Asian Traditional New Year Exchange 2026: Connecting Cultures, Spreading Friendship in Hanoi

	Thanh Hoa and Da Nang Celebrate Bunpimay New Year for Lao Students
	Lao and Cambodian Students Celebrate Traditional New Year Festivals in Vietnam

The program was jointly organized by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, and the embassies of Laos, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Attendees included Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan; Ambassador of Palestine Saadi Salama, Head of the Diplomatic Corps in Vietnam; ambassadors of Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, among others; and more than 200 delegates from embassies, international organizations, as well as representatives from central ministries, agencies, and Hanoi authorities.

Nguyen Ngoc Ky, President of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations. (Photo: Hanoi Moi Newspaper)

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Ngoc Ky, President of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations, noted that traditional New Year celebrations are not only occasions for family reunions and paying tribute to ancestors, but also symbols of long-standing cultural values that connect communities and inspire people toward positive aspirations in the year ahead. The annual organization of the Friendship Exchange Program celebrating traditional New Year festivals of several Asian countries has become a meaningful activity, contributing to enhanced mutual understanding, honoring cultural diversity, and strengthening solidarity between the people of Vietnam and those of countries in the region.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Ky, the selection of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam as the venue for this year’s program further highlights the cultural and scholarly heritage of Hanoi, especially in the context of the 950th anniversary of the establishment of Quoc Tu Giam. This heritage space not only honors knowledge and culture but also serves as a bridge for exchange, spreading traditional values to international friends.

Delegates perform the wrist-tying ceremony. (Photo: Hanoi Moi Newspaper)

Through a variety of distinctive cultural activities such as the Buddha bathing ritual, water-splashing for good fortune, wrist-tying ceremony, Holi festival, along with traditional art performances and cuisine, the event created a vibrant space for exchange, helping delegates and the public gain a deeper understanding of the cultural identities of Asian nations.

Venerable Thich Chieu Tue and delegates participated in the Buddha bathing ritual. (Photo: Ha Noi Moi Newspaper)

Nguyen Ngoc Ky expressed his hope to continue receiving the support and partnership of international counterparts in the process of building and developing Hanoi toward the direction of “Culture - Civilization - Modernity,” thereby enhancing the position and prestige of Hanoi and Vietnam on the international stage.

On behalf of Asian embassies in Hanoi, Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Vietnam, Khamphao Ernthavanh, extended New Year greetings to the leaders and people of Vietnam as well as to international friends. She also highly appreciated the role of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations in maintaining annual exchange activities among Asian countries, thereby enhancing mutual understanding, strengthening friendship, and promoting cooperation among peoples.

According to the Ambassador, although each country has its own name and way of celebrating the New Year, such as Bun Pi May in Laos, Chol Chnam Thmey in Cambodia, Songkran in Thailand, and Thingyan in Myanmar, all are held annually in mid-April and share common values of wishing for peace, good fortune, and happiness in the new year.

The Ambassador also emphasized the significance of 2026 for both Laos and Vietnam, as the two countries continue to implement development resolutions following their respective Party Congresses. She affirmed that, in a world still facing many uncertainties, nations need to strengthen cooperation and solidarity, working together toward peace, stability, and sustainable development.

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Lao and Cambodian Students Celebrate Traditional New Year at Friendship School 80 Over April 13-14 in Hanoi, Friendship School 80 organized celebrations of the traditional New Year festivals Bunpimay of Laos and Chol Chhnam Thmay of Cambodia ...