The unspeakable charm of Vietnam not only comes from its breathtaking sceneries but also from the characteristics of Vietnamese people. Their lifestyle and thinking are strongly affected by Buddhism and Confucianism which teach people to be benevolent and cherish the relationships they have with other people.
Vietnamese People - Shy But Hospitable
If you have a chance to visit Vietnam or go on an Indochina tour, you may notice that Vietnamese people are kind of timid, especially women. There are a lot of reasons behind this characteristic. First of all, Vietnamese people are often taught to keep their emotions to themselves and be aware of strangers. That’s why Vietnamese people find it hard to open up to someone right after meeting them. So if you’re a tourist and planning to spend a week in Vietnam, you might not be able to make friends with any locals except for your tour guide. In addition, some Vietnamese people are not confident when speaking other languages and it’s hard for them to break the ice with a foreigner. But don’t let it make you feel unwelcomed or isolated!
Vietnamese people are actually very friendly and love to socialize with other. All you need to do is smile and actively talk to them and they will quickly turn into lovely hosts that are willing to have a conversation with you. In their daily life, Vietnamese people really appreciate their friendship and even consider it to be as much important as the relationship with family members. There is a popular saying in Vietnam that goes like: “next-door neighbors are much more important than distant relatives”.
Vietnamese People - Family-oriented
Many values and customs of Vietnamese people originated from Confucianism, including the allegiance and closeness to their family members. The concept of extended family is very popular in Vietnam and maintaining a close relationship with other family members is not just a fad, it’s a cultural imperative.
Vietnamese people hold a lot of family get-togethers during the year and everyone in the extended family is invited to eat and chat. In Tet (the biggest holiday of the year), people will try their best to come back to their hometowns and celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families. Family members are also expected to visit one another once in a while to maintain a close relationship or just out of courtesy. This custom is applied to distant relatives as well.
Vietnamese People - Value modesty but like vanity
People in Vietnam are expected to be modest about their accomplishments. As a result, when they receive any compliments, they will either smile it off or refuse the praise. If they can, they will compliment you in return because complimenting others is how Vietnamese people maintain harmonious relations with friends and colleagues.
Part of the reason why Vietnamese people act modestly is to keep a good name. They really care about what others think and say about them. People will avoid doing anything that causes harm to their dignity and honor. Furthermore, they will try their hardest to obtain high intellectual achievements and moral virtue to make themselves and their families proud.
In addition, people will also try to gain as much material wealth as they can because despite acting modest, Vietnamese people like vanity as well. This is especially true to Northerners and the youth. People that wear fashionable clothes, drive nice cars, and use modern mobile phones are considered to be attractive and receive a lot of admiration from other people. As a result, people often feel pressured to change their phones once in a while, buy high-end products, and save money to buy or build a nice house. Sometimes, people spend a very large portion of their salaries on things that can “upgrade” their looks in other people’s eyes and to compete with people around them. This mindset makes Northerners much more stressful and reserved compared to Southerners – who are more easy-going and care less about what other people say.
