Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang speaks at the UGVF Tet 2025 event.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France, Mr. Dinh Toan Thang, and Mayor of Nogent-sur-Marne, Mr. Jacques Jean Paul Martin, were also present at the biggest event of the year for the Vietnamese community in this country.
It has been a tradition for over 10 years now that every Tet holiday, the Vietnamese community in France, along with their families and friends, gather at the Tet Market in Pavillon Baltard. Bread, pho, fried spring rolls, Vietnamese coffee, three-region sweet soups… the culinary flavors imbued with traditional flavors always invite diners.
Vietnamese and French books and newspapers displayed alongside handicrafts also attract visitors. The “Children’s Village” with its folk games is always a favorite place for children. Nearly 40 Tet booths are decorated with the bright colors of green Chung cakes, yellow apricot flowers, and red parallel sentences, signaling the return of a fresh spring, filled with joy and hope.
The Tim de Versailles Children's Choir performs songs in Vietnamese and French.
In the center of the nearly 3,000m2 hall, more than 30 rows of long tables are neatly arranged so that visitors can eat, talk, and watch the art performance, which is considered an indispensable part, contributing to the vibrant and jubilant atmosphere of the festival.
The cultural beauty of the homeland is expressed through special performances such as folk dances, traditional musical instrument performances, traditional or modern songs performed by musicians and dancers of the Association of Vietnamese in France. Not only listening to the singing of the Tieng To Dong band, the Homeland Choir, or the Tim de Versailles Children's Choir, the audience also witnessed a vibrant lion dance and a performance of traditional martial arts by the Vo Son Long sect.
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang highly appreciated the efforts of the Vietnamese Association in France in organizing activities towards the homeland and connecting the community, including the 2025 Tet Market. The Ambassador emphasized that this is not only an opportunity to connect Vietnamese people together, but also a place to connect the friendship between the two peoples of France and Vietnam.
A corner of the food fair at the 2025 Community Tet Festival.
Recalling the achievements of the past year when the relationship between the two countries was elevated to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership within the framework of the official visit of General Secretary and President To Lam, Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang hoped that 2025 would continue to be a successful year in the development of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and France in particular, and with international friends in general, in which UGVF is an important factor contributing to consolidating and strengthening these relationships.
For his part, Mayor Jacques Jean Paul Martin affirmed that the city of Nogent-sur-Marne always respects and welcomes the Vietnamese community in France. According to him, France always upholds the spirit of freedom, equality and charity. However, freedom and equality will not exist without the foundation of brotherhood among nations, and welcoming the traditional Tet festival of the Vietnamese people at Pavillon Baltard in the city of Nogent-sur-Marne is a testament to this friendship.
Sharing with VNA reporters in France, Louis Hartmann said that because his wife is Vietnamese, he is not unfamiliar with Vietnamese Tet. However, every time he comes to this festival, he really enjoys it because it is an opportunity to meet many acquaintances and is also a good opportunity to discover different things about Vietnam, from cuisine, to festival atmosphere and cultural space.
Introducing Vietnamese products in France.
For his mother, Mrs. Edwige Hartmann, this was the first time she witnessed a Vietnamese Tet in France, so it felt very new. She was especially impressed with the rich art program performed by overseas Vietnamese artists. She commented: “The programs took place continuously on stage. There was always something to see. As for the food, we tasted a lot of things. It was truly a wonderful day!"
According to Mr. Jérôme Thẩm Võ Mỹ, representative of UGVF, the event has long been a familiar meeting place for the Vietnamese community in France. This year, although not as crowded as last year, it still attracted more than 4,000 participants, and thanks to that, the quality was more guaranteed. The festival lasted from noon to 1am with many activities that the entire public could participate in, from dancing, singing to entertainment and enjoying food.
Discussing the new features of this year's activities, Ms. Frédérique Tran Son Tay, a member of the Organizing Committee, also added that in addition to the presence of 38 different booths at the festival, including restaurants, handicraft booths and bookstores, this year's Tet Market has an additional space for taking photos and a corner for displaying paintings by an artist.
Many guests attended the art event and Vietnamese culinary space at the Community Tet.
In particular, the 2025 Tet Fair welcomed for the first time French singer and songwriter Laroche Valmont, author of "T'as le look coco", the original song of the famous song "Spring of Love" in Vietnamese. He performed this work with singer Thanh Thanh, who has the lifetime copyright of the song that made waves in France in the 1980s and is always listened to every time Tet comes and Spring comes in Vietnam.
The vibrant dance performance that lasted until midnight ended the 2025 Tet Fair, leaving a deep impression on all the guests attending the event. Everyone left with the best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous New Year of the Snake, and look forward to seeing you again next Tet.
Article and photos: Nguyen Thu Ha (Vietnam News Agency)
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