Vietnamese Culture
Religion
Their most common religions are: Buddhism, Hoa Hao, Christian
(predominantly Roman Catholic, Protestant) there is also the Muslim religion.
Confucianism
Confucius is a famous Vietnamese philosopher and educator, the word
‘Confucianism’ comes from his name. The teachings of Confucius influence, the Vietnamese describe, the position of an individual in the Vietnamese society. Confucianism is a system of behaviours and ethics that stress the obligations of people towards one another depending on their relationship. The basic tenets are based upon five different relationships:
Ruler and Subject, Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Brother and Sister, a Friend and a Friend.
Confucianism stresses duty, loyalty, honour, filial piety, respect for age, seniority and sincerity.
The Family
Vietnamese life revolves around the family. A Vietnamese family consists of nuclear as well as extended family. It is not uncommon for three generations to be living together under one roof. In Confucian tradition, the father is the head of the family and it is his responsibility and it is his responsibility to provide food, clothing, shelter and to make important decisions. Within the same tradition it is believed that when people die, their spirits will live on. The people will 'worship' their ancestors to ensure good favour. On the anniversary of a persons death, ceremonies are held in their memory. They are also remembered during certain lunar festivals and are consulted prior to certain decisions or occasions such as a birth or a wedding.
Tradition
Music
Hat Xam is a traditional Vietnamese song that has existed since the 13th century. It is called the song of the Blind Artists. The history behind this type of song is about a very talented musician, named Tran Quoc Dinh, the son of the King Tran Thanh Tong. Tran Quoc Dinh's brother was very jealous of his musical abilities, and one day pierced Tran's eyes, leaving the respectful musician blind.
The Tran is the musical instrument that Tran Quoc Dinh invented while he was able to see, and could still play while he was blind. The wonderful, deep, mournful sound reminded him of lost days, the days he abused his ability to see.
Myths and Legends
'Moon Boy'
A long time ago, there was a crafty, clever boy, who went by the name of Cuoi. The only thing he did with his ingenuity was play tricks on other people. He lived with his Aunt and Uncle and hoodwinked them a lot. One day, Cuoi rushed to the field to tell his Uncle that his wife had fallen from a ladder, she was bleeding. His Uncle was so alarmed, that he ran straight back to the house without saying a word. Cuoi also ran back to the house, but got there quicker because of a shorter way he learned. Before his Uncle got back, he told his Aunt that her husband had been hit by a stampeding herd of buffalo and was probably going to die. The wife was so fearful, she ran out to the field straight away. On her way, she suddenly ran into someone, who later she realised was her husband. He had been panting and sweating just like her, from running so far. When the Aunt and Uncle returned, they decided to put Cuoi into a bamboo cage and to send him down the rapid - moving river. Before being thrust into the river, Cuoi asked his Aunt and Uncle if they would forgive him, he asked for them to bring a book from their home that he could read that could help his, as they called it 'fooling people problem. The Aunt and Uncle agreed and carried him, in the cage, back to the house.
Cuoi was still stuck in the bamboo crate,
with no possible way of escape. Then, he saw a blind man pass, and quickly
shouted; ‘Here, here! Help me undo this cage! In return I will help you see!’
The man jumped at the chance to see again, and, with Cuoi’s help, untied the
rope. Cuoi quickly searched the floor and found a bag of coins. He ran back to
his house, and offered the bag of gold, in repayment for his wrongdoing. He
forgot, however, the old man who was waiting for his eyes to be treated, and
for him to see again.
Later
in Cuoi’s life, he married a beautiful girl from his village, but continued to
trick the local people. One morning, Cuoi was in the forest hunting, and saw a
tiger mother picking leaves, with her jaws, from a certain kind of tree, to
cure her son’s wound. Her son was waiting next to the tree, as if he knew
something good was on that tree. The mother chewed and chewed the leaves, then
spat it on her son’s bloodied wound. The ripped flesh healed instantly. Cuoi
uprooted the tree, and planted it behind his house. He named the tree Banyan
and took very good care of it. He was constantly reminding his wife that the
tree was magic, so she couldn’t pour water on it or use it to dump the garbage
on. His wife sometimes went green with envy for she thought Cuoi loved the tree
more than he loved her. So one day, she dumped garbage on the tree’s roots. When
Cuoi came home, he found the tree shaking and flying high into the clouds. He
tried to pull it back down by holding onto the base, but he failed. The
tree ended up pulling him up higher and higher until he reached the moon.
In conclusion, Vietnamese culture
contributed considerable amount to Australian society. The Vietnamese music is
certainly something that is listened to in Australia, and the Vietnamese
instruments are played. The traditions of the Vietnamese people, along with
their religion, was taken up by some Australians who previously didn’t have a
religion. To summarise, Vietnamese culture has contributed a substantial amount
to Australian society.
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Famous People: Anh Do
There are many famous Vietnamese Citizens in Australia and one of the most famous of these is Anh Do.
Anh migrated to Australia with in 1980 when Anh was just 3 years old. The boat that they were on was 9.5 x 2.0 meters in size with 40 refugees including Anh's family on it. Anh's boat was raided by pirates
Contributions:
Anh Do has contributed his hilarious humor to Australia's society and entertained them with his acting. Anh has featured in many films such as Football Legends and acted as himself in his TV show 'Anh Does...' where he visits different countries including Iceland, Brasil and (his home country) Vietnam. He has also featured in shows such as 'Pictures of You' which is shown here: |
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Author:
Anh has also written 2 autobiographies, one called 'The Happiest Refugee' and the other 'The Little Refugee'.
The Happiest Refugee is a more detailed description of his life whereas The Little Refugee is a childrens picture book based on a more children-friendly description of his life. Anh has also written the 'WeirDo' series pictured below.
Anh has also written 2 autobiographies, one called 'The Happiest Refugee' and the other 'The Little Refugee'.
The Happiest Refugee is a more detailed description of his life whereas The Little Refugee is a childrens picture book based on a more children-friendly description of his life. Anh has also written the 'WeirDo' series pictured below.
Artist:
Amongst all his other talents Anh is an artist as well. Anh has created paintings from spray-paint and twisted them to look like the celebrity or person that he is trying to paint, in the end the paintings resemble both the celebrity and aboriginal art. These celebrities include David Hughes (Comedian), Tim Storrier (Sydney Swans AFL Player) and Tam Do (Anh's Father). These paintings are pictured below:
Amongst all his other talents Anh is an artist as well. Anh has created paintings from spray-paint and twisted them to look like the celebrity or person that he is trying to paint, in the end the paintings resemble both the celebrity and aboriginal art. These celebrities include David Hughes (Comedian), Tim Storrier (Sydney Swans AFL Player) and Tam Do (Anh's Father). These paintings are pictured below: