10 interesting facts about Vietnam you didn’t know

“Guys, take my hand, stay together and slowly cross the road. Just don't stop or go back. Walk with confidence and all the traffic will work around you. Trust me it's super safe!”

“Are you f*****g kidding me?” I said to Stefan…

Yet our friend Quan was right. The chaotic and seemingly neverending traffic of Saigon and Hanoi all seem to work together in this sort of messy ‘union'. It's overwhelming for first-timers. I can tell you I was terrified out of my skin at the prospect of crossing the streets of Saigon when we first touched down Vietnam. But you quickly realise it's absolutely fine…like our friend Quan told us, start walking slowly, but with purpose, and all the traffic just negotiates its way around you!

Crazy traffic aside, we loved Vietnam. As a gay couple, we loved how welcoming we were made to feel at the hotels we stayed in. There's even a large LGBTQ community in the large main cities with a handful of queer hangouts to check out. As foodies, we couldn't be happier. Vietnam is one massive culinary adventure, from the rich “pho” broths of Saigon to the yummy “cao lau” noodle dishes of Hoi An and the delectable tiramisu-like “egg coffees” of Hanoi. We pretty much ate our way from the bottom all the way to the tip of this unique S-shaped country in Southeast Asia. We recommend reading more about this in our blog post about our favourite traditional foods of Vietnam.

The gay scene and tasty prizes aside, Vietnam also has a rich cultural heritage, with its first independent monarchy dating back to 900 AD, a period of French colonialism from 1850-1945 and a subsequent period of division when the North and South became divided into two opposing rival states. Since reunification in 1976, Vietnam has evolved into a crazy, fascinating and above all else, thrilling destination in Asia. We loved it and would zip back in a heartbeat!

Here's a flavour of precisely why we fell in love with Vietnam set out as our 10 interesting facts which we learnt about it during our big trip.

The unique S-shape of Vietnam

Our personal favourite interesting fact about Vietnam is its S shape. Not only because we love our funky shaped countries (like the ones that resemble glamorous high heels – Italia), but because it honours both our first names: S for Stefan, S for Sebastien and S for S-shaped Vietnam!

When you think about it, it's actually quite a remarkable shape for a country, long and thin, just like Chile in South America. The top of the narrow S curve starts in the North with the capital, Hanoi, bordering China, and Laos in the West. The S then trails down passing Hoi An, Hue (both must-see cities for any traveller to Vietnam!), sharing a border with Cambodia to the West and a long narrow coastline to the East with the South China Sea. The S then curves out at its southern tip which is where you find the economic and transport hub of Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City (also referred to as “Saigon” locally).

And that also sums up our month-long trip through Vietnam! Beginning with Saigon, we flew up to Hanoi, visited the famous limestone cliffs of Halong Bay, then headed to the central region to explore Hoi An and Hue, before returning back south to the bustling Saigon.

The Kingdom of Motorbikes!

We really weren't kidding about the hectic traffic in Vietnam, particularly the abundance of motorbikes. In Vietnam, motorbikes are everywhere, hence it's nickname: “The Kingdom of Motorbikes“! 

To give you an idea, the population of Vietnam is almost 100 million. According to Vietnam's Ministry of Transport, there are almost 60 million motorbikes in the country and only 2 million cars. This is largely down to cost and practicality. Owning a car is incredibly expensive because the tax is around 100-200%, so it’s a luxury reserved for the very wealthy. The tax for motorbikes is far cheaper, making it a more affordable means of transportation for everyday folk.

Motorbikes are also a handy way to get around, particularly in the tight narrow streets and tiny alleyways. They're also much easier to park than cars.

Interestingly, Vietnam is the country with the 4th highest number of motorbikes after India, China and Indonesia. But with all the air pollution and traffic congestion this all causes, where is this heading? Well in 2017, the government announced it will ban all motorbikes in the capital, Hanoi, by 2030 and invest more in public transport, such as a Sky Train, much like the ones in Bangkok and Vancouver.

And the bit above about how to cross the road in Vietnam? Check out our video to give you an idea:

Crossing your fingers is super rude!

You hoping to pass your grades at school…you cross your fingers for luck! I pray Stefan won't take 3 hours to get ready for our next date night, so I cross my fingers for luck…you get my gist…

…not so in Vietnam!

Do not, I repeat, do NOT cross your fingers to a Vietnamese. It is seen as an obscene gesture, akin to raising your middle finger and saying “F*** You!”

The reason why what we regard to be an innocent gesture is so vilified in Vietnam is because crossed fingers are thought to resemble female genitals. We're not quite sure why the vagina is so offensive to the Vietnamese, but one thing's for sure – avoid crossing your fingers like this when in public to avoid any unwanted confrontation:

Vietnamese coffee!

