Warm traditional Tet of Lao and Cambodian students

Lao students introduce to delegates traditional Lao dishes at the Bunpimay and Chol Chnam Thmay Traditional New Year Festival 2025 organized by the Provincial People's Committee. Nga Son

For the past 12 years, on the occasion of the traditional New Year Bunpimay (Laos) and Chol Chnam Thmay (Cambodia) taking place in mid-April (solar calendar), Dong Nai province has maintained organizing traditional New Year gathering programs with Lao and Cambodian students, creating opportunities for students to enjoy the New Year and ease their homesickness.

Lao and Cambodian students celebrate traditional New Year

After 1 year of studying Vietnamese at Dong Nai University, Dedluexai Volaxai chose to study at Dong Nai Medical College and continued to transfer to university majoring in pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Eastern University of Technology. Up to now, Dedluexai Volaxai has spent more than 6 years in Dong Nai. Those years of studying in Dong Nai are the same years that Dedluexai Volaxai celebrates Tet away from home.

Mr. Dedluexai Volaxai said that although he could not return home to reunite with his family during the traditional New Year, thanks to the attention of Dong Nai province, he and Lao students studying at universities and colleges in the area were given the opportunity to meet and celebrate the traditional New Year every year. In the program, the Organizing Committee organized activities imbued with the traditional cultural identity of Laos, including some important rituals, such as: splashing water with the meaning of bringing coolness and prosperity to all things; tying thread on the wrist to wish happiness and health to the person being tied...

With the knowledge gained during his time studying in Vietnam, Mr. DEDLUEXAI VOLAXAI, a student at the Eastern University of Technology, hopes to spread the cultural values ​​of Vietnam and Cambodia in Laos after returning, contributing to further strengthening the special friendship between the three countries.

To make the traditional Tet atmosphere more warm, Lao and Cambodian students also prepare typical dishes that often appear during the traditional Tet holiday. The Dong Nai Province Student Association contributes to the fun with dishes and cakes.

As one of the Cambodian students studying at universities and colleges in Dong Nai province, Van Khita, a student at Lac Hong University, shared that since enrolling in Dong Nai province, he and other Cambodian students have always received affection, attention, and the best conditions from provincial leaders, departments, schools, teachers, and Vietnamese students.

In particular, every year, Dong Nai province creates opportunities for Lao and Cambodian students to celebrate the traditional New Year right in Dong Nai. Thanks to that, the nostalgia for their homeland in each student is somewhat reduced. Besides expressing sincere thanks, Mr. Van Khita affirmed that, with his ability, he will try to study and practice well, contributing to strengthening the friendly relations so that the relationship between the three countries will develop further.

Strengthening solidarity and friendship

At the recent Bunpimay (Laos) and Chol Chnam Thmay (Cambodia) Traditional New Year Celebration Program, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Duong Minh Dung said that Dong Nai is a province that does not have a border with Laos and Cambodia, but for many years, Dong Nai province has had cooperation programs with localities of Laos and Cambodia.

Lao students view images of the Vietnam-Laos friendship at the Bunpimay traditional New Year meeting and Vietnam-Laos cultural exchange in 2025 organized by Branch 5 of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of the province. Photo: NGA SON

Every year, Dong Nai province is one of the localities in the country that welcomes Lao and Cambodian students to live and study in the province. Dong Nai province leaders always pay attention and create both material and spiritual conditions for Lao and Cambodian students to study with peace of mind, acquire a lot of knowledge and skills to serve the country in the future.

For the past 12 years, on the occasion of the traditional New Year Bunpimay and Chol Chnam Thmay, Dong Nai province has maintained the organization of the Traditional New Year Meeting Program with Lao and Cambodian students studying at universities and colleges in the province. This contributes to promoting mutual understanding, thereby further tightening the special solidarity and friendship between Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia.

Mr. Vo Van Trung, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, Chairman of the Provincial Student Association, said that in this year's Bunpimay and Chol Chnam Thmay Traditional New Year Celebration Program, the Provincial Youth Union and the Provincial Student Association were assigned to organize the Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia Friendship Cultural Festival. The Provincial Youth Union and the Provincial Student Association have advised on organizing cultural exchange activities, performing arts, folk games, and enjoying typical dishes of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, helping students from the three countries understand more about the culture and customs of neighboring countries.

In addition to the traditional New Year activities, throughout the year, the Provincial Youth Union and the Provincial Student Association organize many activities for students of all schools, in which Lao and Cambodian students are invited to participate. On the occasion of the traditional Vietnamese New Year, every year, the Provincial Student Association organizes gift giving for Lao and Cambodian students studying abroad; at the same time, it directs the Youth Union and Association of universities and colleges to organize cultural exchange activities between Vietnamese - Lao - Cambodian students.

This is the second year that Nguyen Thai Hoang, a third-year student at the Faculty of Technology, Dong Nai University of Technology, has participated in the Lao and Cambodian Traditional New Year Meeting Program. Participating in the exchange activities not only helps him understand more about the culture and customs of Laos and Cambodia, but more importantly, he also clearly recognizes the mission of youth in preserving and promoting the traditional friendship between Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia.

According to Mr. Hoang: “The previous generation has worked hard to build this special friendship and the responsibility of the younger generation is to preserve and develop that relationship. To contribute to fostering good relations between the three countries, I think that the younger generation needs to clearly understand this relationship as well as the culture and customs of the countries. With the powerful support tool of the internet, I think every young person can completely take the initiative to learn this information.”

Nga Son

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202504/tet-co-truyen-am-ap-cua-du-hoc-sinh-lao-campuchia-4b26039/