Despite being strongly influenced by neighbouring China's Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist heritage, Vietnam retains its own distinct, deep-rooted cultural traditions, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to experience these on your TransIndus holiday.

Featuring an orchestra of a dozen or more exotic instruments, the music of the old imperial court – known as ‘Nha Nhac’ – serves as a perfect introduction to the country’s sophisticated traditional culture. It is still widely performed in Hanoi, where a dozen musicians accompany the famous water puppet performances on Hoan Kiem Lake. Hanoi is also the place to catch a more cerebral, sparse, Chamber-style of sung poetry called ‘Ca Tru’. A beautiful 18th-century mansion in the old quarter is the venue for evening recitals by an ensemble of talented young musicians, who dress in exquisite traditional costume that perfectly complements the décor. Our consultants will be able to book you into an evening performance.

Festivals such as Têt are when you are most likely to catch a ‘Lion Dance’, a form resembling those practised in China and Taiwan. Lantern and fan dances are rarely encountered, though you can see examples of both at the popular culture show in Ho Chi Minh City’s Golden Lotus Theatre, which has garnered rave reviews from past clients.

Performing arts, traditional crafts and minority cultures are a big part of why we love Vietnam, and our specialist consultants have plenty of hot tips for places to experience them in their authentic settings.