The Vietnamese Dong

The Vietnamese dong (CODE: VND) has been the currency of Vietnam since May 3, 1978. Issued by the State Bank of Vietnam, it is represented by the symbol "â‚«". Formerly, it was subdivided into 10 hào, which was further subdivided into 10 xu, neither of which is now used.  The word dong is from the term dongtien ("money"), a cognate of the Chinese tongqian. The term refers to Chinese bronze coins used as currency during the dynastic periods of China and Vietnam. The term hào is a cognate of the Chinese háo meaning a tenth of a currency unit.