--- title: Vietnam — English Wikipedia · full text with trees · page 6 description: Wikipedia's «Vietnam», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of Mainland Southeast Asia. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/6/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Vietnam # Vietnam · page 6 From Wikipedia, [«Vietnam»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/3/) [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/4/) [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/5/) **6** [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/7/) [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/8/) [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/9/) [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/10/) A study also shows that rural-to-urban area migrants have a higher standard of living than both non-migrants in rural areas and non-migrants in urban areas.[474](../../474/ "tree and pragmatics") This results in changes to economic structures.[475](../../475/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1985, agriculture made up 37.2% of Vietnam's GDP; in 2008, that number had declined to 18.5%.[\[416\]](../../page/10/#ref-416 "note 416")[476](../../476/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1985, industry made up only 26.2% of Vietnam's GDP; by 2008, that number had increased to 43.2%.[477](../../477/ "tree and pragmatics") Urbanisation also helps to improve basic services, which increase people's standards of living.[478](../../478/ "tree and pragmatics") Access to electricity grew from 14% of total households with electricity in 1993 to above 96% in 2009.[\[416\]](../../page/10/#ref-416 "note 416")[479](../../479/ "tree and pragmatics") In terms of access to fresh water, data from 65 utility companies show that only 12% of households in the area covered by them had access to the water network in 2002; by 2007, more than 70% of the population was connected.[480](../../480/ "tree and pragmatics") Though urbanisation has many benefits, it has some drawbacks since it creates more traffic, and air and water pollution.[\[416\]](../../page/10/#ref-416 "note 416")[481](../../481/ "tree and pragmatics") Many Vietnamese use [mopeds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moped) for transportation, since they are relatively cheap and easy to operate.[482](../../482/ "tree and pragmatics") Their large numbers have been known to cause traffic congestion and air pollution in Vietnam.[483](../../483/ "tree and pragmatics") In the capital city alone, the number of mopeds increased from 0.5 million in 2001 to 4.7 million in 2013.[\[416\]](../../page/10/#ref-416 "note 416")[484](../../484/ "tree and pragmatics") With rapid development, factories have sprung up which indirectly pollute the air and water, for example, in the [2016 Vietnam marine life disaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Vietnam_marine_life_disaster).[\[417\]](../../page/10/#ref-417 "note 417")[485](../../485/ "tree and pragmatics") The government is intervening and attempting solutions to decrease air pollution by decreasing the number of motorcycles while increasing public transportation.[486](../../486/ "tree and pragmatics") It has introduced more regulations for [waste](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste) handling.[487](../../487/ "tree and pragmatics") The amount of solid waste generated in urban areas of Vietnam has increased by more than 200% from 2003 to 2008.[488](../../488/ "tree and pragmatics") Industrial solid waste accounted for 181% of that increase.[489](../../489/ "tree and pragmatics") One of the government's efforts includes attempting to promote campaigns that encourage locals to sort [household waste](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_solid_waste), since [waste sorting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_sorting) is still not practised by most of Vietnamese society.[\[418\]](../../page/10/#ref-418 "note 418")[490](../../490/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Languages The [national language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_language) of the country is [Vietnamese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_language), a tonal [Vietic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietic_languages) language in the [Austroasiatic language family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austroasiatic_languages), which is spoken by the majority of the population.[\[419\]](../../page/10/#ref-419 "note 419")[491](../../491/ "tree and pragmatics") Vietnam's minority groups speak a variety of languages, including: [Tày](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tày_language), [Mường](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muong_language), [Cham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cham_language), [Khmer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_language), Chinese languages (largely [Cantonese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese)), [Nùng](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nùng_language_%28Tai%29), and [Hmong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_language).[492](../../492/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Montagnard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagnard_%28Vietnam%29) peoples of the [Central Highlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Highlands_%28Vietnam%29) also speak many distinct languages, some belonging to the Austroasiatic and others to the [Malayo-Polynesian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayo-Polynesian_languages) language families.[\[420\]](../../page/10/#ref-420 "note 420")[493](../../493/ "tree and pragmatics") In recent years, a number of [sign languages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_sign_languages) have developed in the major cities.