South East Asian Trips

Anyone going to Vietnam would be wise to bone up on some of the unique customs and superstitions of the country, lest they cause confusion, misunderstandings, hard-feelings, or loss of friendship. The old saying, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" cannot be applied to the letter in Vietnam, but it is still very important that we respect certain customs and superstitions of the people.

Many Vietnamese having extensive contact with foreigners have begun to understand foreigner ways and have even adopted some of them for their own use. However, there are thousands of ordinary folk whose customs have not changed in generations. This chapter is about those people.