The event featured a variety of activities such as lion dances, martial arts performances, ao dai (traditional long dress) show and folk games.
Visitors had a chance to buy traditional Vietnamese specialties for Tet namely jams, banh chung (square glutinous rice cake), pork paste, rice paper, among others.
Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long appreciated the contributions of VFP and VAUK in organising the biggest festival of the year for the Vietnamese community. He said that the Lunar New Year festival is part of a programme to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK in 2023. He called on the Vietnamese community in the UK to participate in the programme, contributing to fostering the bilateral relations.
The ambassador affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy always accompanies the overseas Vietnamese in community activities, contributing to preserving and promoting the cultural and humane values of the Vietnamese people.
Vicky Foxcroft, Member of Parliament for Lewisham and Deptford, expressed her pleasure at attending the traditional Tet festival, which is an opportunity for her to meet Vietnamese friends and take part in traditional activities of the Vietnamese New Year. She spoke highly of VFP's role in connecting the Vietnamese communities in Lewisham and Deptford with many activities that help promote and enhance the prestige of Vietnamese in the host country.
VAUK Chairman Tang Tuan Tu affirmed that the association will do its best to unite 100,000 Vietnamese people who are living and working in the UK to build a strong community, contributing to the further development of Vietnam-UK relations.
Meanwhile, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province, in collaboration with the Khmer-Vietnamese Association’s provincial chapter and the sponsor Metfone Company - Cambodian affiliate of Vietnam’s telecoms group Viettel, on January 16 presented 100 gift packages to disadvantaged families of Vietnamese origin on the occasion of Tet.
Each household received a gift set valued at VND500,000 (21 USD), which includes basic commodities for Tet. This activity is part of a programme to give nearly 1,000 Tet gifts, worth 20,700 USD in total, to families of Vietnamese origin with difficult circumstances in eight provinces across Cambodia so that they can enjoy a happy Tet.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Consul General Lai Xuan Chien extended his wish that the Vietnamese community will have a joyful and happy Tet. He expected that they will continue to unite, abide by the host country’s regulations as well as care for their children and preserve the nation’s traditions.