[494](../../494/ "tree and pragmatics") The French language, a legacy of colonial rule, is spoken by some educated Vietnamese as a second language, especially among those educated in the former [South Vietnam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnam), where it was a principal language in administration, education, and commerce.[\[421\]](../../page/10/#ref-421 "note 421")[495](../../495/ "tree and pragmatics") Vietnam remains a full member of the [International Organisation of the Francophonie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_internationale_de_la_Francophonie) (La Francophonie) and education has revived some interest in the language.[\[422\]](../../page/10/#ref-422 "note 422")[496](../../496/ "tree and pragmatics") [Russian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_language), and to a lesser extent German, [Czech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_language), and [Polish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language) are known among some northern Vietnamese whose families had ties with the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.[\[423\]](../../page/10/#ref-423 "note 423")[497](../../497/ "tree and pragmatics") With improved relations with Western countries and recent reforms in Vietnamese administration, English has been increasingly used as a second language, and the study of English is now obligatory in most schools either alongside or in place of French.[\[424\]](../../page/10/#ref-424 "note 424")[\[425\]](../../page/10/#ref-425 "note 425")[498](../../498/ "tree and pragmatics") The popularity of Japanese, [Korean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_language), and [Mandarin Chinese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Chinese) has also grown as the country's ties with other East Asian nations have strengthened.[\[426\]](../../page/10/#ref-426 "note 426")[\[427\]](../../page/10/#ref-427 "note 427")[\[428\]](../../page/10/#ref-428 "note 428")[499](../../499/ "tree and pragmatics") Third-graders can choose one of seven languages (English, Russian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German) as their first foreign language.[\[429\]](../../page/10/#ref-429 "note 429")[\[430\]](../../page/10/#ref-430 "note 430")[\[431\]](../../page/10/#ref-431 "note 431")[500](../../500/ "tree and pragmatics") In Vietnam's [high school graduation examinations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Vietnam), students can take their foreign language exam in one of the above-mentioned languages.[\[432\]](../../page/10/#ref-432 "note 432")[501](../../501/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Religion Main article: [Religion in Vietnam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Vietnam) Article 70 of the 1992 Constitution of Vietnam declares [freedom of belief and religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion) for all citizens.[\[433\]](../../page/10/#ref-433 "note 433")[502](../../502/ "tree and pragmatics") Accordingly, [places of worship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_of_worship) are protected under Vietnamese law, while religious beliefs and practices are subject to laws and regulations governing religion.[\[434\]](../../page/10/#ref-434 "note 434")[\[435\]](../../page/10/#ref-435 "note 435")[503](../../503/ "tree and pragmatics") According to a 2007 survey 81% of Vietnamese people [did not believe in a god](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism).[\[436\]](../../page/10/#ref-436 "note 436")[504](../../504/ "tree and pragmatics") Based on government findings in 2009, the number of religious people increased by 932,000.[\[437\]](../../page/10/#ref-437 "note 437")[505](../../505/ "tree and pragmatics") The official statistics, presented by the Vietnamese government to the [United Nations special rapporteur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_special_rapporteur) in 2014, indicate the overall number of followers of recognised religions is about 24 million of a total population of almost 90 million.[\[438\]](../../page/10/#ref-438 "note 438")[506](../../506/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the white paper Religions and Religious Policy in Vietnam (2023), in 2021 Vietnam had 36 denominational organizations belonging to 16 religions that had received state recognition and registration to operate, with 26.5 million adherents accounting for 27% of the population.[\[2\]](../../page/10/#ref-2 "note 2")[\[439\]](../../page/10/#ref-439 "note 439")[507](../../507/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the white paper, [Buddhists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Vietnam) accounted for 14.3% of the total population, [Catholics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Vietnam) 7.1%, [Protestants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism_in_Vietnam) 1.2%, [Hoahaoist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hòa_Hảo) 1.5%, and [Caodaists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caodaism) 1.2%.[508](../../508/ "tree and pragmatics") Other government-recognized religions include [Tịnh độ cư sĩ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tịnh_độ_cư_sĩ), [Islam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam), [Baháʼí](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baháʼí_Faith), [Adventists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh-day_Adventist_Church), [Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tứ_Ân_Hiếu_Nghĩa), [Minh Sư đạo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minh_Sư_đạo), [Minh Lý đạo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minh_Lý_đạo), [Hinduism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism), [Latter-day Saints](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latter-day_Saints), [Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bửu_Sơn_Kỳ_Hương), and [Hiếu Nghĩa Tà Lơn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiếu_Nghĩa_Tà_Lơn).