Asia
Vietnam Color Palette
Áo dài silk, lacquer red, and tropical green — Indochinese color culture in saturated form.
The palette
Cultural context
Vietnamese palette pulls from three sources: the deep red lacquer of pagoda interiors and traditional sơn mài art, the saturated silks of the áo dài (now spanning every imaginable hue but historically rooted in rich pinks, greens, and yellows), and the tropical green of rice paddies and jade rivers. The French-colonial overlay added pastel wash colors visible across Hội An's old town. The supporting palette includes turmeric yellow, clay-pot brown, and the unique Halong Bay green-grey water color.
Suits
Restaurant brandingTravel editorialStreetwear collaborationsSpice and tea packaging
Copy as CSS
:root {
--son-mai-red: #a52a2a;
--ao-dai-pink: #e94175;
--rice-paddy-green: #5f8d4e;
--hoi-an-yellow: #e8b647;
--turmeric: #d89b2e;
--jade-river: #3f8b7e;
--pho-broth-brown: #5c3a21;
}Copy as Tailwind
@theme {
--color-son-mai-red: #a52a2a;
--color-ao-dai-pink: #e94175;
--color-rice-paddy-green: #5f8d4e;
--color-hoi-an-yellow: #e8b647;
--color-turmeric: #d89b2e;
--color-jade-river: #3f8b7e;
--color-pho-broth-brown: #5c3a21;
}Further reading
More regional palettes
Japan
Indigo, sumi ink, and unbleached paper — restraint as aesthetics.
India
Saffron, marigold, and the Holi powder spectrum — color as celebration, at full saturation.
China (Traditional)
Cinnabar red, imperial yellow, and ink-wash green — five-element color theory across two millennia.
Korea (Obangsaek)
The five Obangsaek directions — a ceremonial palette of five cardinal colors.