This is not about Vietnam per se, just my personal observation that when it comes to asians, or at least the asian countries east of india (not that this doesn't manifest itself in west-of-india countries, just that I don't have any information about them), heritage and culture in general is something that is so ... jealously guarded and a source of such intense emotion, which I don't really understand.

Take songs, for example. Singers in some countries singing songs written in another country (or previously sung by another singer) is a very normal thing. It's called "cover" in normal entertainment parlance. Let me give some classic examples:
- Frank Sinatra's famous song "My Way" is a cover of the French song "Comme d'habitude"
- The well-known song "Those were the days" is a translated version of the originally Russian song "Дорогой длинною"
- Mireille Mathieu's song "La dernière valse" is a translated version of the English song "The last waltz"
... and countless others

In the Western world, everyone would just be happy enjoying the great songs. Nobody is saying any country or any singer is stealing anything from anyone. But very often the Asian people when talking about songs will say "you steal this from us, this guy stole this from that guy, etc". Come on, can we all share the great treasure (of all mankind) that is music, without trashing each other? I don't think there is any country, Asian or not, that doesn't translate and sing songs from other countries, so what is even the point of bad mouthing each other since it essentially means one is badmouthing oneself? And if you take classical western music into account, then it has to be admitted that all asian countries are indebted to the great musicians and composers of the european countries for all the symphonies and polkas and ballets and arias and musicals that they play. If there's no "stealing", then there will be no Asian philharmonic orchestra anywhere, right?

And it is the same thing with everything else, culturally. Basically it is the difference in attitude between the western and eastern world. In the west, people embrace diversification, they enjoy what is different, for to them it enriches their life and their culture. It is one thing to say: my city is influenced by abc, but it's even better to be able to say: my city was influenced by both abc and xyz schools of thought, so that now when you visit my city, you can see the difference and diversification (and you can spend all your money here and stop going to that plain abc-only city). But Asian mindset is like the opposite of it (or at least that's what I observed from these forums). Either it is patronizing ("you borrowed from me, therefore you're worthless") or ignorant defiance ("no I did not, therefore I am as good as you"). What about being proud about the common heritage ("hey this looks so much like my village, it reminds me of home") or being proud of what one was able to absorb ("I was able to learn the best from you, and make it better"). After all, in technology isn't that what all the Asian countries have been or are trying to do, taking (or copying) the best America and the western have to offer, and then try to improve on it? Without the technological and industrial know-how of UK, USA and other western countries, would Japan, Korea or China even be where they are today?

My guess is that this cultural self-exile and hermit-ism has its root in the past, where countries were constantly on the need to expand their boundary and assimilate new cultures into their own. Diversification was considered a threat, and monotonous was the goal. In self-defence, smaller nations tried their best to be "pure" so as to maintain ethnic and cultural identity in the face of assimilation war.

But this imperial way of thinking (expand, expand, expand at all cost) is so outdated now. What is the fun in looking around and seeing everyone looking and talking just like you? Who are you going to compete with, sports-wise and culture-wise? Take China for example. If the leaders and military hawks in Beijing have their way, China proper will spread and Mandarin probably will be compulsory from Tibet to Taiwan, from Mongolia to Vietnam, but what is the fun in that? What is the fun in having this monotonous giant with only fearful neighbors and no friends to play (sports) with? (I'm not talking about right now, but if China one day absorbs all of Mongolia, Vietnam and Taiwan, I'm sure not just neighbors but the whole world will be very fearful).

Well, I can't tell the Chinese leader to stop their grand ambitions, inasmuch as I can't tell the Vietnamese leaders to care more about their country and and their people than for their own wallet. But I hope at least the common Asian-ers can be more open-minded and tolerant. Your culture and heritage are always your own, nothing anyone say can take away from that. There are tons and tons of things to define a language and a culture, and it's all there, in wikipedia and on the web, with expert opinions and all. I remember some years ago there were riots in both Thailand and Cambodia over what someone claims a dance or an architecture or both was their own and not of the other country. I mean, riots over what a singer has to say? Common, riots over who can bed her, maybe, but over her blabbering?

Please excuse my lame attempt at a joke there. Basically if your culture was influenced by someone, then embrace it, for it can only enrich you. If someone belittles you, claiming you just "copy" something from his "great" culture, then forgive his ignorance and ignore him. Know it in your heart how pitiful he is, for if his ancestors were so "great", how can he be so idiotic? Like father, like son, right? If you still want to take revenge, just know that it's most likely that it was his "great" culture and stole it from your forefathers in the first place. Hard to believe, but it could well be true.

Anyway, that is just my advice at self-defence if you meet one of those. I do have hope the majority of people are not like that though.

Peace, all.

Exactly my thought for all these years being to AF but I was lazy to express it.

^ xixon belongs to me. don't think about it.