Top 7 Essays on Queueing Culture in Vietnam - The Best of Mytour.vn

Queueing culture is an important aspect that deserves more attention.

It is called a culture because it reflects each individual's level of awareness in daily life. Queueing becomes a cultural practice because people are often in a hurry and want to finish their tasks quickly without delays. Everywhere we go, we see signs like: 'Please queue' or 'Be polite, don't push or shove'. Queueing is a way to demonstrate respect and mindfulness. We should never expect special treatment simply because of our age or status. Everyone is equal in the line; we all spend the same amount of time and effort and deserve equal respect. While queueing may seem like a small action, it reflects your awareness and consciousness. The way we live, change, and improve ourselves shows in even the smallest actions, such as standing in line. Queueing is also a reminder to be prepared and not to wait until the last moment. With a mindset of readiness, we can manage our tasks with ease and achieve our goals more efficiently.

According to the principle, the person who arrives first should stand first in line, while others should follow. However, some people, eager to get ahead, break the queue, causing disorder. Everyone fears missing out and starts to push forward, ignoring those who are already waiting. This results in chaos, where no one is following the rules and everyone rushes to the front, just to get their turn faster. This is an example of poor public behavior.

Why is queueing so hard to make a habit in Vietnam? In theory, queueing is not difficult – even a child can do it. The issue is that no one has made it a habit, so over time, we forget. As adults, we are role models, not just for our children and grandchildren, but for society as a whole. In Vietnam, people often follow what others do, thinking 'if they do it, I can too'.

Don’t let a moment of impatience or frustration ruin your calm. Queueing is also an opportunity to practice patience and self-control.

Queueing culture simply means the practice of following a specific order in public spaces, where there is always someone ahead and someone behind. It also reflects a civilized attitude when people maintain order, avoid chaos, and show kindness by allowing elderly people, pregnant women, children, or the disabled to go ahead.

Vietnamese people once had a positive image of queueing during the subsidized period when people queued from 2 or 3 in the morning to buy rice or meat, yet they always followed the order and respected others without any disputes. While many in the community still embody this admirable mindset, it is not the majority. Sadly, this lack of widespread awareness has tarnished the image of the Vietnamese in the eyes of the world. It's shameful to recall the scene in 2013 when thousands of people shoved each other for free sushi in Hanoi's Doan Tran Nghiep street or in 2015 when people climbed fences and jostled to get a free bath at Ho Tay Water Park. Daily, teachers have to remind students to line up properly, traffic jams occur without police presence, and despite the efforts of event organizers, thousands of people trample over each other at large festivals... Queueing is not only a cultural trait, but also a necessary discipline for preserving a civilized, progressive society.

Queueing in the right spot and respecting others are small actions that carry significant value. Proper queueing ensures that everything flows smoothly, quickly, and fairly. It also helps save time, avoid negative emotions, and prevent unfortunate events. The weakness of queueing culture in our community stems from several reasons, the most important being the poor awareness of individuals. Selfishness, impatience, and mob mentality have made this negative behavior widespread. As a result, these behaviors contribute to the disarray and potential conflict in public spaces. Let’s strive to be a cultured Vietnamese!

Through media and mass communication channels, we can clearly see how the queueing culture in Vietnam was chaotic and disorderly around a decade ago.

What we witnessed back then were crowds jostling and shoving without any organization, fighting over trivial things. In my opinion, this was truly an uncivilized and unrefined behavior of the Vietnamese people. This behavior caused the Vietnamese to gain a bad reputation internationally, as we were seen as disorganized, undisciplined, and lacking unity. In contrast, the Japanese displayed remarkable order during the 2010 tsunami and nuclear disaster. Even while waiting for emergency food aid, they formed neat lines, maintaining a calm and respectful atmosphere amidst the chaos. There was no pushing, shoving, or looting.

In recent years, there has been a positive shift in Vietnam's queueing culture. Thanks to widespread awareness campaigns and education, people now queue properly to buy goods, and students form neat lines to take the elevator in universities. This improvement is a welcome development, but we must continue to nurture and maintain this culture.

Vietnam is steadily developing and moving toward international integration. Alongside this growth, our country has a rich cultural heritage rooted in the rice civilization. We have gone through centuries of development to reach where we are today. However, there are cultural issues that we need to reflect on and reevaluate, one of which is our queueing culture.

For centuries, our ancestors taught us to love and share with others, as seen in sayings like, "When one horse is sick, the whole herd stops grazing," and "The healthy leaf wraps the torn one." Yet today, we find ourselves ashamed by the instances of pushing, shoving, and fierce competition, even in places where it is unnecessary. Many believe that promoting and spreading a queueing culture in Vietnam has become "hopeless," but I disagree. If a 9-year-old child can queue properly, why can't adults, with their education, knowledge, and self-discipline, do the same?

Instead of sitting back, feeling ashamed and frustrated about the bad behavior of some, why not take action to change their mindset? Why not create the same orderly scenes we admire in Japan or Singapore, right here in our own country?

If each of us contributes to this change, I believe that, in the near future, Vietnam will be recognized as a friendly, civilized, and polite nation by the international community.

Vietnam's culture has developed over thousands of years within the framework of a rice-based civilization. However, there are cultural aspects that require reflection and re-evaluation, one of which is the queueing culture.

Our ancestors taught us to care and share with one another, as seen in the sayings, "When one horse suffers, the whole herd stops grazing" and "A healthy leaf covers a torn one." Yet today, we find ourselves struggling with chaotic scenes of pushing and shoving, especially in situations where it is completely unnecessary.

