07 interesting facts about Vietnam

When you think of Vietnam, what comes to mind first? Beautiful landscapes, unique culture, rich cuisine, ancient cities, golden terraces, colorful ethnic minority markets,... Additionally, you surely have some curiosities about Vietnam. Now, let's discover with Asiatica Travel some interesting facts about Vietnam that you might not know!

1. Many Motorcycles

In Vietnam, there are many motorcycles, which are also the main means of transportation for the local population. Perhaps you already know this, but you probably can't imagine the "chaos" of the traffic here. Unlike many Western countries, in Vietnam, people drive on the right. Besides the fact that the streets are small, it's easy for traffic jams to occur during rush hours. Many small intersections don't even have traffic lights. But somehow miraculously, despite the chaotic traffic, road collisions rarely happen. Even sitting and sipping a cup of coffee from a high floor, watching the traffic below, is an interesting experience! If you don't believe it, try it when you travel to Vietnam! Tourists coming to Vietnam for the first time might be afraid to cross the street. However, you just need to stay calm and move slowly: the cars and motorcycles will avoid you. For many tourists, driving a motorcycle on their own, blending into the street traffic, is a very stimulating and interesting experience!

2. Free Wifi Everywhere

One of the interesting facts about Vietnam that might surprise you is that wifi is available almost everywhere, from luxury restaurants to cafes, clothing stores, hotels, and even popular eateries. And most importantly, wifi is provided for free. Even if you urgently need to use the wifi, you can go to any store and ask to use the wifi without buying anything. In general, Vietnamese people are friendly and always ready to help others.

3. Football Fanaticism and "Storming the Streets" Culture

Like in many countries around the world, most Vietnamese people love football. From this love for football, a trend called "storming" has formed in Vietnam in recent years. This is considered an activity to celebrate whenever the Vietnamese national football team wins in Southeast Asian or Asian tournaments, such as the SEAGAME, AFF Cup, etc. During this event, many young people gather wearing shirts with national flags, holding flags, blowing trumpets, and beating drums. Even though the crowding sometimes causes traffic jams and noise, everyone is very happy, and no one feels uncomfortable. This is a very interesting cultural feature of Vietnam! Vietnamese people also prefer not to watch football alone but often gather to watch it, and many even go to restaurants equipped with big screens to watch football. Even if they are surrounded by people they don't know, their love for football unites them, enjoying the exciting atmosphere and supporting their favorite team.

4. Coffee Paradise

Egg Coffee - A Specialty of Hanoi

Vietnam is the second-largest coffee exporter in the world and the largest exporter of robusta coffee globally. That's why this place is a paradise for coffee lovers. You can enjoy coffee everywhere, from luxury restaurants to cafes, or even coffee carts on the street. Vietnamese coffee is also transformed into many types, including many unique combinations that will surely surprise you: egg coffee, yogurt coffee, coconut coffee, salted coffee... Each type has a different flavor that makes it unforgettable for diners.

5. Delicious Street Food

Vietnamese street food is diverse and rich. Besides traditional dishes, there are also dishes that are the product of cultural exchange and acculturation with ethnic groups that have long lived in Vietnam, such as the Chinese, Cham, Khmer, or Western countries. Recently, there are also snacks from countries like Thailand, Korea, Japan, Turkey... These dishes have been adopted by the Vietnamese and have been more or less modified according to the tastes and cooking styles of the Vietnamese. In general, Vietnamese street food is cheap: ranging only from 10,000 to 50,000 VND (0.5 - 2 euros).

6. Beer

Beer is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and Vietnam is no exception. Beer is the favorite drink of the Vietnamese. Vietnam ranked 9th in the world in beer consumption with over 3.8 million kiloliters in 2020, accounting for 2.2% globally. Vietnam has many national beer brands, the most famous being Hanoi beer and Saigon beer. If you come to Hanoi, don't forget to visit Ta Hien beer street and experience the draught beer culture!

7. Candy - An Unofficial Currency

Another interesting fact about Vietnam that you might not know is that candies are considered an unofficial currency. It's just a joke! In fact, when you buy products in grocery stores, sometimes the seller doesn't have small denomination notes like 1,000 VND or 2,000 VND to return, so they will give you some small candies instead of other notes. This only happens with small denomination notes and not often. Usually, when these situations occur, the Vietnamese are happy to accept candies or even give the same tip to the seller. Currently, online payment methods in Vietnam have become popular, making payment more convenient for both sellers and buyers. Do you know any other interesting facts about Vietnam? Or if you have any curiosities about Vietnam, share them with Asiatica!