Vietnam - Culture Smart! : the Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

125 Pages·2016·2.52 MB·English

by  Murray

Copyright © 2016 Kuperard
Revised and updated edition 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the
publishers.
Culture Smart!® is a registered trademark of Bravo Ltd.
ISBN 978 1 85733 834 8
This book is also available as an e-book: eISBN 978 1 85733 835 5
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library
First published in Great Britain
by Kuperard, an imprint of Bravo Ltd
59 Hutton Grove, London N12 8DS
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Series Editor Geoffrey Chesler
Design Bobby Birchall
Cover image: Terraced rice fields 1,000 meters above sea level in the steep valleys of Mu Cang Chai, Yen
Bai Province, northeast Vietnam. © Shutterstock.
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eBook ISBN: 978-1-85733835-5
v3.1
About the Author
GEOFFREY MURRAY has worked in Asia for more than forty years as a
journalist, author, and teacher, including long stays in China, India, Japan, and
Singapore. So far, he has published fifteen books on a wide range of business
and socioeconomic issues, mostly about China, but also including Vietnam:
Dawn of a New Market and Simple Guide to the Customs and Etiquette of
Vietnam, both in 1997. He has closely followed developments in Vietnam ever
since he served as a news agency war correspondent with the Australian army in
the mid-1960s, winning the Australian government’s “Vietnam Logistic and
Support Medal.” He is officially listed as a Vietnam War veteran by the
Australian government.
The Culture Smart! series is continuing to expand.
For further information and latest titles visit
www.culturesmart.co.uk
The publishers would like to thank CultureSmart!Consulting for its help
in researching and developing the concept for this series.
CultureSmart!Consulting creates tailor-made seminars and consultancy
programs to meet a wide range of corporate, public-sector, and individual
needs. Whether delivering courses on multicultural team building in the
USA, preparing Chinese engineers for a posting in Europe, training call-
center staff in India, or raising the awareness of police forces to the needs
of diverse ethnic communities, it provides essential, practical, and powerful
skills worldwide to an increasingly international workforce.
For details, visit www.culturesmartconsulting.com
CultureSmart!Consulting and CultureSmart! guides have both
contributed to and featured regularly in the weekly travel program “Fast
Track” on BBC World TV.
contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
About the Author
Map of Vietnam
Introduction
Key Facts
Chapter 1: LAND AND PEOPLE
• Geography
• A Brief History
• The Political System
• Free Speech and Other Issues
• The Ethnic Mix
• The Role of Returnees
• Vietnam in the World
Chapter 2: VALUES AND ATTITUDES
• The Role of Confucianism
• Western Influences
• National Identity
• The Changing Family Role
• The Changing Role of Women
• Regional Differences
• Attitudes Toward Foreigners
• Maintaining Harmony
• Attitudes Toward Education
Chapter 3: RELIGION, FESTIVALS, AND RITUALS
• A Religious Kaleidoscope
• Traditional Festivals and National Holidays
• Birthdays, Weddings, and Funerals
Chapter 4: THE VIETNAMESE AT HOME
• Daily Life
• Who Spends What
• Housing
• The Education System
• Military Service
• Visiting a Vietnamese Home
Chapter 5: FOOD AND DRINK
• Foreign Influences
• Eating Out
• Traditional Habits
• Banquets and Entertaining
• Dining Etiquette
• Chopstick Skills and Etiquette
Chapter 6: TIME OUT
• Vietnamese Culture
• Shopping
• Places to Visit
Chapter 7: TRAVEL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY
• Getting Around
• Where to Stay
• Health
• Safety and Security
Chapter 8: BUSINESS BRIEFING
• Vietnam’s New-Look Economy
• Making Investment Easier
• Doing Business
• Setting Up the Meeting
• At the Meeting
• The Decision-Making Process
• Contracts and Fulfillment
• Trade Unions
Chapter 9: COMMUNICATING
• Language
• Face-to-Face Communication
• Body Language
• The Media
• Mail and Telecommunications
• Conclusion
Further Reading
Acknowledgments