| Rural Life
AN ADVENTURE THROUGH
RURAL LIFE.
In Vietnam three quarters of its land is used for
farming and most Vietnamese people live in the villages. Vegetables, fruit and mainly rice
are for sale at markets. Conditions in rural areas are tough and farmers need to work long
hours, and the children must work in order to earn money for their struggling families.
| Houses
in the rural areas of the South where it is warm are built of wood, and in the North where
it is colder, they are built out of stone. Houses in the country side are simply built of
wood with palm leaves or straw on the roof, a dirt floor and no electricity or running
water. Villagers collect water from the local well or river, and it is boiled to kill the |
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| germs.
Each house usually has two rooms, a small garden where crops are grown for the family to
eat and sell, a few chickens, a pig or two as well as a water buffalo or oxen which is
kept in an area beside the house. Every village
has a market where people can buy rice, vegetables, fruit and seafood. |
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Very few people in
Vietnam own a vehicle, most of those who do also own a business. Many families ride a
motorbike or travel by bicycle. In rural areas a lot of people walk long distances, or use
oxen carts to travel. After the war finished
in 1975 the government had a policy of 'Doi Moi' (new thinking). They wanted people |
| to grow crops
so gave them an area of land to farm, but the land still belongs to the government. |
| The children that live in rural areas go to school
from 7:30am to 11:30am or in the afternoon they start at 1:00pm and go to 5.00pm. In
primary school they learn how to read, write and do maths. In High School they learn about
history, mathematics ,biology, science, chemistry, drawing and either English, French or
Russian. Not all children in rural areas go to school because they are needed to help
their |
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| family on the farm. Along the roads
children are seen riding or leading oxen carts to the fields and back home again. |
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Some fields have tombs in them, as the Vietnamese
people believe their ancestors will look after the farms and produce good crops.
Scarecrows called 'hinh nom' which means false person, are in some fields. There is one
scarecrow for rice fields and another for the fruit and vegetables gardens. |
By Evdokia and Raquel
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