How Did The Confucian Culture Influence Vietnamese Culture

Vietnam has been a country that has been influenced by many different nations and cultures. Located in the Southeast of Asia on the South China Sea, Vietnam has been crucial for many different civilizations. Vietnam was first influenced by China as local monarchs were highly Sinicized and sent annual tribute to the Emperor of China. Even the courts and the Chinese characters were used in Vietnam as Chinese merchants and bureaucrats spread throughout the various kingdoms. However, between the 1860’s and the 1900’s the French began to conquer some of these kingdoms, in which they ruled directly or created puppet kings to rule. Eventually, Vietnam became a part of the French colony, Indochina, where Catholicism and the Latin Alphabet spread throughout

In the West, we tend to believe ghosts originate because injustice, trauma, improper burial, or unfinished business. However, in Vietnam, their view of ghosts comes from a mixture of the different religions and beliefs. The Vietnamese believe in a mixture of three teachings, known as Tam Giao, consisting of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. These three religions are able to mix because unlike the Western, Abrahamic religions, the Eastern, Dharmic religions do not rely upon a worshippers’ loyalty. These teachings greatly influence Vietnam social dynamics and traditions through its Confucian family values. The Confucian family values teaches each generation to take care of the next through a hierarchical view. This means that a mother will take care of her child and in return, the child will take care of his mother when she gets older as she had given him life. Even after their parents die, the child is believed to continue to take care of their parents as “family” extends to “the unborn as well as the dead” (Gustafsson 2009: 15). In fact, Confucian family values teaches six valuable teachings: Nhon (benevolence), nghia (duty), le (property), tri (conscience), tin (faithful), and hieu (filial piety). These ethical roles and values are entrusted not just within the family but also within the hierarchical view of the community, town, and the nation (Gustafsson 2009: