What is Vietnam Known for? 18 Things Vietnam is Famous For

Questioning what Vietnam is understood for? From aromatic noodle soups and iced espresso, to conical hats and floating markets, Vietnam is legendary for many issues. 

This nation is among the most visited locations in southeast Asia, and for good cause. Vietnamese delicacies is each wholesome and engaging, filled with aromatic herbs, nutritional vitamins and minerals. In the meantime the panorama is attractive, starting from sandy seashores to lovely rice terraces and majestic mountains. Within the cities of Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Hue you’ll additionally discover loads of museums and historic landmarks, illustrating Vietnam’s fascinating, and typically turbulent previous.

Right here’s a full listing of all of the issues that Vietnam is understood and well-known for.

Issues Vietnam is Well-known For 

Hanoi

Situated within the north of the nation, town of Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital and the second most populous metropolis after Ho Chi Minh. Well-known for its thirteenth century Outdated Quarter and well-preserved French colonial structure, Hanoi has a laid-back vibe and typically feels extra like a city than a metropolis. 

It’s simple to spend days right here simply wandering across the streets of the Outdated Quarter sampling all of the scrumptious road meals Hanoi has to supply. Vietnamese delicacies varies from area to area, and Hanoi is finest recognized for its bún cha, which consists of grilled pork served over a mattress of rice vermicelli noodles. 

Seize a espresso at one in all Hanoi’s many espresso homes, then spend a day exploring town’s most well-known points of interest, together with Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature. 

Ho Chi Minh Metropolis

Ho Chi Minh Metropolis has a very completely different vibe to Hanoi – this bustling metropolis feels extra chaotic and experiences a loopy quantity of site visitors. Previously referred to as Saigon, Ho chi Minh Metropolis is the most important metropolis in Vietnam and was the capital of French Indochina through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, town was renamed by the communist authorities in honor of President Hồ Chí Minh. 

Amongst Ho Chi Minh Metropolis’s towering skyscrapers you’ll discover temples, pagodas and examples of French colonial structure. Highlights of Ho Chi Minh Metropolis embrace Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Put up Workplace, Saigon Opera Home and Bến Thành Market – town’s greatest and most iconic market. 

Pho 

Vietnam’s most well-known meals dish is pho, a scrumptious soup made with broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. Meats served with pho embrace thinly sliced steak, beef tendon, beef meatballs, tripe and typically rooster. 

This aromatic, heartwarming soup is served at road stalls and eating places throughout Vietnam, and tastes particularly good on a chilly winter’s day. 

Pho has some regional variations; northern Vietnamese pho options wider noodles and a savory, clear broth, whereas the southern model has thinner noodles and a sweeter, cloudier broth. 

Pho served within the north is often garnished with inexperienced onions, whereas pho served within the south usually has all kinds of accompaniments, together with beansprouts, Thai basil, cilantro and recent sliced chili. 

Banh Mi

Banh Mi are Vietnamese sandwiches made with a brief baguette that’s crispy on the skin and fluffy on the within. The baguette is crammed with a mixture of meats and greens, comparable to pork sausage, cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots and pickled daikon. To offer the banh mi some additional taste, condiments comparable to pâté, crimson chili and mayonnaise are often served with it. 

Banh Mi turned widespread within the early 1900s, after the French launched baguettes to Vietnam. At this time they’re served throughout Vietnam and are often eaten as a breakfast meals or snack.

Summer season Rolls – Gỏi cuốn

Vietnamese summer season rolls are deliciously recent, often consisting of greens, shrimp and vermicelli noodles wrapped in a rice paper roll. In contrast to spring rolls, that are deep fried, Gỏi cuốn are served recent with some form of dipping sauce, comparable to hoisin sauce or peanut sauce. 

Vietnamese Iced Espresso

Love espresso? Vietnam is understood for its iced espresso, which is made with ice, condensed milk and medium or darkish roast beans grown in Vietnam. Espresso grounds and scorching water are added to a metallic drip filter, which is positioned over a thick, glass cup. 

The cup often already has about two or three teaspoons of condensed milk within the backside, making a dual-layered look. Ice is added earlier than serving to make the espresso icy chilly and refreshing. 

