About Vietnam Knowledge

Vietnam Knowledge is an independent reference site about Vietnam — its history, culture, regions, language, food, economy, visa policy and the common scams worth knowing before you arrive.

The country is rewarding and complicated, and most of the English-language writing about it falls into one of two camps: marketing copy from tour operators, or a thin travel-blog summary. This site is neither. It tries to be plain, calm, accurate, and updated when policy changes — especially the visa policy, which has shifted meaningfully in the past two years.

What we cover

• History — from the Lý and Trần dynasties through French colonisation, the war years, and Đổi Mới.
• Culture — religion, family, festivals, etiquette.
• Regions — North, Central, South; plus the 63 provinces.
• Language — the six tones, the Latin-script alphabet, useful phrases.
• Food — phở, bánh mì, bún chả, regional cuisines, street-food etiquette.
• Economy — manufacturing, FDI, agriculture.
• Visa & relocation — e-visa, the new 5-year DTV, Phú Quốc 30-day visa-free.
• Scams — taxi meters, fake tour offices, ATM skimming, motorbike rentals.

Sources & corrections

Where a claim is time-sensitive (visa rules, prices, regulations), we try to date it. If you notice something out of date or wrong, please get in touch — corrections are appreciated.