Guide of Vietnam

Traditional Vietnamese Family

There are a lot of differences between Vietnamese family to the European family: From the family size to the role of each member of the family and it's also different from the past to now.

Vietnamese family in the past

More than 30 years ago, Vietnamese family was very big. A couple could have about 5 to 10 children!!! Five kids were not really big. Eight kids were very normal. Take an example, my parents ( more than 60 years old) have 10 children. And most of my aunts and uncles also have from 5 to 10 children. Moreover, some of my parents' neighbors have even 12 children. Especially, in the center of Vietnam the family's size is bigger than the other places. In a typical family,there were three generations: grand parents - parents - children. The roles of family's members were also different. Still keeping the tradition: the man had the main role, the family didn't have the balance. Any decision just could be made by the grandfather or father. The children didn't have the power to make their own decision. The women always listened to the men.

Vietnamese Hat

The Vietnamese Hat, its name is Non La

The Vietnamese Hat known as Non La (Nón Lá written in Vietnamese) in Vietnam but also called Asian Hat or Conical Hat, is together with Vietnamese dress (Ao dai), one of the most notorious and visible symbols of Vietnam.
The literal translation of Non La into English is Conical Hat, but many people also called it Asian Hat because many other countries use this kind of hat (ex: Cambodia).

Pictures of the Vietnamese Hat (Non la)

When we talk about the Vietnamese Hat, everyone thinks in a conical hat, made of straw. However, few people know that this type of hat is used almost entirely by women, although in the central and southern Vietnam, you can see men using it.

There is man version of the Vietnamese Hat, his appearance is very similar to an African Safari hat. It is easy to see, especially in the north. In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam is quite common to find men on the streets wearing the Vietnamese Hat.
This is the appearance of the Vietnamese Hat for men.

Man riding a bicycle wearing Vietnamese Hat for men. Hanoi, Vietnam.