Vietnam is a country on an S-shaped strip of land, located in the center of Southeast Asia, in the east of the Indochina peninsula, to the north by China, to the west by Laos and Cambodia, and to the southeast overlooking the sea. East and Pacific. Vietnam's coastline is 3,260 km long, and its land border is 4,510 km long. On land, from the northernmost point to the southernmost point (as the crow flies) is 1,650km long, from the easternmost point to the westernmost point the widest place is 600km (Northern region), 400km (Southern region), the narrowest place is 50km (Quang Binh).
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.
Vietnam's history began from 1 to 2 thousand years BC. Over many centuries with the Ly, Tran, Le, and Nguyen dynasties, from the mid-19th century, Vietnam became a French colony. After the August Revolution, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 marked the end of the French in the territory, but Vietnam was divided into two countries: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the North and the Republic of Vietnam in the South. After the events of April 30, 1975, Vietnam was unified and from July 2, 1976, officially named the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Vietnamese culture is one of the oldest cultures in the Pacific region. Although located next to two major cultures, Chinese and Indian culture, Vietnam still preserves many of its own cultural features, expressed in many aspects such as traditional customs that still exist today. Nowadays, Vietnamese people's life and folk literature are rich and unique. It can be said that Vietnamese culture is a special blend of many ancient cultures along with the indigenous culture of the Vietnamese people. In addition to the greatest influence of China, there is also the influence of Indian and Cham culture. , and later the great influence of Western culture (France, Russia, America).