Vietnamese Culture Research Paper

Words: 1869
Pages: 8

The culture that I chose to study is Asian culture. Asian culture is very diverse and full many different societies and ethnic groups but the group in particular group that I will be researching is Vietnamese culture. I have chosen this culture because I have always had an interest in their way of life. The word Vietnam originates from 1803 when people from the Nguyen dynasty traveled to Beijing and established diplomatic relations with the Chinese court. The emperor chose the name Nam Viet for his kingdom. The word “Viet” is the traditional name for the Vietnamese imperial domain and its people. The Chinese court objected to this new name because it was the same as an old state that had rebelled against Chinese rule. They therefore changed …show more content…
These religions are Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam. The traditional Buddhism is dominant in Vietnam, and over seventy percent of Vietnamese people consider themselves at least partially Buddhist. The laws technically allow for the freedom of religion, but this right is often undermined, particularly with regard to any religious activities that could become a forum for rebellion. All religious organizations are technically overseen by the Communist Party's and must obey their laws. The core of religious practice for almost all Vietnamese is the worship of spirits. The most important spirits in Vietnamese culture are the souls of ancestors. All families have altars in their homes where they perform rituals for family ancestors, especially on the anniversaries of the dead and on the Lunar New Year. Many Vietnamese people also perform or participate in rituals for their village guardian spirits. Two examples of village guardians that are most popular are the spirits of fallen heroes and Buddha. Some Vietnamese people also believe that spirits have the ability to control human life. They believe that the spirits control when people receive blessing and even misfortune. Today, acceptance of ideas of supernatural causality is more common among women, while some men, particularly those with party or military backgrounds, reject such ideas. Just like a Christian priest, Vietnamese society also features spirit priests, Taoist masters and spirit mediums. These three specialists apparently have the ability to interact with the spirit world in order to learn the spirits' desires and persuade or coerce them to behave in particular manners. The spirits are usually consulted when the living need help to cure illness or end a pattern of misfortune. Spirit priests and Taoist masters are usually men who study religious texts to learn their specialty. Most mediums are women, many of whom become mediums