The interesting facts about Vietnam culture are something that may come as a surprise for westerners however, some of these are common in some part of Asia.
White skin is considered perfection
One of the interesting facts about Vietnam culture is that having white and fair skin is considered perfection. For most countries in Asia, achieving this has been a goal for most women thus there have been several products and services that offer skin whitening and enhancements.
In most western countries, getting tanned or being tanned is a trend. However, the 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 labour worker under the sun.
You might notice most Vietnamese women cover up as much as possible or find a way to avoid the sun to make sure that they retain their skin color (especially noticeable at the beach).
Boost health with snake wine!
There are some parts in Asia wherein drinking snake wine is common and well, yes, Vietnam is part of it.
We understand if this fact raises a couple of questions, so we’re starting from the very beginning.
Snake wine is an alcoholic drink that can be produced in one of two ways: 1) a whole venomous snake is submerged into a jar of alcohol, where it sits for a few months until totally infused, or 2) a live snake has all of its blood and bile drained into a glass of alcohol.
The first records of this wine come from China, but the practice has moved into Vietnam over time.
Venomous snakes are considered to possess medicinal properties that can cure many illnesses. Naturally, those same properties transfer into the wine made from their bodies.
Aside from helping with sickness, it has also been said that drinking snake wine can improve virility, so if you’re in Vietnam (because it is illegal to export this boozy concoction) and feeling adventurous, why not give it a shot?
Crossing your fingers is super rude!
Another interesting fact about the Vietnam culture is the crossing of fingers. It may come as a gesture to invite luck for other people from a different country; however, this is perceived differently in Vietnam.
It is important to emphasize to avoid crossing your fingers while in this country as it is rude in Vietnam culture.
This gesture is treated similarly to having a middle finger raised up in western countries. Always try not to do this especially when in crowded places to avoid conflict among the locals.
