The traditional structure of Vietnamese society has always been hierarchical and patriarchal. Drawing heavily from the Confucian model, family and filial duties are upheld as cardinal virtues. Elders are given respect and education is highly esteemed. The role of women has changed since their emancipation by the Communist regime. Today, although women have gained equality in the public sphere, the home is usually still “run” by a woman.
Vietnam is large enough to have several distinct climate zones and located in both a tropical and a temperate zone. It is characterized by strong monsoon influences, but has a considerable amount of sun, a high rate of rainfall, and high humidity. Regions located near the tropics and in the mountainous regions are endowed with a temperate climate.
Bounded by the warm waters of the South China Sea, Vietnam is in the southern corner of the Indochinese peninsula. To the country’s west are Laos and Cambodia, separated from Vietnam by the AnnamiteMountains or the TruongSonRange, while to the north lies the great bulk of China. Vietnam itself is long and thin – just 31 miles (50 kms) wide at its narrowest – with an extensive coastline stretching from the Gulf of Tonkin in the north to the Gulf of Thailand in the south.
Culture Guide 
