new thread
As late as the turn of the 20th Century, Vietnamese men often wore their hair UNCUT, and sometimes in a chignon. This in what is
considered a very socially conservative country, at least the
anti-Communist version. Men and boys were, at least in the 1960's, to
wear their hair "decently" short, and women were allowed the glory of
the longest hair possible. What a contrast with 60 years prior at that
time (the 1960's).
Click on:
http://www.destinationvietnam.com/dv/dv23/dv23e.htm
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Exerpt below:
Pham
Duy Ton born in 1881, graduated from the school for
interpreters, worked for the Indochina Bank, as a
journalist, and in various other small business ventures.
He was among the first generation that took the daring
step against tradition to cut off the chignon that a
well-born gentleman kept in memory of his deceased
father, and also dressed in western clothing. He died
young in 1924, his son Pham Duy speculating that this
was because of a curse from his grandmother for defying
tradition by cutting his hair. While his father was of the
generation that took the first steps of breaking with
tradition, Pham Duy and his contemporaries were
prepared and eager to meet the modern world. (Note 2)
OM