Sunday, 15 July 2012

Entrance Competition to University

Today, 630,000 graduates of high school come to big cities like Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang ... to participate in entrance examinations to universities.
In Vietnam, after graduating in high school, to continue the studies, we must take the very rigid competitive selection. For most students, success in this competition is a very important step for the future.

Sau buổi làm thủ tục, nhiều tuyến phố bị ùn tắc nghiêm trọng

Their parents accompany them in cities:Đỗ xe trước cổng trường, gây ùn tắc giao thông

Education of Vietnam is backward compared to the development of society, globalization ... because of the competition systems - the rest of the education of Confucianism - the late change of methods of teaching, the cheating ... despite investment of 13% of GDP.
Education becomes a burden not only of state but also of each family in a young economically country with a population of 70% under 30 years old.

Prayer for success in the competition in front of the Confucius Temple of Literature - The country's first university constructed in 1070 which is the place of the old elites.

Education

The system of the educational hierarchy is the legacy of France because Vietnam is its ancient colony:

5 years in primary school, 4 years in college, 3 years in high school. These levels range from 6 years and 18 years.


4 years after high school diploma is the mastery.


2 years after the mastery is DEA (Deepened study diploma)
2 years after the DEA is the doctorate.


Before primary school, there are nurseries and kindergartens but not mandatory.


Primary school is free and compulsory throughout the country. But parents have to pay things: Uniform, food, books.... except students, children of ethnic groups in the isolated mountain.


In richer regions, the college is mandatory as: Ha Noi, Hai Phong ....

In general, students' parents must contribute 20% of expenses for training of their children with the state that spends 13% of PIB for Education.


For example: To form a student costs 1000 USD per year:  Construction of schools, classes, teacher's salary, tables.... Parents must contribute 20% of 1000 USD per year.


After high school, to continue studying in university, each bachelor must pass a very difficult selection competition. 20% of them are chosen to continue studies. But the other can take part in this competition in several times or follow vocational training.


In big cities like Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, there are private schools of all levels, better equipped, but still very expensive for the parents of the average class.


But, the rich parents have the tendency to send their children abroad for a university education, especially in the United States, Australia, England, France....



The education system is based on too many competitions, research elites, and the race towards modernity desired by new parents ... make education urgent in town. Children need much work in supporting the stress caused by the envy of success.


The false reports on the quality of students, lack of equipment in schools in rural region, the diploma is not recognized in the world, lack of schools in rapidly urbanized areas ... are the major problems of national education .


However, successes are remarkable: In 1945, there are more than 95% of illiterates but only about 3% today who are rather from ethnic minorities in isolated mountain.
UNICEF has found that the percentage of school in Vietnam is among the highest in Asia.

Saturday, 14 July 2012

circulation and transport

 1 – Plane :

Vietnamairlines is the most important air company in Vietnam, ranked as the Sky Team member, following Air Mekong, Viet Jet Air...
Vietnamairlines have airplanes: Boeing, Airbus, Forker, ATR witch ensure lines with the quality.


 2 – Motobike :

It is the most popular way of transport. There are 25 million motorcycles  with 92 million inhabitants:

3 - Car :

Only the rich persons can buy cars because they have to pay 200% tax, plus the price of the vehicle:


4 - Train :
Train: Ha Noi – Lao Cai, frontier city with China: 

Train Ha Noi - Sai Gon in 33 h:


4 - The buffaloes or cow carts:

They are much used by farmers to transport goods, materials...:



5 – A kind of Tuk Tuc, very popular in the South of Vietnam :

Pigs transport :

Iron transport on rickshaw














Why not ? :


Duck transport:











Load :
All can be loaded :




Calendar

In worldwide, we have three calendars:


1 - The Solar Calendar: Each year,  there are 365.25 days, a cycle of the sun.
2 - The Lunar calendar  was created in China:  Every month, there is a 29, 53-day cycle of the moon. Each year, there are 354 days.


3 - The calendar used by the Vietnamese and by peoples of South – East of Asia: The Lunar-Solar calendar:


  A – We determine the month, watching the moon: the beginning of the month begins with the crescent moon and the middle of the month by the full moon.


B - It determines the seasons with the sun:  At first, the summer solstice and the winter solstice


C – Then, we have the autumn equinox and the spring equinox.


Finally, we have the first four days of four seasons.
So, every three year, we have an extra month because a solar year has more than 11 days that the lunar year.

Friday, 13 July 2012

Popular arts


The Vietnamese have an impressive treasure of folklore which plays a very important role in the spiritual life.
Here are some kinds of folk art:


1 - Cheo: Singing theatre talking  about love, the beauty of life, nature, hypocrisy ... accompanied by traditional music:
 
2 - Tuong:Singing theatre telling the stories of history and life:

3 - Water Puppet:
This theater often tells folk tales and rural life:


4 - Quan Ho:
Personal or collective songs telling sentiment, the love ... classified as World Immaterial Cultural Heritage by Unesco:
 
5 - Cai Luong:
Typical in South  of Viet Nam, Cai Luong singing theater telling the love stories and tales of history:
 



6 - Hat Xam :
There are songs of beggar:


7 -  Chau Van :
It is sung during religious ceremonies:


8- Hat Xoan:  The Xoan songs in the North of Ha Noi, classified as World Immaterial Cultural Heritage by Unesco:

9 - Ho : The song invented during working : Ho in Hue ancient capita:


10 - Bai Choi: A kind of Ho songs in the coast :

.

Here are some kinds of traditional performing arts of Vietnam. Each region, each ethnic group has different folk treasures to discover.
11 - Ca Tru :It is a way to declaim poems, accompanied by music performed by the Dan day instrument Day