Dragon-skin fruit, which grows on a type of cactus plant, is found throughout Southeast Asia, but there is an abundance of it in Vietnam. The fruit has brilliant pink skin with overlapping scales tipped in lime green, and the melonlike white flesh is decorated with edible black seeds.
Most hotels and buses do not allow durian to be brought in or carried on board. It is a fruit infamous for its pungent smell.
What's the difference between a pagoda and a temple? Pagodas (chua) are dedicated to Buddha and, often, various Hindu gods and avatars. Temples (den) are built to memorialize historical figures, especially kings, emperors and victorious generals. They are frequently built next to or inside a pagoda. Prayers and incense are offered at pagodas, but not at temples.
You're more likely to see it on female hotel staffers than on the street, but many older Vietnamese women still wear the traditional ao dai to festive events. It consists of an ankle-length, embroidered silk robe slit up both sides and worn over loose pants. White wedding dresses and elaborate handmade evening dresses are more popular with younger women.
The Vietnamese refer to the Vietnam War as the American War.
Women have been a part of the warrior tradition in Vietnam since the Trung sisters led a rebellion against the Chinese in AD 40.
Try to see a water-puppet show during your visit to Hanoi. This art form is unique to Northern Vietnam and is not for children.
It is against the law to put your hands in your pockets when visiting Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum.
The name Ha Noi means "under the river." The city was built in AD 1010 and lies below the level of the Red River, protected by a series of dikes. In the rainy season, gates in the dikes are opened into neighboring provinces to keep Hanoi from flooding.
There is indeed a two-tiered price structure in Vietnam, with a tourist price and a lower Vietnamese price. You will be paying the tourist price. This is only fair, as the median wage in Vietnam is US$49 a month, while US$90 a month is considered positively middle-class.
Average amount of living space per person in Vietnam: 7.3 sq m/78 sq ft. The government's goal by 2010, when Vietnam will celebrate its fourth millenia: 9.5 sq m/102 sq ft.
There are an estimated 3 million motorbikes crowding the streets of Hanoi, small potatoes compared to Ho Chi Minh City's 5.5 million. The most frequently replaced part of a motorbike, in both cities, is the horn.
The Vietnamese practice secondary burial, in which the newly deceased body is buried in a simple wooden coffin and left to decompose for three years. During this time, a widow is expected to devote herself to prayers for her deceased husband's soul. At the end of three years, the now-clean bones are dug up and carefully gathered into an urn, which is then placed in the family's private ancestors' pagoda. These are always made of carved limestone, painted in pink, red, white or saffron, and are commonly seen at the edge of the rice fields all over Vietnam. The ritual for interring the bones is very elaborate and must be followed precisely, lest the ghost of the deceased linger to cause endless mischief for the family.
Nearly all Vietnamese practice ancestor worship, and most homes, businesses and restaurants will have a small altar at the front where incense, prayers and gifts are offered daily to keep the ancestors comfortable in the spectral world. The gifts are determined by the deceased's preferences while in the world of the living and may include glasses of whisky, cigarettes, candy, flowers and fruit.
Gay and lesbian travelers have no trouble in Vietnam, as the Vietnamese exercise a tolerance toward all genders, religions and sects.
