The specialties of each region of Vietnam carry within themselves the local lifestyle and the quintessence of nature there. The North cherishes delicate recipes, like a delicious bowl of bun thang that must be prepared for many hours. In the Central region, royal culinary traditions and typical spices blend in unique dishes such as lotus rice or spring rolls. Southern braised fish and sour soup come from abundant seafood resources, the pride of the Mekong Delta.
The Vietnam National Gene Bank preserves 12,300 varieties of 115 species. The Vietnamese government spent US$497 million to maintain biodiversity in 2004 and has established 126 protected areas including 28 national parks. Vietnam has 2 world natural heritage sites: Ha Long Bay and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and 6 biosphere reserves including Can Gio, Cat Tien, Cat Ba, Kien Giang, and River Delta mangrove forests. Hong and Tay Nghe An.
According to the ups and downs of the nation's history, Vietnamese customs and practices are constantly being innovated according to social trends. One of the oldest and most influential customs in history is the custom of chewing betel. This is a custom that dates back to the Hung King period and originates from the legend of Trau Areca and this custom has become a typical image of the brotherhood and love between husband and wife of Vietnamese people. Not only the custom of chewing betel, Vietnam also has another custom that was born in ancient times, which is the custom of welcoming the new year, also known as Tet - traditional Tet.
Ao Dai not only enhances the gentle and loving beauty of Vietnamese women, but it also shows discreetness, modesty and strange charm. Ao dai today is becoming more and more diverse in shape, color, and pattern, but it still retains its traditional appearance.