The Cotu People - Quang Nam Province, Vietnam The Co Tu minority is one of the smallest of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam and is part of the Mon-Khmer ethnic language group. There are fewer than 60,000 Co Tu people with the majority living in the highlands of the central provinces of Quang Nam and Thua Thien. Perhaps one of the …

Finally persuaded by my friend’s appealing invitation, I decided to participate in a motorbike tour to A Lưới – the wild yet distinctive land of the Ta Ôih, K ‘tu, and Vân Kiều clans. It is a place also well-known for attractions such as Ashau, Aso, Apia and the famous “Hamburger Hill”.  We started our journey across the Trường Sơn…

Attitudes Correct behaviour For Vietnamese people, correct behaviour is defined by Confucian precepts. In the past, the rules were observed to the letter. For example, in an age when polygamy was the norm, a woman’s subjugation was absolute, first to her father, then to her husband, and finally (if she was widowed), to her son. A wi…

Myths and Legends A land of fantasy and imagination Vietnam has an enormous treasury of myths and legends, both ancient and recent. As the language developed, it often used poetic imagery to describe and narrate through metaphor and allegory. The country’s strong animist tradition produced a wealth of anthropomorphic symbols. Where …

History of Phap Lam Hue City ABS TRAVEL would like to recommend the tour to visit Phap Lam Workshop and guest can learn the process to make a special Phap Lam Product as a gift for your family or friends - Duration: 1,5 hours - Include: car, local guide to tell you the history and production process of Phap Lam, all material and too…

Rooster fight, a long-standing form of popular entertainment, is organised during traditional festivals throughout Vietnam. Rooster fight  - Vietnamese folk games Raising roosters for cockfighting requires heavy investments in time and labour. Professional trainers choose young chickens carefully, individually preparing their food a…

The Dan Nhi is popular among several ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is also referred to as Dan Co in southern provinces of Viet Nam. The Dan Nhi is somewhat a sort of vertical violin with two strings, held in front of the player like a small cello and played with a bow. In the past, Dan Nhi strings were made from silk, but today Dan N…

The Southerners of Vietnam refer to this instrument as Dan Kim. Dan Nguyet has two strings and the resonator resembles the moon, that is probably why it is named Dan Nguyet, which means moon lute. The strings were traditionally made of silk but are today normally made of nylon, which can be strummed with either finger or pick. The D…

The Dan Ty Ba is a four-string instrument which is frequently present in a traditional orchestra. Its sound box is shaped like a pear cut in half lengthwise. Its soundboard is made of unvarnished light wood, and its back is made of hard wood with a slightly convex surface. The neck is short and tightly fixed to the sound-box. Origin…

A vertically-held bamboo flute is made from the very bottom of a bamboo tree. Bamboo is hollow except for the nodes which are spaced at intervals along the pipe. These nodes are knocked out to form the complete hollow length of the pipe. The bamboo flute is a simple instrument consisting of a stem of fine bamboo with a diameter of 1…

The spring festival days of the Laos in Lai Chau. People pray the gods of rivers and mountains, the ancestors' support for earning one's living easily. Time:  From the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 5th day of the first lunar month. Place:  Lai Chau. Characteristics:  The spring festival days of the Laos in Lai C…

According to legends, chewing quid of betel and areca has been a custom since the Hung Vuong period and is connected to the antique legend of betel and areca. A quid of betel, also called trau, is composed of four elements: an areca leaf (sweet taste), betel bark (hot taste), a chay root (bitter taste), and hydrated lime (pungent ta…

In the mind of Vietnamese people, "market" is a very familiar picture in daily life. People can find out a crowded and animated market everywhere in this country, Vietnam, from tranquil suburb to crowded urban areas. Market is not only the place for trading and exchanging goods and services but also the thing that expresse…

There was an old man who always rode his bike to his brother's house every weekend. It took him 2 hours and he alway's made it by there by 2PM. One day he tried to make it in 1 hour. Collapsing on a hill from exhaustion, while sitting there, a Corvette pulls up and asks him if he needs a ride. The man looks at his watch and …

A very popular belief among Vietnamese is the custom of the ancestor cult. In every household, an ancestor altar is installed in the most solemn location.   Vietnamese believe that the soul of a dead person, even if dead for many generations, still rests along with their descendants on earth. The dead and living persons still have s…