What animals live in Vietnam?

Vietnam is home to some truly remarkable creatures! The forests and rivers there shelter animals like the Indochinese tiger, the Asian elephant, and the clouded leopard. There are also river dolphins called Irrawaddy dolphins living in the Mekong River, which runs along Vietnam's western border. One of the most unusual animals found in Vietnam is the saola — sometimes called the 'Asian unicorn' because it is so rarely seen. It looks a bit like an antelope with long, straight horns. Vietnam also has hundreds of colorful bird species and even a small bear called the sun bear. The people who live in Vietnam's highland forests, like the Montagnard people, know these wild neighbors very well — and many of those same people groups are still waiting to hear the good news about Jesus.

What do kids eat in Vietnam?

Kids in Vietnam often start their day with a warm bowl of pho — a soup made with rice noodles, broth, and meat, topped with fresh herbs like basil and mint. It sounds fancy, but Vietnamese kids slurp it down for breakfast the same way you might eat cereal! Street food is a big part of life there, so kids often grab banh mi, a crispy bread roll stuffed with meat and vegetables. Rice is at the center of almost every meal in Vietnam — steamed, fried, or made into noodles and rice paper rolls. A popular snack is bánh tráng trộn, which is rice paper torn into strips and tossed with dried shrimp, mango, and spicy sauce. Families usually eat together sitting low to the ground around a shared table, passing dishes back and forth — which sounds like a pretty good way to share a meal.

How do people say hello in Vietnam?

In Vietnamese, the most common greeting is 'Xin chào' — you say it like 'sin chow.' People use it the way we use 'hello,' and it works whether you're meeting a friend on a busy street in Hanoi or a fisherman along the Mekong River. Vietnamese greetings can actually change depending on who you're talking to. Younger people show respect to elders by using special words that mean something like 'I greet you, honored one.' Missionaries who learn these respectful greetings find that Vietnamese people really appreciate the effort — it opens doors to friendship and to sharing the good news about Jesus.

What sports or games do kids play in Vietnam?

Herman here, with Rusty peering over my shoulder! Kids in Vietnam love playing cầu lông — that's badminton — and you'll find nets strung up in schoolyards and parks all over the country. Football (what we call soccer) is hugely popular too, and kids often play it barefoot on dirt fields in the evenings when the heat cools down a little. Rusty wants to tell you about some traditional games too! One favorite is ô ăn quan, a strategy game played on a carved stone or drawn-in-the-dirt board where players move seeds or pebbles between small pits — it takes real thinking to win. Kids also play đá cầu, which is like hacky sack but with a weighted shuttlecock you keep in the air using only your feet. These games have been passed down for generations, and they're still going strong in villages and cities alike.

What's the weather like in Vietnam?

Vietnam is a long, narrow country that stretches from north to south, and the weather changes a lot depending on where you are. The south, near Ho Chi Minh City, is warm and humid nearly all year, with a rainy season and a dry season. The north, near Hanoi, actually gets a cool, misty winter that can surprise visitors. The middle part of Vietnam gets hit hardest by typhoons — powerful storms that roll in off the South China Sea and bring heavy flooding. Many Vietnamese families, including Christians there, have learned to live with these storms as part of life. It is a good reminder that people all over the world depend on God's care no matter what the skies bring.

Tell me a fun fact about Vietnam.

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Vietnam is a long, thin country shaped almost like the letter S — and if you stretched it out flat, it would be longer than the distance from New York to Miami. It runs through jungles, mountains, river deltas, and more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline. One thing Rusty loves is that Vietnam has a city called Hội An where the streets are so old and well-kept that they look almost exactly like they did hundreds of years ago — paper lanterns glow at night and the buildings are painted golden yellow. And the food! Phở is a hot noodle soup eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and vendors sell it right on the street from big steaming pots. Vietnam is a place full of life and color, and we think it is one of the most interesting stops on our whole atlas.

What is school like for kids in Vietnam?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! In Vietnam, most kids start school at age six, just like in many countries. School days are often split into shifts — some kids go in the morning and others go in the afternoon — because there are so many students and not always enough classrooms. Children learn Vietnamese, math, and science, and they work very hard to do well on their exams. Rusty wants to add something worth knowing: in Vietnam's highlands, some children from minority groups — like the Hmong or Khmu people — speak a different language at home, so learning in Vietnamese can be really tough for them. Some kids live far from any school and have to walk a long distance or even board away from their families just to get an education. Missionaries and local Christians sometimes help run schools or tutoring programs in those remote areas, sharing both knowledge and the love of Jesus along the way.

