Viet Nam or Vietnam?
Are you used to spelling it Vietnam? Turns out that’s wrong! The official spelling of this beautiful country is Viet Nam. And that’s only the first surprising thing about Viet Nam!
(we use both spellings - Viet Nam and Vietnam in this workbook - just for fun!)
Viet Nam is filled with thick jungle, high mountains and sandy beaches. Most of the country is mountains - only 20% of the land is flat - so people have had to learn to live and farm rice on hills. You can see below how people have learned to cut steps into the hills for good growing.
Viet Nam is also a place for fascinating - but sometimes sad - history, delicious food and wonderful animals. We’re going to learn about all of them in this workbook!
This workbook has 6 different activities.
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Before you start…
PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS A SECTION OF THIS WORKBOOK WHICH DISCUSSES LANDMINES (LINKING TO A SEPARATE PAGE). WHILE THERE ARE NO VIOLENT IMAGES AND EVERYTHING IS DISCUSSED IN AGE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS BEFORE ALLOWING KIDS ACCESS ON THEIR OWN.
You’ll need some printed worksheets to complete this workbook. Start by clicking the button below and printing out the sheets.
Get a grown up to help you if you need it.
MAKE SURE TO CHECK ‘FIT TO PAGE’ WHEN YOU PRINT
When you’ve printed out the worksheets and got a pen or pencil, then scroll down to the begin the activities.
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Here’s a bigger map…
You can click on the purple circles to learn more - it might help you later!
Do you have a younger brother or sister?
Maybe they want to join in with doing the workbooks, but it’s a bit too old for them. We’ve made a colouring in sheet for younger siblings to do. Just click the button below to download and print!
Activity 1: First Questions
There are lots of interesting things to learn about Viet Nam! Can you answer the questions in this quiz?
Remember, try not to guess but actually do some research to find out the answers - ask your parents, or look on the Internet to find the answers!
One of the answers has a star - that’s the answer that should go in the Answer Grid⭐
Activity 2: All aboard the Reunification Express!
Viet Nam hasn’t always been one country. At various times it was split into lots of different regions, with different leaders controlling all the parts.
In 1975 Viet Nam became an entire country. This was called reunification. Reunification is celebrated on April 30th, the date when the American War (also called the Vietnam War) finished.
The leaders of Viet Nam knew that they had to make sure all Vietnamese people felt like they were a part of the country. So they decided to repair a train line that had run between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. This railway line could be a symbol of the different parts of Viet Nam coming together. They called it the Reunification Express.
The Reunification Express is 1,726 kilometres long and runs along the spine of Viet Nam. If you travel on it (it takes 33 hours!), you’ll lots of different sights of Viet Nam - like rice paddies, beaches, crowded cities and thick jungle. It’s an amazing adventure!
Take a look at page 3 of your worksheets. There’s a map of the Reunification Express, but the names of the cities it visits are missing. Take a look at the route map below and mark down the right names of the cities on the map.
One city has a star next to it - that’s the answer that goes in the Answer Grid ⭐
The Trung Sisters
The Trung Sisters, Trưng Trắc and her younger sister Trưng Nhị were Vietnamese ladies living in northern Viet Nam in 10-40 C.E.
The Trung Sisters were from a wealthy and educated family. They both learned how to read and write and were trained in martial arts.
At the time Viet Nam was controlled by China. The area that the Trung Sisters lived in had a Chinese leader who was cruel to the people. So the Trung Sisters decided to fight back.
They gathered an army to defeat the local Chinese leader. Other Vietnamese people joined them and the Chinese leader eventually ran away.
Trưng Trắc was named Queen - the only queen Viet Nam has ever had. Sadly, her rule didn’t last very long. The Chinese Emperor sent general Ma Yuan to defeat the sisters.
The Trung Sisters lost and had their heads chopped off as punishment. Trưng Trắc only ruled for 3 years, but the Trung Sisters are remembered very proudly by Vietnamese people, as an example of how women can be strong, cunning warriors as well as men.
The American War
In 1945, Viet Nam split into 2 countries - North Viet Nam and South Viet Nam. Both countries wanted to be in charge of all of Viet Nam, so they fought.
Other countries got involved, like Britain, France and Russia.
In 1965, the American army joined the fighting against North Viet Nam. They sent soldiers to Viet Nam with lots of equipment like guns and helicopters, while the North Vietnamese didn’t have much. In America it was called The Vietnam War and in Viet Nam it was called The American War.
It was a very scary war for Vietnamese people and American soldiers. There were lots of injuries and cruelty, from lots of people. The North Viet Nam army didn’t have much money or guns. They used a tactic called guerrilla warfare - which is when a small group fight against a much bigger army, by hiding and being sneaky. People often fight guerrilla warfare when they are defending their country from a much bigger army. The guerrilla army for North Viet Nam were called the Viet Cong.
After 8 years, the Americans left Viet Nam, without winning. North Viet Nam took over the rest of Viet Nam. Many people were very sad and angry about the war, because they thought it was pointless. Nowadays the US and Viet Nam are more friendly, and lots of people visit each others’ country.
It’s very important not to ask or talk about the war when you’re travelling in viet nam. Lots of people don’t like to talk about it.
Safety in Viet Nam
The history of the war still has an impact on some Vietnamese people, particularly because of what got left there when the American army went home.