[\[2\]](../../page/10/#ref-2 "note 2")[509](../../509/ "tree and pragmatics") The majority of Vietnamese do not follow any organised religion, though many of them observe some form of [Vietnamese folk religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_folk_religion) and elements of Buddhism.[\[440\]](../../page/10/#ref-440 "note 440")[510](../../510/ "tree and pragmatics") [Confucianism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism) as a system of social and ethical philosophy still has certain influences in modern Vietnam.[511](../../511/ "tree and pragmatics") [Mahāyāna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahāyāna_Buddhism) is the dominant branch of Buddhism, while [Theravada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada) is practised mostly by the Khmer minority.[512](../../512/ "tree and pragmatics") Due to the ambiguity of what constitutes being Buddhist and the influence of Buddhism on Vietnamese culture, estimates of the Buddhist population vary widely, with the [Vietnam Buddhist Sangha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Buddhist_Sangha) claiming about 10 million adherents in 2010.[\[440\]](../../page/10/#ref-440 "note 440")[513](../../513/ "tree and pragmatics") About 8 to 9% of the population is Christian, made up of Catholics and Protestants.[514](../../514/ "tree and pragmatics") Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam in the 16th century and was firmly established by [Jesuit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesuits) missionaries (mainly Portuguese and Italian) in the 17th century from nearby [Portuguese Macau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Macau).[\[92\]](../../page/10/#ref-92 "note 92")[515](../../515/ "tree and pragmatics") French missionaries (from the [Paris Foreign Missions Society](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Foreign_Missions_Society)) and Spanish missionaries (from the [Dominican Order](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Order)) engaged in missionary work in the 18th, 19th, and first half of the 20th century.[\[441\]](../../page/10/#ref-441 "note 441")[\[442\]](../../page/10/#ref-442 "note 442")[\[443\]](../../page/10/#ref-443 "note 443")[516](../../516/ "tree and pragmatics") A significant number of Vietnamese people, especially in the South, are also adherents of two indigenous religions of syncretic [Caodaism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caodaism) and semi-Buddhist [Hoahaoism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hòa_Hảo).[\[444\]](../../page/10/#ref-444 "note 444")[517](../../517/ "tree and pragmatics") Protestantism was spread by Canadian and American missionaries in the 20th century;[\[445\]](../../page/10/#ref-445 "note 445") the largest Protestant denomination is the Evangelical Church of Vietnam.[518](../../518/ "tree and pragmatics") Around 770,000 of the country's Protestants are members of ethnic minorities,[\[445\]](../../page/10/#ref-445 "note 445") particularly the highland [Montagnards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagnard_%28Vietnam%29)[\[446\]](../../page/10/#ref-446 "note 446") and [Hmong people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_people).[519](../../519/ "tree and pragmatics") Protestantism has experienced significant growth in Vietnam in the early 21st century.[\[445\]](../../page/10/#ref-445 "note 445")[\[447\]](../../page/10/#ref-447 "note 447")[520](../../520/ "tree and pragmatics") Several other minority faiths exist in Vietnam; these include [Sunni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni_Islam), [non-denominational](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-denominational_Muslim), and syncretic Bani schools of Islam, which are practised primarily among the ethnic [Cham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chams) minority.[\[448\]](../../page/10/#ref-448 "note 448")[521](../../521/ "tree and pragmatics") There are also a few Kinh adherents of Islam, other minority adherents of [Baháʼí](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baháʼí_Faith_in_Vietnam), as well as [Hindus among the Cham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Southeast_Asia#Vietnam).[\[449\]](../../page/10/#ref-449 "note 449")[\[450\]](../../page/10/#ref-450 "note 450")[522](../../522/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Education Main article: [Education in Vietnam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Vietnam) Vietnam has an extensive state-controlled network of schools, colleges, and universities, and a growing number of privately run and partially privatised institutions.[523](../../523/ "tree and pragmatics") General education in Vietnam is divided into five categories: [kindergarten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindergarten), [elementary schools](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_school), [middle schools](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_school), [high schools](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school), and [universities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities).[524](../../524/ "tree and pragmatics") A large number of public schools have been constructed across the country to raise the national [literacy rate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_rate), which stood at 90% in 2008.[\[451\]](../../page/10/#ref-451 "note 451")[525](../../525/ "tree and pragmatics") Most universities are located in major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with the country's education system continuously undergoing a series of reforms by the government.