This is the second Tet for her and her family in Vietnam. Last year, the Ambassador and her family stayed in the capital to experience the Tet atmosphere in Hanoi. This year, before the New Year, the Ambassador, her husband and daughter visited Duong Lam, an ancient village in Son Tay Town, which was recently awarded the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Product Award 2024 within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2024 held in Vientiane, Laos.

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The Ambassador, her husband and daughter, visited Duong Lam.

The Ambassador really liked the atmosphere of Duong Lam: peaceful and quiet, even though the Tet atmosphere in the capital was extremely bustling. She liked the way the locals used local materials such as laterite to build houses and fences.

“The old houses in Duong Lam are so pretty, every house has a large yard, flowers, gardens and even fruit trees. Being close to nature is also the Norwegian way of life, however, the Norwegian climate is very cold so we build wooden houses and the doors are much higher,” Ambassador Solbakken shared.

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Ambassador visits the 300-year-old house of Mr. Ha Nguyen Huyen's family
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Enjoy the famous Che Lam of Duong Lam

Visiting the 300-year-old house of Mr. Ha Nguyen Huyen's family, the guests were personally introduced by the host about the 5 rooms and 2 wings in the house. More special, the Ambassador's family also had the opportunity to work with Mr. Huyen's wife to directly make the famous Duong Lam sweet soup. The Ambassador and his daughter enjoyed this specialty and both confessed that this was their favorite Vietnamese dessert so far.

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Mr. Adrian, the Ambassador's husband, shared that the people of Duong Lam are very friendly, gentle and hospitable. He and his family always feel welcome.

Ambassador Solbakken said: "Although Vietnam is developing at a rapid pace of modernization, I see that Vietnamese people always respect and preserve traditional features. The Vietnamese community spirit is very high. Everyone is always conscious of helping each other anytime, anywhere. This is a very valuable beauty."

Emma, ​​the Ambassador's daughter, hopes that future generations of Duong Lam ancient village will preserve the traditions of their ancestors.

From Duong Lam, Ambassador Hilde Solbakken's family sent New Year wishes to all Vietnamese people: Health, peace and prosperity.

Duc Bao