The history of the Việt Nam Cultural Profile dates back to 2002, when the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture and Information collaborated with Visiting Arts to research and publish the 560-page Việt Nam Arts Directory, the first major English-language guide to the cultural infrastructure of Việt Nam, funded by the Ford Foundation and created in order to facilitate international cultural exchange. The new Việt Nam Cultural Profile represents a significantly expanded version of the Việt Nam Arts Directory, illustrated with thousands of high-quality photographs. Commencing with a helpful introduction to the country and its geography/topography, history, government, population, language, society, economy, religion and education system, the Việt Nam Cultural Profile offers a detailed sector-by-sector guide to Archives, Competitions and Awards, Ethnic Culture, Festivals, Film, Funding, Government Cultural Policy and Infrastructure, Heritage, International Exchange, Libraries, Literature, Mass Culture, Media (Broadcasting, Press, Publishing, Internet), Performing Arts, Research, Tourism, Training and Visual Arts.

However, what makes the website unique and most valuable to all those interested in cultural exchange with Việt Nam is the fact that each of the sectoral guides concludes with a detailed directory of key contact organisations within that sector, making it possible for the reader not only to learn about what is happening in a particular cultural sector but also to make direct contact with the key people working in it. The directory contains over 2,800 entries, making it the largest and most comprehensive online Cultural Profile yet produced by Visiting Arts.

The Việt Nam Cultural Profile forms part of the Greater Mekong Cultural Profiles project, which also incorporates online Cultural Profiles of Laos and Cambodia (forthcoming). The Greater Mekong Sub Region Cultural Profiles project is generously funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.