French Cultural Imprints in Vĩnh Yên in the Early 20th Century

Abstract

From the second half of the 19th century, France officially began its conquest and colonial exploitation in Vietnam. From this point, the process of interaction between Vietnamese culture and Western culture - first and foremost French culture - took place vigorously, with increasingly evident manifestations in the daily life of the Vietnamese people. Vĩnh Yên is an ancient land with a long history of formation and development, known as the birthplace of the Đồng Đậu culture in prehistoric times. In the context of the French colonial administration’s ongoing “civilizing mission” toward the indigenous population, Vĩnh Yên - a province located in the Red River Delta region - could not escape the direct impacts of the era. The French cultural imprints in Vĩnh Yên varied in intensity and were interwoven with local culture. This article focuses on clarifying the presence of French culture in several aspects of both material and spiritual cultural life in Vĩnh Yên, thereby offering reflections on the impact of cultural interaction and exchange on the socio-economic life of Vĩnh Yên in the early 20th century.