Landmines are still a big problem in Viet Nam and if you visit Viet Nam it’s important to learn about them. However landmines can be a little scary, so make sure to check with your parents before you click on the button to learn more…
Activity 3: The Củ Chi tunnels
One of the ways the Viet Cong fought against American soldiers was by hiding underground. As the US had lots of guns and helicopters, the Viet Cong had to hide in the jungles and underground, so they couldn’t be found.
One famous place where they hid underground is called the Củ Chi tunnels - which you can still visit today. The tunnels were very narrow and dark. It was easier for the Viet Cong to fit into the tunnels, as they tended to be smaller than American soldiers.
The Viet Cong had lots of very clever methods for keeping American soldiers out of the tunnels, as well as living underground for a long time. You can read about some of the clever things they did and invented below.
Now, a wordsearch…
To figure out the answer to this activity, you’ll need to complete a wordsearch based on the story above. It’s on page 4 of your worksheets. Can you find all the words listed below in the wordsearch?
One of the words isn’t in the wordsearch. That’s the answer to this activity ⭐
Cu Chi tunnels
Soldier
Guerrilla
Hospital
Underground
Snake
Jungle
Cinema
Vietcong
Poisonous
Gas
Rice
Cassava
Hammock
Parachute
Supplies
Springs
Rats
Dangerous
Ho Chi Minh (or Uncle Ho)
Ho Chi Minh was born as Nguyễn Sinh Cung, at a time when Viet Nam was controlled by France. He fought against the French to make Viet Nam independent. When the French left Viet Nam it was split into North Viet Nam and South Viet Nam, and Ho Chi Minh became the leader of North Viet Nam.
He changed his name to Ho Chi Minh, which means ‘Bringer of Light’ and he led the North during the American War. He died in 1969 but is still remembered in Viet Nam. If you visit you’ll see lots of pictures and statues of him, and lots of Vietnamese people still think of him as a hero and as their ‘Uncle Ho’.
Activity 4: Street Food in Hanoi
Street food is the name for food which is cooked fresh in stalls at the sides of streets. Lots of countries, particularly in Asia, have street food. Viet Nam is famous for its street food.
It’s almost always deliciously cooked and fresh - it’s also very healthy! In fact, you don’t ever need to go to a proper restaurant or cook for yourself if you don’t want to.
Vietnamese food comes in lots of different varieties, from soups and stews to sandwiches and dumplings. You might have heard of some of the foods, but not others.
Hanoi is particularly famous for delicious Vietnamese street food.
We’re taking a street food tour of Hanoi!
We’ll be walking around Hanoi, trying 5 different Vietnamese foods:
Bánh mì: a baguette filled with a mixture of meat, vegetables, pickles and daikon
Bánh Xèo: a pancake filled with prawns and bean sprouts
Pho: a soup filled with noodles, herbs and meat
Goi cuon: a type of spring roll - a parcel of prawn and meat wrapped in rice paper
Cà phê trứng: also called Egg Coffee - a mix of beaten eggs, sugar and coffee
Here’s a map of the Old Quarter of Hanoi. You’ll find a copy of it on page 7 of your worksheets. Can you draw out the route of the food tour according to the instructions on pages 5 & 6? You can fill in the gaps as well.
The answer is the food that you try at the 4th stop of the tour ⭐
The coloured dots on the map match the food above - watch out, the printed map in your worksheets might not have colour!
Activity 5: Animals of Viet Nam
Viet Nam is filled with fascinating animals - including some very rare ones! The saola (a type of antelope) is one of the most endangered large creatures in the world, and can only be found in Viet Nam and Laos. It’s so rare that it was only discovered in 1992!
Viet Nam has lots of jungle and lots of water, so there are many different types of places for animals to live.
Here are 5 special Vietnamese animals:
a Great Hornbill
a Sun Bear
a Water Buffalo
a Red-shanked Douc
an Asian Elephant
Look at pages 8 & 9 of your workbooks. There are some true or false questions about these animals.
Can you answer the questions?
click on the pictures for extra information
The instructions on the worksheets will tell you which answer goes in the Answer Grid
For this puzzle, only the last word of the name goes in the Answer Grid ⭐
Activity 6: Buying incense for Tet
Tet is the name of an important holiday in Viet Nam. It’s also called Lunar New Year and happens every year in January or February.
Most people spend Tet with their family. People remember their ancestors, clean their homes (before Tet starts) and cook lots of food.
People often burn incense at home or in temples during Tet. Incense is a type of slim stick which is burned to make a lovely smell and beautiful smoke.
Making incense is a tradition in some Vietnamese villages. Incense is made by dipping thin bamboo sticks in a colourful powder at one end. The powder smells of different spices, like cinnamon, sandalwood or pine, and it burns very slowly.
The incense sticks are left out to dry in the sun before they are sold. Below you can see a big field of drying incense sticks in a Vietnamese village.
We’re in the village of Quang Nam, where the villagers make incense of different colours. The incense gets sold to other villages, especially around Tet. Below you can see the prices of the different colours of bunches of incense.
Take a look at pages 10 & 11 of your worksheets. You’ll find the receipts from 5 different villages there, but without the total that they paid. One village hasn’t paid yet - the village that owes 920 dong. Can you add up all the receipts on pages 10 & 11 and work out which village hasn’t paid yet?
Congratulations!
You’ve reached the end. You should have 6 answers now. You can write them all in the Answer Grid to reveal the vertical word.
Have you heard of this before? If not, look it up on Google and find some pictures!
Do you want to check your answer?
Click the button below and type in your answer. If you’ve got it right, you’ll get a congratulations message. If nothing happens, check your answers and try again!