The History and Culture of Vietnam Course/Class April 1, 2011

Mention Vietnam today and most people will still think of the 'American War'. But this is only part of the Vietnamese story. In this course, we will look at the rich history of Vietnam that spans 2000 years. Once with a proud and strong empire, Vietnam's rulers dominated not only what we know as Vietnam today but also parts of Thailand and Cambodia as well as parts of southern China. Vietnam has a rich religious and cultural heritage with the predominant Buddhist culture sharing over the centuries with Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Today there are many 'minority peoples' with fascinating customs and appearances. In modern times, just as crucial to the history of western contact as the American period, is the period of colonial rule by the French. To travel to Vietnam today is to see the influence of all these cultures and periods and to understand Vietnam is to understand the way that she has been able to survive and thrive, either because of or despite outside influence.

Official Website: http://www.cce.usyd.edu.au/course/hcvm