Vietnam

In Vietnam, in southeast Asia, there is a saying that “man is complete only when he plays.” Heavily influenced by China, there have been a wide variety of pursuits in Vietnam followed by children and adults. Swings made from bamboo have been fashioned since medieval times, and probably earlier. These were used by children to play, and by adults to meditate. There were also many people who were involved in the making of models of people, animals, boats, or houses, as well as flying kites.

The influence of China in medieval times led to the widespread playing of Mahjong, and also Chinese Chess. Gradually, in early-modern Vietnam, possibly from the 15th century, card games started to be introduced. Vietnamese playing cards were generally much longer and narrower in shape than those in Western Europe, and were used for games such as Tarn Cue and To Tom (Shrimp's Nest). There were also much more elaborate games, such as Xoc Dia, sometimes known as fantan or saucer shaking, which generally involved heavy gambling. In Tom Ca (Shrimp Fish), a table is divided into four parts representing a bird, a fish, a crab, and a shrimp, and a plate decorated with the four figures has a dice spun on it, and the part of the plate on which it lands determines the winner. Other games such as Ba Quan (Three Ligature), Ba Que (Three Pegs), QuayDat (Turning on the Ground), and Dao Dia (Reaching The Saucer) are also played, as well as the game Dau Ho, involving throwing sticks.

The arrival of the French from the 1830s, especially in Saigon (modern-day Ho Chi Minh City), led to the introduction of many French pastimes such as soccer, boules, croquet, cards, and Chess, the latter now under the oversight of the Lien Doan Co Viet Nam. Soccer immediately became very popular, especially after the increase in schooling from the 1930s, and all the others still retain some level of following in Vietnam today. Casinos were also opened, especially in Saigon and later in Dalat, in the central highlands of southern Vietnam. Children at schools continued to play jump rope, skipping, Marbles, and various amateur sports.

The increase in literacy in Vietnam from the 1950s led to the popularity of games with more complicated rules. Scrabble (in French, and later in English) became popular with the elite, who were able to show their fluency in another language. The influx of U.S. advisers and later soldiers into South Vietnam from the late 1950s led to the building of bowling alleys, more casinos, amusement arcades, and adventure playgrounds. There were also large numbers of toys fashioned from war “junk,” such as discarded shell casings and the like. The Water Puppet Theater in Hanoi remains popular.

From 1975 until the 1980s, few foreign Western tourists visited Vietnam, although the Russian advisers and technicians there helped with the promotion of Chess, which became popular in schools during this period. The arrival of foreign tourists, the return of some Vietnamese exiles, and the increased wealth of the country has led to many changes, with many imported toys arriving in the country, and board games and Wargaming becoming popular. In fact, gaming Vietnam War scenarios has also become extremely popular in the West, following a large number of films set during the war, and there are now many Wargames set during the Vietnam War, which, in turn, has encouraged more people to visit Vietnam.

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