The People
About 75 per cent of Vietnam's people live in villages.
The vast majority of people in Vietnam are ethnic Vietnamese, a Mongoloid people closely related to the Chinese. The remainder of the population consists chiefly of mountain tribesmen referred to as the Moi, or Montagnards, and Chinese and Cambodians.
The principal language is Vietnamese. It is a tonal, monosyllabic language, influenced by Chinese, Khmer, and Thai. English is also spoken. The various mountain tribes have their own languages. Chinese Vietnamese speak Chinese, mainly the Cantonese dialect.
Most Vietnamese are nominally Mahayana Buddhists, but their religion combines elements of Taoism, Confucianism, animism, and ancestor worship. The Montagnards are animists. A significant minority of Vietnamese are Roman Catholics, most of whom live in southern Vietnam. Also in the south are two local religious groups—the Cao Dai and the Hoa Hao.
All elementary and secondary schools are under control of the government and the Communist party. Education begins at age six and lasts 12 years—5 years of primary school, 4 of middle school, and 3 of secondary school. Both academic and vocational training are provided in secondary school. All students, beginning in the primary grades, are required to do industrial and agricultural work as well as attend classes.
Major institutions of higher learning are the University of Hanoi, Hanoi National Institute of Technology, the University of Ho Chi Minh City, and Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University of Technology. There are also many colleges, conservatories, and institutes. About 85 per cent of the people are literate.
Cultural activities are largely regimented by the government. Poetry is the most highly developed literary form. Theater makes extensive use of Chinese-style instrumental music and song. Political themes are often used. There are two main styles of painting—one showing European, the other Chinese influence. Singing is highly popular with the Vietnamese.
