THE CRYSTAL HEART – Vietnamese Legend and Context

Question-and-answer flashcards covering Vietnamese facts, literature, the legend “The Crystal Heart,” and related vocabulary.

What is the capital city of Vietnam?

Hanoi.

Approximately how many people live in Vietnam?

About 97 million (97,249,013).

Which religions are most commonly practiced in Vietnam?

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

What is the official currency of Vietnam?

Vietnamese Dong.

Vietnam is officially known as what form of government?

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Give two historic alternative names for Vietnam.

Annam and Tonkin (others include Đại Cồ Việt, Đại Việt, Đại Nam).

What unique traditional Vietnamese performance features puppets appearing to dance on water?

Water puppetry.

Vietnam is the world’s second-largest exporter of which beverage crop?

Coffee.

How many officially recognized ethnic groups are there in Vietnam?

54.

Name two agricultural products for which Vietnam is a major global exporter.

Cashew nuts and black pepper.

What type of vehicle dominates daily transportation in Vietnamese cities?

Motorbikes.

What journey pattern is common in Vietnamese folktales?

Characters travel from earth to heaven to meet supernatural beings and return with a moral insight.

During which centuries did folk stories like “The Crystal Heart” flourish?

15th to 17th centuries.

List three recurring literary movements or themes in Vietnamese literature.

Resistance & Revolution; Romanticism & Realism; Modernism & Experimentation.

Which 1986 policy period expanded creative freedom for Vietnamese writers?

The “Renovation” (Đổi Mới) period.

Name two prominent female Vietnamese short-story writers.

Pham Thi Hoai and Le Minh Khue (Vo Thi Hao is another).

Who produced the 1998 English retelling of “The Crystal Heart”?

Aaron Shepard.

In 1966, Crystal Of Love was retold by___

Ruth Q. SUN

In 1976 Legends and Folktales of Vietnam was retold by

Duong Van Quyen

Modern Vietnamese Literature has evolved to address issues such as

Human Suffering, Official Corruption, Social Changes

Who are the two principal characters in “The Crystal Heart”?

Mi Nuong and Truong Chi.

Vocabulary: What does the word “Mandarin” mean?

A public official in the Chinese empire.

Vocabulary: Define “mirth” as listed in the notes.

Lonesome (note: in common usage it means amusement, but the notes define it as lonesome).

Vocabulary: What emotion is indicated by the word “flush”?

Blush.

Vocabulary: How is “folly” defined?

Foolishness.

Vocabulary: What does “drifted” mean?

Carried away slowly by water.