New book on traditional customs launched

Hanoi (VNA) - Culture researcher Phan Cam Thuong has just launched the second book in his four-volume series on Vietnamese civilisation.

The 600-page book, titled Tap Tuc Doi Nguoi – Van Hoa Tap Tuc của Nguoi Nong Dan Viet Nam The Ky 19-20 (Life’s Customs – Cultural Customs of Vietnamese Peassants in 19-20th Century), published by the Writers Publishing House and the Nha Nam Culture and Communications Company, features the results of Thuong’s 20-year-research.

It follows the first book in the series, titled Van Minh Vat Chat Cua Nguoi Viet (Vietnamese People’s Material Civilisation), published in 2011, which features vehicles and objects that Vietnamese people created and used.

The new book offers different views on the spiritual life of Vietnamese farmers and the ways they interact in rural and urban environments. The book does not list all the customs in Vietnam but highlights the most basic ones, which involve the development of people’s culture and the change they cannot resist.

The next two books, titled May La Ke Nao? (Where Are You From?) on Vietnam’s regions and The Ky 19 Viet Nam (Vietnam in 19th Century), featuring the country in the 19th century, will be published in the next few years.

Thuong said many other researchers such as Phan Ke Binh, Toan Anh, Nhat Thanh and Nguyen Van Huyen have written about traditional customs.

“They did the same things like listing all the customs. In my book, I have mentioned the origin of the customs. For example, what kinds of customs people living in the villages and cities followed,” he said.

He also traced how the customs changed, how they disappeared, and how the new customs replaced the old ones.

For instance, Thuong describes a house on stilts of Muong and Thai ethnic groups. The way they divide the space in their house is similar to that of the Kinh majority group.

The women of Muong and Thai groups did not need to change their clothes in a separate room instead they used a robe stretching from the breast to the calf.

Thuong explained the reason why farmers had breakfast very early. In summer, they worked very early in the fields so that at 10am, when the sun shines brightly, they could return home to avoid the heat.

In his book, besides some illustrations taken from the book, titled Ky Thuat Cua Nguoi An Nam (Vietnamese People’s Techniques) by Henri Oger, and photos from various sources, Thuong used his own drawings to help readers understand more.

Writing at the precede, culture researcher Nguyen Ngoc compared the book series as a collection of Vietnamese history.

“However, I need to clarify that the series contains the history of Vietnam not as a country, but the history of Vietnamese people in their daily lives. Here we encounter different, smaller, more direct and closer (But strange enough, lesser known) people. Vietnamese people,” Ngoc wrote.

The book is available at bookstores throughout the country for 189,000 VND (8.3 USD).

A show introducing the book will be organised on January 14 on Book Street Nguyen Van Binh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. - VNA