Despite considerable foreign influence, Vietnamese people have managed to retain many distinct native customs which have always played a vital role in daily Vietnamese life throughout the millennia. While Chinese culture has the largest foreign influence on traditional Vietnamese culture, there is also a much smaller influence from the Cham and later Western cultures (most notably that of France, Russia and the United States).

In terms of prehistory, most Vietnamese historians consider the ancient Dong Son culture to be one of the defining aspects of early Vietnamese civilization. Vietnamese Traditional Foods Pho bo is a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup which is often eaten for breakfast, but also makes a satisfying lunch or light dinner. The boiling stock, fragrant with spices and sauces, is poured over the noodles, bean sprouts and scallions, and it poaches the paper-thin slices of raw beef just before serving.