10 Interesting Facts About Vietnam You Might Not Know

Vietnam is well-known throughout the world for its breathtaking scenery, extensive history, and delectable food. Beyond these well-known characteristics, however, this Southeast Asian jewel has many hidden gems that contribute to its lively personality. You’ll be intrigued by these lesser-known facts about Vietnam.

1. The World’s Largest Cave Is in Vietnam

The world’s largest cave, Son Doong Cave, lies in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. This enormous cave has its own climate, forest, and river. Parts of Son Doong, which was first discovered in 1991, are thought to be large enough to fill a whole block in New York City.

2. The Coffee Culture Is Vast—And Distinct

After Brazil, Vietnam is the world’s second-largest producer of coffee. However, Vietnamese coffee is about style as much as volume. Egg coffee, which is a specialty of Vietnamese coffee culture, is made with egg yolk, sugar, and condensed milk to produce a creamy, custard-like foam on top of coffee. Anyone travelling to Hanoi should definitely try it!

3. The streets are dominated by motorcycles

There are an estimated 45 million motorcycles registered in Vietnam, a country with a population of about 100 million! Motorbikes are common in large cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where they are frequently used to transport entire families or heavy amounts of cargo. In Vietnam, this form of transportation has come to represent daily life.

4. Tet Holiday: Beyond New Year’s

As a combination of New Year, Christmas, and Thanksgiving, Tet, also known as the Lunar New Year, is the largest holiday in Vietnam. People visit family, make offerings to ancestors, clean their homes to fend off bad luck, and present children special red envelopes filled with money to bring good fortune during Tet. It’s an intriguing, distinctive holiday with customs that vary greatly among regions.

5. Foods Other Than Pho and Spring Rolls

Although spring rolls and pho are well-known throughout the world, Vietnamese food offers much more. In Hanoi, bun cha—a meal of barbecued pork and noodles—is particularly well-known. Mi Quang, a vibrant noodle dish with shrimp, pork, fresh herbs, and rice crackers, is a must-try in the central area. Vietnamese food is incredibly fascinating due to its wide range of flavours, textures, and regional components.

6. Vietnam Contains the Biggest Man-Made Lake

Although the Hoa Binh Dam’s reservoir is the largest artificial lake in Vietnam and the globe, Lake Ba Be in northern Vietnam is a vast, tranquil lake. The area, which covers more than 230 square kilometres, is well-liked by both locals and visitors who want to boat or fish amidst the dense jungle and foggy limestone mountains.

7. Animals of the Vietnamese Lunar Calendar

Vietnam and China both use the Lunar Calendar, but there is one significant distinction: in the zodiac cycle, the cat takes the place of the rabbit. It is believed that linguistic and cultural variations are the cause of this particular interpretation. While most other nations that observe Lunar New Year celebrate it as the Year of the Rabbit, Vietnam celebrates 2023 as the Year of the Cat.

8. Martial Arts Have a Long History

Vovinam, or Vietnamese martial arts, have been practised for generations and were first created to help the Vietnamese defend themselves against foreign invasion. Vovinam represents the tenacity and power of the Vietnamese people through techniques that involve grappling, strikes, and the use of weapons. It is now celebrated as a part of the nation’s cultural history and practised all over the world.

9. Turtle Tower: The Legend

Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake is the subject of an intriguing mythology. Legend has it that a divine turtle in the lake gave Emperor Le Loi a miraculous sword to aid him in his conflict with the Chinese Ming Dynasty. The turtle returned after winning the battle and carried the sword back to the lake’s depths, hence the lake’s name, “Lake of the Returned Sword.”

10. Writing in Vietnamese: A Distinct Romanized Font

Vietnam’s writing system, known as “Quoc Ngu,” is Romanized, although the majority of East Asian nations utilise Chinese characters. This distinctive script, which was developed in the 17th century by Portuguese Jesuit missionaries, represents the six Vietnamese tones using Latin letters with diacritical marks. The Latin alphabet is thus used in Vietnamese, making it one of the few East Asian languages!

There is much more to Vietnam’s attractiveness than first meets the eye. Travellers from all over the world are drawn to its history, culture, and landscapes because they combine beauty and mystery. There is always something new to find in this stunning land, from enormous caverns to intriguing legends. Vietnam provides several surprises that make it genuinely distinctive, whether you’re planning a trip or are just learning about it.