The Policy on Establishment of Local Codes for Practicing “New Ways of Life” in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Abstract

In the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the ruling party and government had promoted a “new ways of life” (nếp sống mới) policy, primarily aimed at simplification of traditional rituals, prohibition of superstitious practices, and encouragement of sanitary and healthy lifestyles. In the present paper, we examine the central, provincial and municipal-level policies used to direct districts, communes, villages, cooperatives, and quarters to establish their own local codes (quy ước) for practicing such “new ways of life.”