We cannot forget the images of people jostling each other at the 2016 Hung Kings Festival, where even in sacred spaces, people fought to light incense. Similarly, crowded train stations and supermarkets often become chaotic, with people cutting in line without hesitation. It seems that we, the Vietnamese, have grown too accustomed to such disorder. Rarely do we see people giving way to others or waiting their turn. Gone are the days when we patiently queued for food stamps during the subsidy period, where we respected the order and even let elderly people go first. Today, even students need their teachers standing by to maintain any sense of order during lineups. Queueing has become a cultural issue that needs urgent attention.

Looking at more developed countries like Japan and the United States, it’s clear that no matter the circumstances, they maintain order in their queues. We all remember the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, where people waited in line calmly for government aid without any chaos, despite the tragedy they had just experienced.

So why is Vietnam's queueing culture so lacking? First, it is a matter of awareness. Selfishness has led to the common occurrence of pushing and shoving, showing a lack of respect for orderly queueing. Additionally, the rice civilization's influence has contributed to the cultural challenges in this regard.

However, not all Vietnamese lack queueing etiquette. Many people demonstrate a strong sense of discipline in queuing, and they are the role models we should follow in order to create a more cultured society.

To build a civilized and beautiful society, we must take practical steps to ensure everyone can queue in a more respectful and organized manner.

Life requires more than just great achievements, groundbreaking inventions, noble gestures, and exceptional individuals; it also needs the small yet significant acts of civility that make the world a better and more peaceful place. One of these seemingly simple yet essential actions is the practice of queuing. You wouldn't feel happy if you found yourself in a situation where people are pushing and arguing over line placement, as seen in the common scenario where someone cuts ahead in line at a supermarket checkout.

Imagine you're waiting in line at the checkout counter when someone cuts in front to pay first. How would you handle the situation? It's easy to recognize that this type of scenario is all too common in daily life. We've all encountered it in places like ATMs, restaurants, or movie theaters. Regardless of the location, cutting in line and taking someone's spot without following the order is always disrespectful and uncivilized. If faced with this situation, we should remain calm, but not silent. We must address it promptly and directly. At first, I'd politely suggest, "I was here first, and you should return to your rightful place to check out." If that doesn't work, I would then use firmer language, such as, "In public spaces, we all need to queue fairly and efficiently. By wasting time here, you’re also losing a better spot behind." However, if words fail, I would call for the help of the supermarket staff or other customers to ensure order and fairness. Hopefully, this scenario will help you understand the importance of queuing and prevent you from repeating this behavior elsewhere.

Queuing culture is simply about the community adhering to the order of waiting in line, respecting who came before and after, in public spaces. It also reflects civility through behaviors like maintaining order, not causing chaos, and showing kindness by yielding space to the elderly, pregnant women, children, or disabled individuals. In the past, during difficult times, there was a beautiful image of queuing in Vietnam, where people would line up early in the morning to buy rice or meat, always in an orderly fashion, respecting those around them and never engaging in disputes. In reality, many people still possess this beautiful awareness. The unfortunate part is that this sense of awareness is not yet widespread. This is why queuing issues in Vietnam have been a subject of much media attention, tarnishing the image of Vietnamese people in the eyes of international friends. It's deeply shameful to recall the incidents, such as the chaotic scramble for free sushi on Đoàn Trần Nghiệp Street in Hanoi in 2013, or the crowds climbing over fences to get a free bath at Hồ Tây Water Park in 2015. Even today, teachers must remind students to line up properly, and without traffic police, urban streets become clogged with honking cars in cities that claim to be civilized.

Queuing is not only a beautiful aspect of life, whether in ancient or modern times, but also a vital discipline that preserves our civilized and progressive way of life. Standing in line, respecting those around us—these small actions carry great significance. First and foremost, queuing helps things run smoothly, quickly, and fairly. It saves time, reduces negative emotions, and prevents unfortunate situations. The lack of queuing culture in our society stems from many factors, the most important being the individual’s poor awareness. Selfishness, impatience, and the crowd mentality have perpetuated this unpleasant behavior, causing it to spread widely and become deeply ingrained in the community. The result is a chaotic environment, which carries the risk of conflict and violence.

It’s even more concerning when people get angry when someone cuts in front of them but then have no problem cutting in front of others themselves. Some will even justify their actions with excuses like "I’m in a hurry," to break the queue. Sadly, this is not a rare phenomenon, but a widespread one. The casualness and the mentality of "getting ahead" in the queue also contribute to the broader problems of corruption, unprofessional work ethics, and inequities in other areas of life.

To tackle this issue, we need the collective strength of the community to act with shared discipline and unite against any uncivilized behavior. We must also rely on the educational power of schools and society, and the desire of every individual to live with integrity and character. The world has shown us great examples, such as how the Japanese queued for aid after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, or how the French, Swedish, and South Koreans maintain orderly lines as part of their civilized lifestyles. We don’t have to look far for inspiration; in our schools, neighborhoods, and any public spaces, we can find people who practice patience in queuing. To protect fairness and ensure that those of us with good awareness don’t have to wait or feel frustrated because of others’ ignorance, we must cultivate a culture of queuing in our community and nation.

History remembers our heroic ancestors for their victories against colonialism, fascism, and imperialism. Let’s show the world that alongside the image of the Vietnamese hero, there’s also the image of the civilized, humble Vietnamese who are working to erase the current negative stereotypes. More importantly, by living with culture in the small things, the Vietnamese people can create harmony and joy for themselves.