[526](../../526/ "tree and pragmatics") [Basic education](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_education) in the country is relatively free for the poor, although some families may still have trouble paying tuition fees for their children without some form of public or private assistance.[\[452\]](../../page/10/#ref-452 "note 452")[527](../../527/ "tree and pragmatics") Regardless, Vietnam's school enrolment is among the highest in the world.[\[453\]](../../page/10/#ref-453 "note 453")[\[454\]](../../page/10/#ref-454 "note 454")[528](../../528/ "tree and pragmatics") The number of colleges and universities increased dramatically in the 2000s from 178 in 2000 to 299 in 2005.[529](../../529/ "tree and pragmatics") In higher education, the government provides subsidised loans for students through the national bank, although there are deep concerns about access to the loans as well as the burden on students to repay them.[\[455\]](../../page/10/#ref-455 "note 455")[\[456\]](../../page/10/#ref-456 "note 456")[530](../../530/ "tree and pragmatics") Since 1995, enrolment in higher education has grown tenfold to over 2.2 million with 84,000 lecturers and 419 institutions of higher education.[\[457\]](../../page/10/#ref-457 "note 457")[531](../../531/ "tree and pragmatics") Many foreign universities operate private campuses in Vietnam, including [Harvard University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University) (United States) and the [Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Melbourne_Institute_of_Technology_Vietnam) (Australia).[532](../../532/ "tree and pragmatics") The government's strong commitment to education has fostered significant growth, but it still needs to be sustained to retain academics.[533](../../533/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2018, a decree on university autonomy allowing them to operate independently without ministerial control was in its final stages of approval.[534](../../534/ "tree and pragmatics") The government will continue investing in education, especially for the poor, to have access to basic education.[\[458\]](../../page/10/#ref-458 "note 458")[535](../../535/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Health Main article: [Health in Vietnam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_Vietnam) By 2015, 97% of the population had access to improved water sources.[\[459\]](../../page/10/#ref-459 "note 459")[536](../../536/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2016, Vietnam's national [life expectancy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy) stood at 80.9 years for women and 71.5 for men, and the [infant mortality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_mortality) rate was 17 per 1,000 live births.[\[460\]](../../page/10/#ref-460 "note 460")[537](../../537/ "tree and pragmatics") Since the partition, North Vietnam has established a public health system that has reached down to the [hamlet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_%28place%29) level.[\[461\]](../../page/10/#ref-461 "note 461")[538](../../538/ "tree and pragmatics") After the national reunification in 1975, a nationwide health service was established.[\[205\]](../../page/10/#ref-205 "note 205")[539](../../539/ "tree and pragmatics") In the late 1980s, the quality of healthcare declined to some degree as a result of budgetary constraints, a shift of responsibility to the provinces, and the introduction of charges.[\[333\]](../../page/10/#ref-333 "note 333")[540](../../540/ "tree and pragmatics") Inadequate funding has also contributed to a shortage of [nurses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing), [midwives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwives) and hospital beds; in 2000, Vietnam had only 24.7 hospital beds per 10,000 people before declining to 23.7 in 2005 as stated in the annual report of [Vietnamese Health Ministry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Health_%28Vietnam%29).[\[462\]](../../page/10/#ref-462 "note 462")[541](../../541/ "tree and pragmatics") The controversial use of herbicides as a chemical weapon by the [US military](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces) during the war left tangible, long-term [impacts upon the Vietnamese people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Agent_Orange_on_the_Vietnamese_people) that persist in the country today.[\[463\]](../../page/10/#ref-463 "note 463")[\[464\]](../../page/10/#ref-464 "note 464")[542](../../542/ "tree and pragmatics") For instance, it led to three million Vietnamese people suffering health problems, one million birth defects caused directly by exposure to the chemical, and 24% of Vietnam's land being defoliated.[\[465\]](../../page/10/#ref-465 "note 465")[543](../../543/ "tree and pragmatics") Since the early 2000s, Vietnam has made significant progress in combating [malaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria).[544](../../544/ "tree and pragmatics") The malaria mortality rate fell to about five per cent of its 1990s equivalent by 2005 after the country introduced improved antimalarial drugs and treatment.[\[466\]](../../page/10/#ref-466 "note 466")[545](../../545/ "tree and pragmatics") [Tuberculosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis) (TB) cases, however, are on the rise.[546](../../546/ "tree and pragmatics") TB has become the second most infectious disease in the country after [respiratory-related illness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_disease).[\[467\]](../../page/10/#ref-467 "note 467")[547](../../547/ "tree and pragmatics") With an intensified vaccination programme, better hygiene, and foreign assistance, Vietnam hopes to reduce sharply the number of TB cases and new TB infections.[\[468\]](../../page/10/#ref-468 "note 468")[548](../../548/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2004, government subsidies covered about 15% of health care expenses.