Vietnam readily accepts Chinese culture due to shared history
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Hoang Thi Ha and Pham Thi Phuong Thao recently examined how Chinese culture and economic opportunities attract young people in Vietnam.
For over a millennium, Vietnam experienced direct Chinese rule and adopted Literary Chinese as its official script, even after the development of a Vietnamese vernacular. The Confucian examination system operated there until 1919, and Confucianism shaped Vietnamese society for centuries.
This deep historical connection means Vietnamese audiences easily understand references within Chinese cultural products, unlike those from outside the region. Chinese cultural influence continued even during periods of conflict, such as after the 1979 border war, with Chinese novels and dramas circulating despite tensions. The 1986 adaptation of Journey to the West and the 1993 drama Kewang became particularly popular, gaining very high viewership.
Currently, platforms like TikTok and Chinese streaming services deliver content to over 70 million Vietnamese monthly active users. In 2025, Vietnam had the world’s highest number of HSK test takers, 146,000 people, and job postings for Chinese speakers increased by 49% from the previous year. The Vietnamese government has also actively promoted cultural exchange with China, but maintains a distinction between cultural consumption and political alignment, as demonstrated by requesting Netflix remove a scene depicting disputed territorial claims.
