Homeland is always special in my heart...

Maybe abroad, overseas Vietnamese communities still have many ways to celebrate the traditional New Year, but doing this right in their homeland always leaves special emotions.

At the end of the year, many overseas Vietnamese around the world spend time returning home to celebrate Tet with their families, visit old friends, and also experience the changes in the country and the regions where they have lived and been attached.

Overseas Vietnamese feel the changes in Ho Chi Minh City after many years away from home. Photo: NHAT THINH

Miss Tet, miss home

Mr. Vo Thanh Dang (Singaporean expatriate), Vice President of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese Entrepreneurs, has lived and worked abroad for many years in Singapore and New Zealand. While in New Zealand, people still go to work as usual during the Lunar New Year, in Singapore, there is a longer holiday and more activities to celebrate the New Year, because Singapore has a large Chinese community. During the New Year, the Vietnamese community abroad often prepares a neat tray of food, worships ancestors, burns incense to thank heaven and earth, and gathers friends to eat together, go to the temple to pray for blessings, wish a happy new year, give lucky money...

Although celebrating Lunar New Year in Singapore is fun, expatriates like Mr. Dang also miss their hometown, their family, and the atmosphere of celebrating Tet in their hometown. When he returned to Ho Chi Minh City to live, every time Tet comes, Mr. Dang and his family maintain customs such as wrapping banh chung, decorating the house, wishing a happy new year, giving lucky money, etc. Mr. Dang is one of 100 typical overseas Vietnamese participating in the "Spring in the homeland" program in 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City on February 1-2. Many overseas Vietnamese could not hide their emotions when participating in Tet activities in their hometown. Visiting the Hung Kings Memorial Temple in the National Cultural History Park in Thu Duc City, Ms. Pham My Dung, President of the Association for Promotion and Development of New Immigrant Culture in Hsinchu District (Taiwan), carefully used her phone to record images of stones brought back from the islands of the Truong Sa archipelago. "We are expatriates, Vietnamese people. Recording images is an opportunity to pass on to our children and grandchildren abroad that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belong to Vietnam. It is also a valuable document for us to promote Vietnamese culture and language," said Ms. Dung, adding that even though she is abroad, she always misses her homeland. Ms. Dung shared that no matter how busy she is, she will take time to return to reunite with her family during Tet. This woman believes that she will try to convey to her children and grandchildren about the country, sovereignty over the sea and islands, language, culture... of her people.

Love the old familiar corners

10 years ago, Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Giao (35 years old, a Finnish expatriate) left her homeland to find opportunities to develop herself. To date, Ms. Giao is the strategy director of a corporation specializing in cloud computing and is also the co-founder of the Association of Vietnamese Experts and Intellectuals in Finland. Participating in releasing carp into the Saigon River on Ong Cong, Ong Tao Day on February 2 was also the first time in 10 years that she returned to Vietnam to celebrate Tet. "I was moved and honored to participate in the event with other overseas Vietnamese, who have been away from home for many years, but still have their hearts turned towards their homeland," Ms. Giao said. Another special thing about Ms. Giao's trip home to celebrate Tet this time is that she will be bringing her 2 young children with her. The young mother plans to take her 2 children out to visit places associated with many of her memories before going abroad. After visiting the headquarters of the People's Council and People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, a national architectural and artistic relic, Ms. Giao said she would go back and tell the children about the history of the building, a place that is significant in the formation of the city. According to Ms. Giao, Ho Chi Minh City has changed significantly in the past 10 years. The central area looks as modern as developed countries, and the suburban urban areas are also well-invested, with full amenities to serve residents. Ms. Giao's two children, when visiting the book street, traditional market, and large bookstore, all expressed their excitement. "Ho Chi Minh City still retains the old corners of the past and invests in new places suitable for development," Ms. Giao shared. Professor, doctor Nguyen Duong Phuong, pediatric plastic surgery specialist, co-director of the Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Program, Children's Hospital Colorado (USA), also feels that the country and the city are increasingly changing. Mr. Duong is the founder of the Nuoy Reconstructive charity project, which has collaborated with hospitals in Vietnam to examine and perform surgery on many children with congenital facial deformities. After 20 years abroad, Mr. Phuong had the opportunity to experience a test run of metro train No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien). Looking at the scenery of Ho Chi Minh City through the glass window, he had many emotions, both happy and a little nervous and proud. "The city now seems to have a completely different appearance compared to the day I left, more vibrant and vibrant than before. I also hope that Ho Chi Minh City will continue to have other metro lines to reduce traffic pressure," said Mr. Phuong.

Sharing more about his future plans, Mr. Phuong said he will try his best for current projects in Vietnam. Along with that, he will bring his two young daughters back to Vietnam so that they know their Vietnamese roots.

Overseas Vietnamese are a bridge of cooperation with the world

For many years, the overseas Vietnamese community has always been an important bridge to strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and other countries in the world, contributing to promoting the image and enhancing the position of Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general in the process of development and international integration. Ho Chi Minh City has welcomed many overseas experts and intellectuals to work long-term or cooperate directly with institutes, universities, high-tech zones, and hospitals. Every year, tens of thousands of young Vietnamese from developed economies return home to seek business opportunities through start-up projects. Associations of Vietnamese entrepreneurs and businesses abroad cooperate, exchange, and propose solutions to mobilize and connect the consumption of Vietnamese branded products, actively participating in introducing and developing distribution channels for Vietnamese goods in the host country. Ho Chi Minh City always strives to create a favorable legal environment for the overseas Vietnamese business community to become increasingly connected and contribute to the common development. Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai

I feel responsible for my country.

In recent years, Dr. Tran Ba ​​Phuc, Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia, has often returned to Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate Tet and participated in meetings between Ho Chi Minh City leaders and the overseas Vietnamese community. "Celebrating Tet feels like bringing me closer to my homeland, more attached to my homeland," said Dr. Phuc. He recalled Resolution 36 of 2004 of the Politburo, affirming that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part and a resource of the Vietnamese ethnic community, an important factor contributing to strengthening the cooperative and friendly relations between our country and other countries. If in 2004, the overseas Vietnamese community had about 2.7 million people, now it has more than doubled, with nearly 6 million people. Dr. Phuc shared that he has lived abroad for nearly 50 years but is still attached to his homeland and country through investment connection activities, volunteering, supporting vaccine funds, supporting poor students, and people in flood-affected areas. "I feel responsible for the country." Dr. Tran Ba ​​Phuc, Chairman of the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in Australia.

thanhnien.vn

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