We're both coffee addicts, especially Stefan who can't seem to function as a normal human being until he's had around 6 cups of coffee…

Coffee in Vietnam (called ca pheI locally) is actually serious business. Just like many countries in Latin America, Vietnam is a huge exporter of coffee beans. It is, in fact, the world’s second-largest coffee-producing nation after Brazil, producing 16% of the world’s total coffee (Brazil’s is 40%).

As well as exporting it, the Vietnamese also love to consume it and have accordingly developed a rich culture for consuming coffee. The most common is through a small metal drip filter called a “phin cà phê”, which is then served (either hot or cold) with condensed milk used as a sweetener.

The most unique way of drinking coffee in Vietnam, and possibly one of our favourite ever coffees we've ever tried is the famous egg coffee of Hanoi. You read right – the “ca phe trung” is served with egg yolk whipped into the condensed milk. It originated in the 1940s when milk was scarce and egg yolks provided a convenient replacement. It's also bloody delicious – like going face down in a mini cup of tiramisu as Stefan so eloquently put it:

Queen of the cashew

Vietnam is the world's largest exporter of cashew nuts, producing 37% of the global number. Cashew is big business here. In 2018, the country produced 339,700 tons of cashew nuts worth $3.09 billion, exporting mainly to the US, China and the Netherlands.

Interestingly, the cashew nut itself is, in fact, the seed that grows at the bottom of the cashew fruit unlike other nuts which grow inside of the fruit. The cashew's fruit is called a “cashew apple” and is super healthy, containing five times the amount of Vitamin C found in oranges.

Final cashew fact: November 23rd is National Cashew Day!

Ong Tao the Vietnamese god of the kitchen

Vietnam is the only country we know of that has its own deity for the kitchen! His name is Ong Tao or “the Kitchen God”!

According to legend, Ong Tao makes his appearance just before the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) festival, which is usually in mid-February. During this time he rushes up to heaven to give his annual report to the Jade Emperor (the King of Heaven) on the activities of the family, which determines the fate of each household in the new year.

But spare a thought for poor old Ong Tao who doesn't have much money to buy new clothes, so he simply goes around clad in a long robe and shorts. Another legend claims he wears a robe because he's always rushing around and forgot to do up his trousers properly!

Introducing the breast milk fruit!

If you like exotic fruits as much as we do, then you'll be in paradise in Vietnam. Every trip to the local fruit market is like a new adventure, always with a new discovery whether it's rambutans, langsats, mangosteens…and the breast milk fruit!

We're not kidding. Vietnam actually has a legit fruit that translates to “milk from the breast” (“vu sua”) in Vietnamese. The actual name for it in English is “star apple” because when you cut it in half horizontally, the segments form a star-like shape.

We tried the star apple from a street seller in Hoi An and found it to be juicy and sweet. As you continue to peel and eat away at it, a few white milky drops dribble out, which explains the analogy to breast milk!

White skin is considered perfection

In the West, we tend to regard tanned skin as the “ideal” – usually, a sign of wealth because you've just come back from an exotic holiday. We love it so much, we have the culture of tanning and going to sunbeds. Not so in Vietnam! Here, the exact opposite applies.

In Vietnam (and across much of Asia), white is considered the ideal skin colour. Having tanned skin is frowned upon as a sign of being a labourer working hard in the sun. As a result, whitening products are big business across the country and many even have expensive surgery to make their skin paler!

This is perhaps most striking at the beaches. We visited An Bang beach near Hoi An (another must-do tip from us!) and this was a common sight…ie women completely covering up to avoid the strong sun rays from tanning their skin:

Vietnam currency is called dong!

This made us giggle like little school girls a lot!

As soon as we found out the name of the Vietnamese currency, our childish humour took over and we wet ourselves laughing.

Apologies to any Vietnamese who may be reading this, but to see why, check the Urban Dictionary’s more explicit meaning in English slang and you'll see why!

On a more serious note, and to nicely link to our final interesting fact about Vietnam, currency collecting geeks (like Stefan) will find the dong quite fascinating. The currency will feature one of the most famous ever Vietnamese, Mr Ho Chi Minh:

Everyone is called Nguyen, even uncle Ho

Ho Chi Minh and Nguyen (pronounced “win”) are the two most common names you'll see everywhere in Vietnam.

Nguyen is the most popular family name in Vietnam, used by around 40% of the population. It is also the birth name of one of the famous Vietnamese: Mr Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh is highly revered in Vietnam. He led the fight for independence against the French and the Japanese in the 1940s. Subsequently, during the deadly Cold War years, he was regarded as such an important symbol of unification. So much so that in 1976 when the country was reunited, Saigon was formally renamed “Ho Chi Minh City”.

For more, watch our Vietnam travel video:

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