Nón Lá Conical Hats

In rural cities and villages you’ll usually see Vietnamese folks sporting cone-shaped hats, known as Nón Lá. These hats are worn to guard the wearer’s face from the solar and rain however will also be used as a basket for carrying issues. Nón Lá are often constructed from palm leaves, bamboo or bark of Moc tree – no matter pure supplies can be found. 

Based on legend, a large goddess descended from the sky sporting a hat so giant that it shielded folks from the torrential rains. It was constructed from 4 giant leaves that had been woven along with bamboo sticks. After she left, folks constructed a temple to commemorate her and made straw hats in the identical form as hers. 

If you wish to buy a conical hat of your individual, head to Chuong village, which is round 30km south west of Hanoi. The locals of Chuong have been making handmade Nón Lá for hundreds of years and hundreds of hats are made right here day by day. 

Chu Chi Tunnels

One of the crucial widespread vacationer actions in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis is a day journey to the Chu Chi Tunnels – an infinite community of tunnels positioned within the metropolis’s Chu Chi District. Through the Vietnam Warfare, the Viet Cong (communist guerrilla troops) used them to accommodate troops, lay booby traps, transport provides, and launch shock assaults. 

At this time, the Chu Chi Tunnels are a part of a warfare memorial park, the place guests can be taught what life was like for the resistance fighters and even crawl inside some sections. 

Vietnam Warfare

Whereas visiting Vietnam you’ll have the chance to be taught so much in regards to the Vietnam Warfare, which was fought between North and South Vietnam. Going down over a interval of just about 20 years from 1955 to 1975, the warfare resulted in monumental lack of life, with thousands and thousands of troopers and civilians killed. 

Supported by the Soviet Union and China, the North wished to unify all the nation beneath a single communist regime, however the South opposed this. The South was largely supported by america, which deployed U.S. army troops to Vietnam. 

At this time, Vietnam is dwelling to quite a few warfare museums, together with the Warfare Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, and  the Hoa Lo Museum in Hanoi.

Golden Hand Bridge

One of the crucial recognizable landmarks in Vietnam is Golden Hand Bridge, a 150-meter lengthy pedestrian bridge in Bà Nà Hills resort, Da Nang. The bridge connects the cable automobile station with the gardens and is among the most visited vacationer points of interest in Vietnam. Guests flock right here to snap Instagram images and to admire the scenic views of the mountains. 

This curved bridge is supported by two large arms, constructed of fiberglass and wire mesh, designed to appear like they’re constructed from stone. 

Ha Lengthy Bay

Northern Vietnam is dwelling to Ha Lengthy Bay – an emerald-green bay with unimaginable limestone pillars and roughly 1,600 islands and islets. Hanoi is the principle gateway for excursions to Ha Lengthy Bay, so most guests spend two or three nights within the metropolis earlier than embarking on a junk boat tour of the bay. 

Junk boat excursions often embrace visits to the area’s caves and grottos, together with sea kayaking excursions to discover a number of the islets. Ha Lengthy Bay’s spectacular panorama has been shaped over thousands and thousands of years, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Website in 1994. 

Sapa

Situated within the northwest area of Vietnam, Sapa is a mountainous area with a deep valley of lovely rice terraces. A spotlight of Sapa is driving the cable automobile as much as the summit of Mount Fansipan, which is the most important peak within the area. At 3,147 meters, the mountain presents spectacular views of swirling clouds and luxurious mountain slopes.

For many who love mountaineering, Sapa presents a number of the finest trekking in southeast Asia, with loads of waterfalls, rice fields and distant villages to find alongside the way in which. 

Motorbikes

Vietnam is understood for its motorbikes. They’re low cost, handy and enjoyable to experience, so it’s no shock that many individuals use them as their major mode of transportation. In actual fact, Vietnam has one of many highest charges of motorcycle possession on the planet–round 50 million bikes on the highway! 

When visiting Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, you’ll see lanes and lanes of motorbikes whizzing down the highway. Crossing the road right here could be a bit intimidating, since site visitors lights are just about non-existent. To cross the road it’s important to maintain up your hand, stroll into the highway and hope the site visitors will cease for you!

Floating Markets

Vietnam is legendary for its floating markets, that are discovered on the complicated river system of the Mekong Delta. These centuries-old markets are crammed with boats promoting fruits, meats, poultry, clothes and family items. 

Many guests to Ho Chi Minh Metropolis plan a 2-day tour to Cai Rang floating market, which is the most important floating market on the Mekong Delta. Situated simply south of town of Can Tho, Cai Rang is open from 5am till midday, and largely sells fruit, agricultural merchandise and specialties of the area. Since vacationers need to rise up early to go to the market, a number of the smaller boats additionally promote Vietnamese breakfast. 

Different widespread floating markets in Vietnam embrace Lengthy Xuyen, Cai Be, Phong Dien and Tra On. 

Imperial Metropolis of Hue

Hue is a metropolis in central Vietnam, positioned on the banks of the Fragrance River. It turned the imperial capital of Vietnam from 1802 and 1945, after Emperor Gia Lengthy established a brand new dynasty. The emperor ordered the development of a brand new palace complicated and citadel in Hué – the Purple Forbidden Metropolis – which was primarily based on China’s Forbidden Metropolis.

Hue is dwelling to a few of Vietnam’s most necessary historic websites together with its Imperial Citadel and tombs in addition to many different monuments that replicate its position in Vietnamese historical past, tradition and humanities.

Tailors

At all times wished to personal a tailor-made swimsuit however with out the costly price ticket? Hoi An is understood for its handmade clothes outlets and boasts over 500 tailors across the city. These clothes outlets could make all varieties of clothes made to your particular measurements, and manufacturing is top quality. 

Hoi An’s historical past of textile manufacturing dates again to the fifteenth century, when the city was an necessary Southeast Asian buying and selling port on the Silk Route linking China and the west. At this time, Hoi An is called the textile capital of Vietnam and is the proper place to get attire, fits, pants and shirts made at a fraction of the fee. 

Ao Dai

Ao dai is Vietnam’s conventional costume, which consists of an extended, break up tunic worn over silk trousers.  Áo meansshirt. Dài means “lengthy”. At this time’s áo dài originates from a five-part costume known as the áo ngũ thân, which was worn within the 18th century by the Nguyễn lords. 

Within the Nineteen Thirties, the costume was redesigned by Hanoi artist Le Mur Nguyễn Cát Tường, who made it longer and extra form-fitting. Saigon designers made it tighter within the Fifties, and by the Sixties and Seventies, the áo dài was a very fashionable type of costume.

Through the communist interval the áo dài was not often worn besides at weddings and formal events, nevertheless it skilled a revival within the late Nineteen Eighties, when “Miss Ao Dai” pageants turned widespread in Vietnam and colleges started adopting it as a uniform once more. 

At this time, áo dài is worn at weddings, and for celebrating  Tết – one of the vital necessary celebrations in Vietnam. It’s additionally generally worn by feminine academics and feminine highschool college students within the South. The cabin crew for Vietnam Airways put on the áo dài as a uniform, and also you’ll additionally discover the elegant ladies of Huế sporting it as their day by day apparel.   

If you wish to get fitted with your individual áo dài  in your journey to Vietnam, go to Luong Van Can Avenue, which is lined with áo dài tailor outlets.  

Seashores

With round 3,260 km of shoreline, Vietnam has hundreds of seashores and islands simply ready to be found. 

Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Website, is dwelling to a number of the most lovely seashores on the planet and attracts vacationers from throughout. 

Nha Trang is one other widespread seashore vacation spot that attracts guests searching for leisure and good climate. This coastal resort is widespread for snorkeling and diving, and boasts quite a few offshore islands, together with Hòn Tre Island, which is accessible by way of cable automobile or boat. 

Phu Quoc Island is one in all Vietnam’s largest islands at 1,210 sq km (460 sq mi) in space; it

has many spectacular seashores together with Hon Rom Seaside (which implies ‘lovely sand)

the place you possibly can calm down beneath palm timber whereas having fun with views out to sea.

A Ultimate Phrase…

If you wish to expertise this stuff for your self, I’ve put collectively the proper 10 day Vietnam itinerary that features Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi and Halong Bay. This itinerary is nice for first-timers and contains many of the nation’s high points of interest.