Spreading Vietnamese culture

In 2022, "Vietnamese Tet culture" was introduced to international friends by the Vietnam Exhibition House and the Vietnamese community at a World Expo. During the event, global friends experienced the custom of giving lucky money and sending wishes of peace and luck to children.

They also witnessed the solemn atmosphere of Mother Goddesses worship, and tasted traditional Vietnamese dishes on the Tet holiday such as banh chung, banh day, gac sticky rice, che lam, and candied dried coconut. These activities help international friends to fully experience the Vietnamese Tet flavor and spread the beauty of Vietnamese culture to the world.

Manuela Garcia Pascual, Director of the International Cooperation Department of Expo 2020 said she never thought she would have the opportunity to enjoy a true Vietnamese traditional Tet spirit in Arabia. The exhibition was an interesting experience and a useful opportunity for her to learn Vietnamese culture.

Joannah Quesenberry, an employee of the American Exhibition House, expressed her admiration: “Vietnamese Tet is an interesting experience. Banh chung was very delicious and for the first time, I was able to watch the Mother Goddesses ritual and the Cheraw dance. I have never been to Vietnam, but I fell in love with the country. I hope to have the opportunity to visit Vietnam in the near future.”

In June 2022, in many cities of Italy - the country of legendary, architectural, historical and cultural beauty, the audience enjoyed Vietnamese artist Van Duong Thanh's paintings.

Vietnamese artists perform at Sikka Art and Design Festival opening ceremony within the framework of EXPO 2020 Dubai, UAE. (Photo: Thanh Huyen)

Through her stunning paintings, Vietnam appears in familiar cultural spaces, which are banyan trees, wells, communal courtyards, and ancient streets. Thanh said this when conveyed through the colors and shapes of art, the beauty of Vietnam's culture, country, and people in the paintings become more gentle and profound, which leaves deep footprints on people's hearts.

According to Dr. Silvio Vecchione, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Naples and Stefania Proietti, Mayor of Assisi city (Italy), Van Duong Thanh, who has enthusiasm and unique artistic talent, joined hand to the door for Vietnamese paintings to be introduced in Italy and the world, bringing photos of the country and people of Vietnam closer to international friends.

Those are just two among many effective activities to promote Vietnamese culture carried out by overseas Vietnamese.

Promoting resources of overseas citizens to promote culture

According to Mai Phan Dung - Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese under Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, activities to promote Vietnamese culture to international friends are the focus of the overseas community. Many generations have been concerned about and participated in the cause.

Vietnam Weeks and Days are held every year in many countries with many unique and attractive activities. In addition to trade and cultural exhibitions, Vietnamese brands, and product promotion, programs such as art performances imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity also attract the attention of international friends and citizens of the host countries.

Those activities are becoming more exciting and diverse along with the strong development of the overseas Vietnamese community, as well as the strengthening of cooperation between Vietnam and host countries.

Mai Phan Dung - Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese under Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Photo: Ha Dung)

Dung said, the overseas community had many favorable conditions to promote Vietnamese culture to the outside world. Vietnam has a unique culture, imbued with national identity of high humanity, which is loveable to international friends. Vietnam also has a community of more than 5.3 million citizens in 130 foreign countries and territories.

The overseas people always look upon the country, always practice Vietnamese customs, and are the representatives of the country and culture. The understanding of Vietnamese culture and the host country is the basis for them to come up with suitable and effective activities to promote Vietnamese culture.

To attract and promote overseas resources in cultural promotion, Dung said relevant agencies and localities and diplomatic and consular missions of Vietnam abroad must have a unified awareness of the importance of the task and coordinate to support the overseas community in promoting the homeland's culture abroad.

Such support and cooperation are reflected in the exchange of ideas, discussion of proposals, program development, financial support, cultural products, and coordination of events to promote Vietnamese culture.

Accordingly, the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese will strengthen coordination with Vietnamese representative agencies and women and children associations to organize cultural activities for the community such as competitions and exchanges on music, art, traditional costumes, and cuisine during traditional festivals of the homeland and the host countries.

Dung said these activities strengthened the connection between the overseas community and the national culture and introduces to the host country and international friends the quintessence of traditional Vietnamese culture.

108 Young Overseas Vietnamese to Gather at 2022 Summer Camp The Summer Camp for young overseas Vietnamese will return this year

Vietnamese Football Tournament Kicks Off in Russia On July 4, at Bratislava Park Stadium in Moscow, the Vietnamese Community Football Tournament in Russia Summer 2022 attracted about 450 players and coaches from ...

Vietnamese-American Woman Elected to the State Legislature of Oregon, USA Thuy Tran, a Vietnamese-American, was donated in the US Democratic primaries to represent District 45 in Northeast Portland.