You will know the best and most popular gifts from Vietnam in this article. Find out unique souvenirs to buy in Vietnam as gifts when coming back your homeland.
Travelers mostly want to keep their memories and impressions of the land they set their foot on. And buying unique souvenirs seem to be the good way to do this. So what are the best gifts from Vietnam when traveling to there?
Beside handicrafts such as conical leaf hats or rattan items, tourists are impressed by Vietnam characterized souvenirs like sand paintings, ao dai, etc. because they are not only souvenirs but also the soul and beauty of the country rich in cultural values and traditions.
Ao dai (long dress)
Travelers mostly want to keep their memories and impressions of the land they set their foot on. And buying unique souvenirs seem to be the good way to do this. So what are the best gifts from Vietnam when traveling to there?
Beside handicrafts such as conical leaf hats or rattan items, tourists are impressed by Vietnam characterized souvenirs like sand paintings, ao dai, etc. because they are not only souvenirs but also the soul and beauty of the country rich in cultural values and traditions.
Ao dai (long dress)
Ao dai (pronounced ow-yai) is one of the best gifts from Vietnam and famous in many countries around the world for its creativeness. The long gown has a unique design – discreetly but charming.
The ao dai heighten the inherent beauty of Vietnamese women. Many foreign visitors to Vietnam like this costume a lot and many ones order to sew the ao dai and bring back to their country. Some famous tourist destinations such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue, etc. have many tailor shops meeting the needs of foreign visitors, so you can easily buy the ao dai in Vietnam.
Non la (Conical leaf hat)
Conical hat has appeared in Vietnam since the mid-13th century and had a strong attachment to people there, especially farmers. In addition to its protection function, the hat combined with costumes like ao dai or ao ba ba (Vietnamese silk ensemble) makes women become charming more.
The color and style of conical hat varies in each region, for example, the ethnic Tay’s conical hats are red while they are light white in Thanh Hoa, Hue’s conical hats are thinner than Binh Dinh’s, etc.
The image of conical hats is really beautiful when going along with the pure white ao dai of schoolgirls or Vietnamese woman in late afternoon sunlight. And as indispensable, conical hat becomes a symbol of Vietnam apart from its common usage.
Craft items
International tourists also often think of handicrafts as typical souvenirs to buy in Vietnam. Tourists visiting west areas usually buy beautiful handicrafts made from coconut, or woody crafts with the symbols of Ben Thanh Market, Nha Rong wharf in Ho Chi Minh City, or seashell souvenirs in Nha Trang, Vung Tau, etc.
Moreover, foreign tourists also buy ceramic handicrafts (Bat Trang, Minh Long ceramics, etc.). These items are often carved and painted describing Vietnam life and this is actually the attraction to those who want to learn more about activities of Vietnamese people.
Brocade
Brocade is among best gifts in Vietnam that are favorites of many tourists when visiting Sapa, Da Lat or some mountains in north areas.
Brocades are usually sold in markets, streets or souvenir shops. It takes a few months to complete a shirt, and making a dress needs a lot of stages. Brocades are woven entirely by hand, so stitching are slightly rough, a little dark and its color combination is not as eye-catching as items made by machines. Just looking at brocade outfits, you will see how really patient people are to make these wonderful things.
Bamboo souvenirs
Besides rice, bamboo tree is also the symbol of Vietnamese and nation’s will. There are many bamboo souvenirs in Vietnam drawing the attention of international visitors like bookmarks, decorative lights, cosmetic containers, trays, etc.
Vietnamese silk
A part from ao dai, you cannot miss other gifts in Vietnam made from silks like clothes, scarves, handbags, etc. Van Phuc village, Hanoi is well-known place making the best silk that is different from others in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, or Shang Hai in China.
Sand painting
Sand painting has been considered as one of the pride of Vietnamese. To make a sand painting, the artist must use transparent glass vases without patterns, pour each layer of sand into vases, and then spread sand in the shape of picture they want.
Themes of sand paintings are associated with the country and Vietnamese such as ao dai, working life, villages, landscapes, etc.
Art paintings
Those who love the art may not be able to ignore the allure of traditional Dong Ho paintings printed on the bark of a tree called “dzo” mixed with power of seashells and glutinous rice. In addition, there are some unique types of Vietnam paintings such as XQ embroidery paintings, silk paintings, Xuan Lai village’s smoked bamboo paintings, etc. that are also interesting to give to your friends and relatives.
Some regional specialties
Beside popular gifts in Vietnam as mentioned above, foreign tourists coming to Vietnam also buy specific regional specialties like Hanoi “O mai” (salted or sugared dry apricot), Hanoi green rice flakes, Hue sesame candies, Binh Dinh fermented pork roll, Phu Quoc fish sauce, Nha Trang fish sauce, Ben Tre coconut candies, Phan Thiet “Banh re” (sweet potato cakes), etc.
Surely, you now find out some interesting gifts to buy in Vietnam. So just purchase them as special gifts for the ones you love at your homeland.
