Here are some interesting facts about my home country, Vietnam:

1. The country’s name is originally spelled as two words: Việt Nam.

2. The Vietnamese culture is a complex adaptation of Chinese, Japanese, French, and American influences thanks to its complicated history.

3. Vietnam’s street food culture is popular and Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world with its combination of fresh ingredients like fresh herbs, seafood, fruits, and vegetables along with fish sauce, soy sauce, and rice. Probably because of its famous food culture, Vietnam has its own Kitchen God aka Ong Tao. According to legend, Ong Tao makes his appearance just before the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) festival.

4. Noodles are the second most popular food in Vietnam, after boiled rice. Of course, aside from Pho, there are many other types of noodles in Vietnam.

5. The Vietnam War is known as the American War or the Resistance War Against America in Vietnam.

6. Vietnam is one of only 10 countries in the world which can be considered completely free from wars and conflicts in 2016.

7. The Vietnamese language uses Latin alphabet in its writing system since it was developed by Portuguese and French missionaries in the 17th century and has been largely used since the French colonization. The language has 6 different tones and a change in tone changes the meaning of the word. I am sure Vietnamese is much easier to write than most of other Asian languages but be careful when you pronounce the words :)

8. Nguyễn (Nguyen) is the most common surname in the country. Around 40% of all Vietnamese people have this surname.

9. You can travel from Porto (Portugal) to Saigon (Vietnam) solely by train. It’s one of the longest train rides in the world, approximately 17,000km and through over 11 countries.

10. Vietnamese traditional fashion is easily distinguished by the flowing robes (Ao Dai) and conical hats (Non La).

11. Vietnam has a literacy level of 94.5% despite being a developing country (in 2015).

12. Vietnam’s unemployment rate is approximately 2% in 2014, one of the lowest of all developing countries in the world.

13. Rice terraces are planted that way to enable the crop to grow along the steep mountainsides.

14. Fansipan, also known as The Roof of Indochina, is the highest mountain peak in the region and stands at 3,143m. Now you can easily take the cable car or opt for a trek to this peak.

15. Vietnam is home to the world’s largest cave, Son Doong. It is so huge that it has its own river, jungle and climate and can even fit a 40 storey skyscraper. You sure wouldn’t want to be lost down there. There is only one tour company, Oxalis, which offers tours to Son Doong Cave, but I heard they usually have a 6-month waiting list.

16. If you are in Vietnam, chances are you are already a millionaire (in Vietnam Dong). The largest denomination is currently 500,000 Dong (~ 24 USD) :)

17. Lizard fishing is one of Vietnam’s most popular pastimes. It’s particularly prevalent in the South Central Coast region.

18. Motorbikes are the most common form of transport. E.g. Ho Chi Minh City is now home to 7.43 million motorbikes while its population is around 8 million in 2016.

19. The Vietnamese wear helmets not to be safe on the roads but in order not to be fined by the police/traffic officers.

20. The tunnels of Cu Chi are a network of 250km underground pathways that were used as a military base for the Viet Cong soldiers in their resistance of American forces. If you visit Cu Chi nowadays, not only you can explore the tunnels, but you also have a chance to shoot the real Vietnam War weapons like AK47 or M16 :)

21. The body of Vietnam’s first president, Ho Chi Minh (Uncle Ho), was embalmed, and is now on display in Ho Chi Minh mausoleum.

22. Vietnam’s flag consists of a golden star with five points to represent farmers, workers, intellectuals, youth and soldiers. The red background pays tribute to the bloodshed during the wars. Note that it has no connections with the Chinese flag though they look similar.

23. Vietnam owns about 20% of the coffee market share, and is the second largest rice exporter in the world. The country is also the largest exporter of cashew nuts and black pepper with one-third of the global production.

24. Ha Long Bay is of such scenic beauty that it was included as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

25. Hoi An Ancient Town, the famous attraction in Vietnam, was actually a trading port from the 15th century that has endured up to date.

26. Water puppetry is one of the most popular Vietnamese art forms that date back as far as the 11th century.

27. Construction styles vary from traditional Vietnamese stilt houses and Chinese style pagodas to colonial French architecture and thin tube houses.

28. In some mountainous areas e.g. Sa Pa, there is a “love market” festival that is observed to commemorate a tragic forbidden love story, and to give modern day young people a chance to meet their potential significant others. It’s not something improper because it has been an unique and valuable aspect in the culture of the Mong and Dao ethnic groups for many centuries. Many have become husbands and wives after this festival. Well, somehow it looks like a form of “speed dating” in Western countries :)

29. The Vietnamese are generally honest, friendly, helpful and always smile. Pro tip: A smile can get you out of many troubles in Vietnam.

30. There is no drinking age in Vietnam. This means kids can drink as much as they want, but often, their parents will strictly forbid them to drink until they go to the university. Besides, alcohol is also prohibited in all schools and colleges.

31. Vietnam is probably home to the best and cheapest draft beer, Bia Hoi. Literally, Bia Hoi means “fresh beer” because it is very refreshing, coming straight out of the keg. Surely Bia Hoi won’t leave you with a pounding hangover as it’s very light and the price is only ~25 cents/cup. But here you will enjoy it like a local: sitting in a tiny plastic chair, drinking Bia Hoi with your friends on the narrow alleys while watching the city’s nightlife. It’s not rare if some locals say ‘Hello’, then invite you to join their mates for some rounds. Pro tip: it’s fastest way to make friends in Vietnam.

32. Gambling in casino is illegal for Vietnamese citizens, but not for foreigners.

33. In Vietnam, there is a fruit called ‘breast milk’. No, it’s not what you are thinking! It’s a real fruit and very sweet, actually. :)

I hope you enjoy the answer!

Update: Some new facts have been added. I am glad that many Quorans have shared with me their experience in Vietnam. In case you are planning to visit Vietnam, here is something you might want to know before taking the trip: