General Info • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF_Ug2jNv8o

• 90.0 million inhabitants

• 54 different ethnic groups, dominant Viet (Kinh) 85,8% of population

• World’s 13th most populous country

• One of the oldest cultures in Southeast Asia

Religion

• Vietnam is a multi-religious state

• More than 20 million believers, more than 30,000 places of worship.

• Buddhism: major religion, 10 million followers

• Catholicism: 6 million followers

Nature

• Climate: Vietnam lies in the tropics and monsoon

Education

• Students wear uniform

Language• Vietnamese (official)

- Every word has only 1 syllable

- Its meaning and pronunciation is based on the tone, e.g: ma (ghost), má (mom), mà (but), mã (horse).

- Word meanings and dialects are different by regions.

• English, Chinese, French

• for certain feelings, Vietnamese culture prefers non-verbal communication

- smile can be used to show all sorts of emotions, from happiness to anger or even grief

Cuisine• Vietnamese cuisine: extremely diverse, divided into regions

(north, central and south)

Phở – V. special noodles Caramelized Pork

Bánh xèo –Vietnamese pancake

Vietnamese specialities• Tet (Lunar New Year): giving

gifts, door-to-door greeting, traditional food

Floating market

Tropical fruits

Square sticky rice cake

Costume: áo dài (long-dress),nón lá (palm-leaf conical hat)

Iced-milk coffee

Green tea

Water puppetry

Etiquette

• Saving face is extremely important in Vietnamese society.

• Seniority is very important

• Always take your shoes off when entering a Vietnamese home.

• Shake with both hands, and bow your head slightly to show respect.

• The Vietnamese sometimes appear to answer “yes” (dạ) to all questions.

Business Culture• Vietnamese business contacts are mostly referrals

• The more you share your personal life the closer you are in your business relationship

• When giving business card start with the most senior person

• Most decisions are made by committee in Vietnam.

• A foreigner doing business in Vietnam will have to deal with government officials.

Business Dress Code• Subdued colors are the

norm. Bright color of any kind is not appropriate.

• Wearing conservative clothes

Men: casual suits & ties

Women: dress or blouse and pants.

Business Meeting

• Business cards are a common opening to business meetings

• Start with small talk and enquire about their families and personal life before discussing any business matter.

• An offer of tea at a reception or meeting is a ritual form of hospitality and should not be refused.

Business Gift• Flowers are normally given only by men

to women.

• Always wrap a gift in colorful paper.

• When visiting a Vietnamese home, bring a gift for the hostess.

• In business, give whiskey.

• Giving a gift in an office setting may be misinterpreted as a bribe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd6QdV1Zyv8

Thank you for your attention!

Alex & Henri