The highlight of the festival was the “National great unity boulevard”, a space recreating a miniature Viet Nam in the heart of Europe. It showcased cultural symbols representing Viet Nam’s three regions - the North, Central and South - alongside a map of the country featuring its mainland, seas and islands, as well as images representing Viet Nam’s 54 ethnic groups. These displays offered participants an opportunity to learn more about the nation’s history, culture and roots.

The festival also featured artistic performances showcasing the folk melodies of Bac Ninh Quan Ho singing, the distinctive sounds of the Central Highlands, and traditional musical instruments, alongside cultural exchanges and Vietnamese cuisine. These activities created opportunities for interaction among different generations of overseas Vietnamese, particularly enabling young people born and raised in Europe to learn more about, preserve and promote Vietnamese culture and language.

Speaking at the festival, Ha Thi Nga, Member of the Party Central Committee and Vice President and Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, said the event took place as Viet Nam prepares to mark the 96th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (18 November) and Vietnam Culture Day (24 November), which is being celebrated nationwide in Viet Nam for the first time.

According to her, the Sapa Trade Centre is a place imbued with the spirit and flavours of Viet Nam and a source of pride for the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic. The decision by the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe to select this venue for the inaugural festival carries special significance, reflecting the close ties between overseas Vietnamese communities and their homeland.

On this basis, Ha Thi Nga called on overseas Vietnamese to continue strengthening solidarity and promoting the role of community associations, while paying greater attention to supporting older people, women, young people, students and families facing difficult circumstances.

Delegates pose for a commemorative photo at the festival. (Photo: Loan Nguyen)

She also expressed her hope that Vietnamese businesspeople would strengthen trade and investment links, while intellectuals, experts and scientists would promote knowledge-sharing and cooperation in science, technology and innovation. Particular emphasis, she said, should be placed on preserving the Vietnamese language and passing on the nation's cultural identity to younger generations, thereby enabling every overseas Vietnamese person to serve as a cultural ambassador in their host country.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Duong Hoai Nam underscored the festival's importance to Vietnamese communities across Europe. According to the Ambassador, community associations and generations of Vietnamese people have overcome numerous challenges together and gradually established their standing in their host countries. Events of this kind provide further opportunities for community members to strengthen their bonds, share their affection for one another and maintain their connection with their homeland.

The Ambassador noted that the presence of representatives of the leadership of Vietnamese ministries, agencies and sectors at the event demonstrated the Party and State's attention to overseas Vietnamese. At the same time, the festival helped translate into practice the spirit of Politburo Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on work relating to Vietnamese people overseas, which affirms that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese national community, a strategic resource and a bridge connecting them with their homeland.

A large number of delegates and overseas Vietnamese attend the festival. (Photo: mattran.org.vn)

Hoang Dinh Thang, head of the organising committee, Member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, said the festival provided an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese to meet, strengthen bonds of solidarity and introduce international friends to Vietnamese music, traditional arts, the ao dai (traditional long dress) and Vietnamese cuisine.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening links among community associations, building collective strength and enhancing the standing of Vietnamese communities in their host countries. He also expressed his appreciation for the enthusiastic response from the Vietnamese community, particularly businesspeople at the Sapa Trade Centre, to this inaugural event.

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