Left-Communist Group of Vietnam

  [note: The mythology in question here is unrelated to the Sorelian conception of myth.] The most revered figure in Vietnamese politics is the guerilla fighter. The guerilla fighter, with their conical hat and second-hand firearm, is an idol of the nation, but one who is horribly disfigured. Rather than the nationalist republican they were, the guerilla is presented as a mystical proletarian partisan who, with their comrades, fought the forces of world capital itself.  In fact the fighter, given their role in Vietnamese conflicts, is propped up as the basis for Vietnam itself. They are given festivals, ceremonies, processions, and museums innumerable.[1][2] And their politics, thoroughly maimed and separated from them, are propped up as the basis for Vietnam’s politics. Like the creation myths of old, the fighter is made the personal creator of the nation, and so the characteristics of the creator are passed down to creation. In this way a link is forged between the fighter a...

  Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, boasting almost two billion faithful across the entire world. It’s no wonder, then, that it has also reached Vietnam, even if it’s a minority in the cultural tapestry. This essay hopes to give a short historical account of how Islam got to Vietnam, and the characteristics of modern Islam in the country. Background Among the regions that make up Vietnam, Islam’s presence was first found in the region of Champa, comprising the central and south parts of the country. The Cham, who occupied the region, are widely associated with Islam and vice versa, since they were the first to convert to Islam, doing so as early as the tenth and eleventh centuries. Although some records place conversions at the twelfth century. The religion only started to gain popularity around the seventeenth century, however, when the royalty of Champan kingdoms converted.[1] Crucial to this development were Muslim traders, especially those from the Malay peopl...

  General info The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Full Moon Festival and Têt Trung Thu, is a popular holiday throughout east and southeast Asia. This year it is celebrated on October 1st. Popular festivities include lanterns of various shapes, moon cakes, dragon dances, and sometimes worship of the God of Earth (frequencies of this activity can vary). The festival is geared towards children. Legends associated with the Festival There are several legends associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. One of the more common ones is about H ằ ng Nga (known as 嫦娥 in Chinese), who consumed several mixtures which granted immortality. This overconsumption led to her floating up to the moon. Another tale is about a man named Cuội. Cuội had found a sacred tree and urinated on it, at which point the sacred tree began to float. Trying to bring it down, he clung to the tree, only for it to bring him to the moon.