[\[469\]](../../page/10/#ref-469 "note 469")[549](../../549/ "tree and pragmatics") That year, the United States announced Vietnam would be one of 15 states to receive funding as part of its global AIDS relief plan.[\[470\]](../../page/10/#ref-470 "note 470")[550](../../550/ "tree and pragmatics") By the following year, Vietnam had diagnosed 101,291 [human immunodeficiency virus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_immunodeficiency_virus) (HIV) cases, of which 16,528 progressed to [acquired immune deficiency syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_immune_deficiency_syndrome) (AIDS); 9,554 had died.[\[471\]](../../page/10/#ref-471 "note 471")[551](../../551/ "tree and pragmatics") The actual number of HIV-positive individuals is estimated to be much higher.[552](../../552/ "tree and pragmatics") On average, between 40 and 50 new infections are reported daily in the country.[553](../../553/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2007, 0.4% of the population was estimated to be infected with HIV, and the figure has remained stable since 2005.[\[472\]](../../page/10/#ref-472 "note 472")[554](../../554/ "tree and pragmatics") More global aid is being delivered through [The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Global_Fund_to_Fight_AIDS,_Tuberculosis_and_Malaria) to fight the spread of the disease in the country.[\[468\]](../../page/10/#ref-468 "note 468")[555](../../555/ "tree and pragmatics") In September 2018, the Hanoi People's Committee urged the citizens of the country to stop eating [dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat) and [cat meat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_meat) as it can cause diseases like [rabies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies) and [leptospirosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospirosis).[556](../../556/ "tree and pragmatics") More than 1,000 stores in the capital city of Hanoi were found to be selling both meats.[557](../../557/ "tree and pragmatics") The decision prompted positive comments among Vietnamese on [social media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media), though some noted that the consumption of dog meat will remain an ingrained habit among many people.[\[473\]](../../page/10/#ref-473 "note 473")[558](../../558/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Culture Main article: [Culture of Vietnam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Vietnam) Vietnamese culture is mainly regarded as part of the [Sinosphere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinosphere).[559](../../559/ "tree and pragmatics") Vietnam's culture has developed over the centuries from the indigenous ancient [Đông Sơn culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Đông_Sơn_culture) with wet rice cultivation as its economic base.[\[52\]](../../page/10/#ref-52 "note 52")[\[55\]](../../page/10/#ref-55 "note 55")[560](../../560/ "tree and pragmatics") Many elements of the nation's culture have Chinese origins, drawing on elements of [Confucianism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism), [Mahāyāna Buddhism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana), and [Taoism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism) in its traditional political system and philosophy.[\[474\]](../../page/10/#ref-474 "note 474")[\[475\]](../../page/10/#ref-475 "note 475")[561](../../561/ "tree and pragmatics") Historically, Vietnamese society has been structured around làng (villages).[\[476\]](../../page/10/#ref-476 "note 476")[562](../../562/ "tree and pragmatics") Vietnamese mark a [common ancestral anniversary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giỗ_Tổ_Hùng_Vương) on the tenth day of the third [lunar month](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_calendar).[\[477\]](../../page/10/#ref-477 "note 477")[\[478\]](../../page/10/#ref-478 "note 478")[563](../../563/ "tree and pragmatics") The influence of [Chinese culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_culture) is more evident in the north, affecting both elite traditions and popular customs.[\[479\]](../../page/10/#ref-479 "note 479")[564](../../564/ "tree and pragmatics") Nevertheless, there are several [Chinatowns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown) in the south, such as in [Chợ Lớn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chợ_Lớn), where many ethnic Chinese have [intermarried](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interracial_marriage) with Kinh and are no longer distinguishable from them.[\[480\]](../../page/10/#ref-480 "note 480")[565](../../565/ "tree and pragmatics") In the central and southern parts of Vietnam, traces of [Champa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champa) and [Khmer culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_culture) are evidenced through the remains of ruins, artefacts, as well as within their population as the successor of the ancient [Sa Huỳnh culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa_Huỳnh_culture).[\[481\]](../../page/10/#ref-481 "note 481")[\[482\]](../../page/10/#ref-482 "note 482")[566](../../566/ "tree and pragmatics") In recent centuries, Western cultures have become popular among recent generations of Vietnamese.[\[475\]](../../page/10/#ref-475 "note 475")[567](../../567/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/3/) [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/4/) [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/5/) **6** [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/7/) [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/8/) [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/9/) [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/10/) - ← previous: [page 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/5/) - next →: [page 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Vietnam/page/7/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)