Learn about the geography, culture, language, and much more in this in-depth overview of Vietnam. All books of the critically-acclaimed Cultures of the World® series ensure an immersive experience by offering vibrant photographs with descriptive nonfiction narratives, and interactive activities such as creating an authentic traditional dish from an easy-to-follow recipe. Copious maps and detailed timelines present the past and present of the country, while exploration of the art and architecture help your readers to understand why diversity is the spice of Life.
In ancient Vietnam, there once lived a King called Hung Vuong. He was a benevolent king who ruled wisely and with much kindness. As Hung Vuong grew old, he had to pick one of his children to succeed him. To help him decide, the sons were given an important task to prepare a meal fit for a king. The two older sons journeyed to the farthest lands to find the rarest ingredients. The youngest, Lang Liêu, was a humble prince who merely prepared a simple meal with great care, using locally harvested rice grains, Vietnam’s most precious edible commodity. While his brothers impressed their father with exotic dishes using the most exclusive ingredients, Lang Liêu fashioned simple glutinous rice cakes for the king—the bánh chung and bánh giay. Who will win the crown and rule the land?
For centuries, Vietnamese have sustained the history of their nation, both actual and mythic, through their folklore. These stories, passed from generation to generation, contain not only the national saga, but also fundamental cultural values that Vietnamese hold dear. Some stories, like "A Daughter's Love," are imaginative accounts of early Vietnamese history. Others, like "The Anger of the Waters" and the title story, "Two Cakes Fit for a King," provide colorful explanations of the world and how it works. "The Story of Watermelon Island" offers readers a glimpse of the traditional agrarian values and way of life that are the foundation of Vietnamese society. Imaginative and captivating, funny and sometimes tragic, these tales have remained popular and culturally significant for Vietnamese, young and old, for hundreds of years. The intricate illustrations draw on centuries-old painting styles and on natural imagery and everyday life in Vietnam.
This book offers new critical approaches for the study of adaptations, abridgments, translations, parodies, and mash-ups that occur internationally in contemporary children's culture. It follows recent shifts in adaptation studies that call for a move beyond fidelity criticism, a paradigm that measures the success of an adaptation by the level of fidelity to the "original" text, toward a methodology that considers the adaptation to be always already in conversation with the adapted text. This book visits children's literature and culture in order to consider the generic, pedagogical, and ideological underpinnings that drive both the process and the product. Focusing on novels as well as folktales, films, graphic novels, and anime, the authors consider the challenges inherent in transforming the work of authors such as William Shakespeare, Charles Perrault, L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and A.A. Milne into new forms that are palatable for later audiences particularly when--for perceived ideological or political reasons--the textual transformation is not only unavoidable but entirely necessary. Contributors consider the challenges inherent in transforming stories and characters from one type of text to another, across genres, languages, and time, offering a range of new models that will inform future scholarship.
Tu Van Dien and Hoa Linh Dien cannot be compared to Tich Mich Coc. So the fact that Tich Mich Coc was destroyed by Lam Van caused an uproar in the whole Nguyen Tinh County. The sects participating in arranging the blockade were even more worried and uneasy. They are afraid that Lam Van will find them next. In a short period of time, the whole Tu Chan world was watching Lam Van's movements. It's like if the wind blows or shakes it, it will immediately spread throughout the Tu Chan world.
This volume reviews my visit to Vietnam, a country with a long and fascinating history. Though relatively small, Vietnam had a large footprint on the world stage, from the time it was an empire and governed by China for over a thousand years through recent times. Though under Chinese occupation for a millennium the embers of independence did not dissipate. At an appropriate time, a revolt expelled the Chinese and Vietnam regained its independence. A resurgent Vietnam after this long quiescent period transformed them into a resilient and hardy people, refusing to allow others to invade and conquer them. Amazingly, three different world powers tried to invade Vietnam and conquer them. And each, in turn, was repelled. The first of these were the Mongolians. The Mongol army was thoroughly defeated and its army was annihilated in the Battle of the Bach Dang River in 1287-1288. The only others who were successful against the Mongols were the Hungarians, far distant from the Far East. Six hundred and sixty-six years later, the French arrived, in a colonial effort to subdue these people. However, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu resulted in French defeat, with the Vietnamese again victorious in defeating an invader. The United States, the greatest superpower in the world, then tried to subdue them by might and force by raining bombs that still litter the countryside. However, the TET Offensive (1968) was so devastating, the United States withdrew from the futile effort at defeating them. How is it possible that the Vietnamese, with about 50 million people (in the north of today's unified country) was able to defeat the greatest powers wielded against them? This is a question to ponder as Vietnam asserts itself as an increasingly powerful economy. My knowledge and awareness of Vietnam were colored by the Vietnam War. As an 18-year-old, I submitted documentation regarding eligibility for the military’s draft system. I received a deferral based on my advanced studies but was acutely aware of the fierce opposition the war engendered on American streets and university campuses. I describe this divisive setting, culminating in young men deciding to evade the draft by emigrating to Canada or other countries. That departure was heart-wrenching, considering that forced exit a permanent closure to American citizenship. President Carter later pardoned these draft-dodgers, allowing them to return home. At the same time, however, those men who heeded the country's call to arms paid the price in injury and death. These veterans were furious at the unfairness of such a pardon. I describe this setting as well as the long-simmering and unresolved debate of American Prisoners of War (POWs) who may have been left behind and not repatriated. A special congressional commission was established to delve into these charges, but among Vietnamese war veterans, the charge and answer remain unresolved decades after the war ended. I describe my stepping on Vietnamese soil, itself a surreal experience, for the first time, but as a civilian. If fate had decreed otherwise, I might have been in the country many years earlier, and certainly not by way of a modern cruise ship, welcomed by song and smile. Vietnam is an amazing country. Its people are like no other on our planet. I share my wonder and respect for these unique people in this volume, trying to capture their presence and their gift of firmest resolve.
The culture of Vietnam is rich in diversity: its folk literature reflects, shapes, and transmits that culture. This collection of stories contributes to our understanding of the traditions, values, and human qualities of the Vietnamese peoples.
American folklife is steeped in world cultures, or invented as new culture, always evolving, yet often practiced as it was created many years or even centuries ago. This fascinating encyclopedia explores the rich and varied cultural traditions of folklife in America - from barn raisings to the Internet, tattoos, and Zydeco - through expressions that include ritual, custom, crafts, architecture, food, clothing, and art. Featuring more than 350 A-Z entries, "Encyclopedia of American Folklife" is wide-ranging and inclusive. Entries cover major cities and urban centers; new and established immigrant groups as well as native Americans; American territories, such as Guam and Samoa; major issues, such as education and intellectual property; and expressions of material culture, such as homes, dress, food, and crafts. This encyclopedia covers notable folklife areas as well as general regional categories. It addresses religious groups (reflecting diversity within groups such as the Amish and the Jews), age groups (both old age and youth gangs), and contemporary folk groups (skateboarders and psychobillies) - placing all of them in the vivid tapestry of folklife in America. In addition, this resource offers useful insights on folklife concepts through entries such as "community and group" and "tradition and culture." The set also features complete indexes in each volume, as well as a bibliography for further research.
