Fact 5:
- Vietnamese names start with the family (last) name and are followed by one or two given names.
Fact 6:
- Legend states the first Vietnamese came from the dragon lord Lạc Long Quân and his wife, the fairy Âu Cơ. Together they had one hundred children, and the oldest became the first king of Vietnam.