Who are the unreached people in Vietnam?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Vietnam has more than 50 different ethnic groups, and many of them have never really heard the good news about Jesus. Groups like the Hmong, the Khmer Krom, the Cham, and dozens of smaller hill tribes living in the mountains and river valleys are considered 'unreached' — meaning most people in those groups have no church, no Bible in their own language, and no one close to them who follows Jesus. Rusty wants to add that 'unreached' doesn't mean forgotten by God — it means there's important work still to do. Some of these groups speak languages that have never been written down, so translating the Bible for them is a big job. Missionaries and local Vietnamese Christians are working to bring the gospel to these hidden valleys and hillside villages, but many of these people have still never once heard the name of Jesus explained to them. That's exactly why we explore — so kids like you can know who to pray for.

How can I pray for the people of Vietnam?

Great question — prayer is one of the most real things you can do for people far away! You can pray that Vietnamese people hear the good news about Jesus and trust Him as their Savior. Many have never had a chance to hear that clearly, so ask God to open doors for that message to travel. You can also pray for Vietnamese Christians, because some of them face real trouble for following Jesus — they can lose their jobs or get in trouble with the government just for going to church. Pray that God gives them courage and keeps them strong. And pray that more Vietnamese leaders rise up to teach their own people about Jesus, and that every language group in Vietnam gets the Bible in words they can fully understand.

What is a holiday or celebration in Vietnam?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! The biggest celebration in Vietnam is called Tết — it marks the Lunar New Year and usually falls in late January or February. Families clean their homes, cook special foods like bánh chưng (sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves), and gather together to welcome the new year. Rusty wants to add that Tết is a time when many Vietnamese people also visit temples and pray to ancestors, because most people in Vietnam follow Buddhism or folk religions that mix together many beliefs. This is one reason missionaries find Tết such an important season — families are thinking about life, blessing, and the future. Pray that Vietnamese families would hear the true good news of Jesus during this special time of year!

What language do people speak in Vietnam?

Most people in Vietnam speak Vietnamese, which is the official language of the country. It is a tonal language, meaning the same word can have completely different meanings depending on whether your voice goes up, down, or stays flat when you say it — there are six different tones! Vietnam also has more than 50 other languages spoken by smaller groups of people living in the mountains and countryside, like the Hmong, Khmer, and Cham peoples. This is one reason Bible translators work so hard in Vietnam — some of these groups are still waiting to have God's Word written in their own language so they can read about Jesus themselves.

What's a famous place to visit in Vietnam?

Ha Long Bay is one of the most striking places in Vietnam — thousands of tall limestone islands rise right up out of the green water, like giant stone pillars standing in the sea. People travel from all over the world to sail through it on wooden boats called junks. Vietnam also has ancient towns like Hoi An, where the streets are lit with colorful paper lanterns at night and old merchant houses have stood for hundreds of years. The country stretches long and narrow from north to south, so every region feels a little different — mountains in the north, rice paddies in the middle, and river deltas in the south where farmers grow enough rice to feed much of the world.

Vietnam — Kids Missions Explorer

Indochinese Tiger

One of the rarest big cats on earth, this tiger once roamed Vietnam's dense highland forests and is known for its deep orange coat with bold black stripes.

Red-shanked Douc Langur

This colorful monkey, found in Vietnam's forests, has a face that looks almost painted, with patches of white, orange, and grey that make it one of the most striking primates in the world.

Vietnamese Mossy Frog

This small frog from northern Vietnam is covered in bumpy green and brown skin that makes it look exactly like a clump of wet moss on a rock.

Phở

A warm bowl of rice noodle soup with beef or chicken broth, fresh herbs, and thin slices of meat that Vietnamese families often eat for breakfast before the day begins.

Bánh Mì

A crispy French-style baguette filled with savory meats, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and chili that reflects Vietnam's history of French influence in a single satisfying bite.

Gỏi Cuốn

Fresh spring rolls wrapped in thin rice paper and filled with shrimp, herbs, and vermicelli noodles, usually dipped in a rich peanut or hoisin sauce.

Vietnam

Things you should know about Vietnam

Wildlife you might meet

What’s on the table

Did you know?

Life in Vietnam

Missions in Vietnam

Pray for Vietnam