South Vietnam

South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), {{ll|Vietnamese}} Việt Nam Cộng Hòa from 1955, was a country that existed from 1954 to 1975 in the territory of Vietnam that lay south of the Demilitarized Zone while North Vietnam was situated to the north of the DMZ. The partition was made during the Geneva Conference (1954), after the Viet Minh fought successfully to end almost 100 years of French colonialism. The Republic was proclaimed in Saigon by Ngo Dinh Diem on October 22, 1955, after the Emperor Bao Dai was deposed.

Culture

Principal religions were Buddhism, Roman Catholic, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, animists and others.

Related Topics:
Buddhism - Roman Catholic - Cao Dai - Hoa Hao - Animist

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Vietnamese Culture

Cultural life was strongly flavored by that of China until French domination in the 19th century. At that time, the traditional culture began to acquire an overlay of western characteristics. Many families have three generations living under one roof.

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• It is traditional for a married couple to care for the man’s parents. Also, it is very important to have a son. If there is only one son, he and his wife must live with his parents. If there are no sons, one of the daughters may remain unmarried and care for her parents. To make decisions, children must ask their parents.
• Vietnamese males and females are not allowed to date. They grew up in their families until age 18 to 20 and marry according to their parents' arrangements. Dating is believed to undermine traditions, encouraging sons and daughters to defy their parents' wishes and bringing shame to their families. Youths who have affections for one another may carry their relationship in secrecy, but eventually yield to their parents' wills. This may mean marrying a complete stranger or someone they do not like. Pleasing their parents is a social priority and doing otherwise would be a major dishonor.