Vietnam (spelled Viêt Nam by its people) is an old country. It has become an amalgamation of different cultures, with Chinese and French as the primary influences.

It is a combination of distinct East and West tastes and philosophies: spoken language sounding Chinese, yet written language is scripted in Roman letters and Arabic numbers; people are reserved in emotional display, yet are open and receptive to strangers; cuisine dictated by pan-Asian spices, yet containing Western ingredients and preferences.

Vietnamese is a culture in spotlight as many, Viets and non-Viets, return to explore a country that had been in the shadows for over two decades.