Introduction

Vietnam (a Wikipedia link) is a country in south east Asia with a population of 103 million people. It is bordered to the north by China, to the east by the South China Sea, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand, and to the west by Cambodia and Laos. Its capital is Hanoi and its largest city is Ho Chi Minh City.

It is a communist state that self-identifies as a socialist republic. The president is the elected head of state and the commander-in-chief of the military. The prime minister is the head of government. Only political organizations endorsed by the Communist Party of Vietnam are permitted to contest elections. The chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam performs key administrative functions in the unicameral supreme state organ of power, which is composed of 500 members.

Officially, there is no national religion. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion and belief, however all recognized religious or ideological organizations must be registered and be managed by state bodies.

History

Origins and Chinese domination (ancient era to 938 CE)

• Early civilizations: Rice agriculture developed in the Red River Delta around 1700 BCE. Then followed the Bronze Age Đông Sơn culture and the Văn Lang state.
• Chinese rule: The Han Dynasty conquered the region in 111 BCE, leading to more than a thousand years of Chinese rule.
• Resistance: Locals resisted via numerous revolts, e.g. led by the Trưng Sisters (40 AD) and Lady Triệu (248 AD).

Independent feudal dynasties (938 to 1858)

• Independence: Restoring self-rule happened after Ngô Quyền defeated the Southern Han fleet at the Battle of Bạch Đằng in 938 AD.
• Golden ages: Successive dynasties (e.g. Lý, Trần and Lê) expanded territory to the south, built cultural structures such as the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), and repelled many invasions by the Mongols in the 13th century.
• Unification: Following periods of internal division (such as the Trịnh-Nguyễn partition), Emperor Gia Long founded the Nguyễn Dynasty in 1802. He united the country and founded the capital at Huế.

French colonization (1858 to 1945)

• French conquest: In the 1850s, France started military interventions and colonized the region by the late 19th century. They incorporated Vietnam into French Indochina.
• World War II: Japan occupied Vietnam during WWII. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the communist leader Hồ Chí Minh and the Viet Minh seized power and declared the country to be the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Wars and reunification (1945 to 1975)

• First Indochina war (1946 to 1954): Following the war, France attempted to reclaim its colony. That attempt ended with a Viet Minh victory at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ in 1954.
• Partition: The 1954 Geneva Accords divided the country into a communist north and a non-communist south.
• The Vietnam War (1955 to 1975): A lengthy and destructive conflict pitted North Vietnam and southern communist guerrillas (the Viet Cong) against South Vietnam and the United States. By 1973, U.S. forces had withdrawn, and North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon in April 1975. This led to a reunifying of the country.

Modern era and economic reform (1975 to present)

• Socialist republic: In 1976, the nation was officially named the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
• Đổi Mới: At the 6th Party Congress in 1986, Vietnam introduced Đổi Mới (“Renewal”). That was an economic reform policy that moved the country from a strict command economy to a socialist-oriented market economy.
• Global integration: Vietnam is now a fast-growing manufacturing hub and a global agricultural exporter. It is still completely controlled by the communist party.

Current day

Religion in Vietnam (a Wikipedia link) is as follows (as of 2021):

• No religion / folk practices: 73%
• Buddhist: 14.3%
• Christian: 8.3 %
  • Catholic: 7.1%
  • Protestant: 1.2%
• Hoahaoism: 1.5%
• Caodaism: 1.2%
• Other religion: 1.7%

Even though it is a communist state that identifies as socialist, its politics appear to have grown increasingly capitalist.

There are national elections, but they are only for candidates who have been approved by the communist party. The 2026 legislative election elected 482 members of the Communist Party and 18 non-party members.

The majority of citizens do not follow an official religion. Instead, they participate in folk religions such as praying to individual deities and venerating ancestors. Even though about two-thirds of residents state that religion has no major importance in their lives, the vast majority of people regularly engage in traditional folk practices.

Issues

Despite have elections, Vietnam is not a democracy. It is controlled by one party and that party determines who can stand for elections.

Issues to do with freedom of speech, religious freedom, independent media and a civil society are strictly controlled. Activists, bloggers and ordinary citizens have been heavily prosecuted using “infringing on state interests” laws. Such people have faced arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, torture, and lengthy prison sentences.

It is not a problem to be an atheist in Vietnam, however daily life can involve navigating deep-seated cultural and spiritual issues. Non-belief in religion only presents problems if such a position opposes aspects of the ruling communist party.

The state demands high compliance for censorship from online platforms such as Google, Meta (Facebook) and Tik Tok.

Even though there has been poverty reduction, there are still significant issues facing rural and ethnic-minority communities.

Same-sex sexual activity is legal, yet same-sex couples lack full legal protection and marriage equality.

And of course, women still face many cultural, economic and social challenges in the country. Not least of which is the result of the deep-seated preference for male heirs, which has resulted in an unbalanced birth sex ratio (such as more than 110 males per 100 females). Despite having a high participation in the work force, there is a gender pay gap that disadvantages women.

Secular and atheist groups

There are no officially registered secular, atheist or humanist organizations in Vietnam. Such groups are not permitted by the government.

Forum

Regarding this forum, remember:

• this is a place to help others, so please be polite,
• that we’re trying to reduce the effects of religion in this society,
• that participants may have been badly affected by religion,
• to respect the privacy of everyone (including yourself),
• the law.

If your motives or actions are otherwise, you will need to find another venue.