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 is located in the Indomalaya ecological region. According to the 2005 National Environmental Status Report, Vietnam is among the 25 countries with high levels of biodiversity, ranked 16th worldwide in terms of biodiversity and is home to about 16% of the world's biodiversity. species in the world. 15,986 plant species have been found throughout the country, of which 10% are endemic. Vietnam has 307 species of nematodes, 200 species of oligochaeta, 145 species of acarina, 113 species of springtails, 7,750 species of insects, 260 species of reptiles. , 120 species of amphibians, 840 species of birds and 310 species of mammals, of which 100 species of birds and 78 species of mammals are endemic. There are also 1,438 species of freshwater algae, accounting for 9.6% of the total number of algae species, as well as 794 species of aquatic invertebrates and 2,458 species of marine fish. In the late 1980s, a population of Javan Rhinos was discovered in Cat Tien National Park and it is possible that the last individual of this species in Vietnam died in 2010.
Vietnam has an area of 331,690 km², located in the east of the Indochina peninsula, in Southeast Asia. Sharing a border with three countries, Vietnam borders China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the East Sea to the east. In 2019, Vietnam's population was more than 96 million people, ranking 13th in the world. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the second largest city with 6.2 million people, after Ho Chi Minh City, 8.8 million people.
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).