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Hi all,
I have been registered with this site for some time and I have found that it is a useful tool for connecting with other foreigners.
However, I would like to see more information about life and culture in Vietnam. I think it would be useful if the newsletters told what this mid-autumn celebration is about, Tet, school holidays and more. Maybe the newletter can include information about what the Vietnamese are doing this month and other upcoming events. How is it significant for them? I have found myself now observing what I have been told is the 'mid-autumn festival" however I have not been able to find out what the stories are, who the iconic character are and other significant details about the food, the masks and the lanterns. I see it but I don't understand it.
As a foreigner in Hanoi, I would like to understand the life and culture of this city rather than an ignorant guest. I hope the New Hanoian can provide this education.
Kind regards
Glen
autumn festival moon (add tags) Why? Details of tags
answered about 4 months ago by Ouriel
If you simply google "vietnam +mid autumn festival" you can get tons of information about the festival. Here's one to get you started. http://www.familyculture.com/holidays/tettrungthu.htm
answered about 4 months ago by alpha
It's also important to understand that the information on this site is meant to be overwhelmingly community generated. We don't intend to be a magazine. Posting it as a question is the proper way to go, and your fellow community members can fill you in on various aspects of the mid-Autumn festival.
answered about 4 months ago by virezo
I've found some mistakes in that link, Ouriel. For example, we call "Chú Cuội" (Chu Cuoi) not Chu Coi... :| You can easily know why because the author isn't Vietnamese. To Glen: "Trung Thu" is for children. In the past, they also predicted crops and nation's fate by looking at the moon's colour.
answered about 4 months ago by angelonbroomstick
to be honest newsletter won't work too well since most ppl on this sites are expats. if you really really want to learn about vietnamese culture, i think a good way is to be out there, hang out with the locals, be on the street at those bia hoi, cafe shop, com binh dan, chess games etc. best places to learn culture.
answered about 4 months ago by teacherman
As usual, the techno-weenies on wiki have done a far better job ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival#Vietnamese_version ....than I, or others, could do explaining the Vietnamese version of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
answered about 4 months ago by lebedder
I agree with virezo, maybe he is Chinese, since he used the phraze "August Moon Festival" which, is equivalent to "八月节" or "八月会" in Chinese.
answered about 3 months ago by uluulustreet
hi! i think to really appreciate or understand Vietnamese culture and the life of the people, it is important to have an "informed" mind. I think one of the best way to start is read up on Vietnam, goggling, wikipedia or even watching documentaries (VTV4 is a local Vietnamese channel catering for overseas VIetnamse and foreign community and is mostly in Eng, if I am not wrong there are some french or russina too). Only when you know some of the history of Vietnam can you really appreciate the cultural diversity, its vibrancy and basically how Hanoi and VIetnam is the way it is today. And ya, talk to people about Vietnam, dont have to be Vietnamese, there are many foreigners living in Vietnam who knows alot on Vietnam if you cant really speak VIetnamese. But better still is to get yourself a Vietnamese teacher, speak their language and you will be sure that the locals will start opening up to you. Vietnamese are proud people who have fierce national/ethnic pride and they love it when you show interest in their culture etc and will be willing to share. I really hope you have a chance to really start understanding what you are seeing as I really find Vietnam a charming place esp when it seems you ahve been here since Dec last yr? I wish you good luck!
answered about 3 months ago by pippasweetie
Join "Friends of Vietnam Heritage" for viet culture lectures, books, walks and much more. They will have all of the info you need. http://fvheritage.googlepages.com for their program Cheers pippasweetie
