Preserving, Spreading Vietnamese Culture in Germany, Canada, Mozambique

Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Cao Phong talks with Vietnamese expatriates in Canada about the meaning of worshiping Hung Vuong. Photo: Trung Dung, Ha Linh, Viet Tuan/VNA

On the evening of April 21 in Maputo Capital, the Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique in collaboration with the Vietnamese community organised the celebration of the Southern Liberation Day (April 30), the International Labor Day (May 1) and Hung Kings’ death anniversary (March 10), VNA reported.

Attending the ceremony were a large number of people from the local Vietnamese community, the Board of Directors, officers and employees of Movitel Company (Viettel Group), businesses, medical and educational experts, and Vietnamese students studying in Mozambique and local friends.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Canada on April 23 also hosted a ceremony to commemorate the death anniversary of Hung Kings, the legendary founders of the nations, contributing to maintaining the cultural identity and educating the Vietnamese community especially young people, about the national tradition.

The event saw the in-person participation of more than 100 overseas Vietnamese in the eastern provinces of Canada, and the online attendance of representatives of the Canada-Vietnam Association’s chapters across the country.

Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Cao Phong said the unique practice of worshipping Hung Kings shows gratitude to ancestors, and expresses the unity, strong will and solidarity which has helped the nation overcome many difficulties to achieve great achievements like today.

Julie Nguyen, a member of the Canada-Vietnam Association’s chapter in Toronto, said the event offered a chance for OVs to strengthen solidarity, thus building a closer and stronger community.

In recent times, the embassy has worked as a bridge connecting Vietnamese communities in Canada, said Phong.

He added that through the embassy, Vietnamese-Canadian scientists will make more contributions to the homeland’s development, while many exchange and support activities between OVs in Canada and people in the homeland will be held in the coming time,

A project to teach the Vietnamese language will be re-started in order to educate Vietnamese expats in the North American nation about the cultural tradition, cited from VNA.

At the ceremony to commemorate the death anniversary of Hung Kings in Germany. Photo: Pham Quynh Nga

The same day, a similar event was organised in Sachsen state’s Leipzig city by the Vinh Phu association of fellow-countrymen, with the support of the Vietnamese Embassy and dozens of Vietnamese organisations and associations in Germany.

Do Mai Dang, chairman of the Vinh Phu association of fellow-countrymen in Germany, said that the Vietnamese community in the European nation always work hard on preserving and promoting the precious tradition of the nation.

Ambassador Vu Quang Minh highlighted the fruitful development of Vietnam – Germany relations, saying that the Vietnamese community in Germany has made significant contributions to the bilateral ties.

He called on OVs in the country to be more united and do their best to make more contributions to the homeland’s development.

Dr. Gabriele Goldfuß, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Leipzig city, spoke highly of contributions of the Vietnamese community to the German city’s development.

She took this occasion to wish the friendship between twinned cities – Leipzig of Germany and Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam – as well as between the two nations stronger development.

At the ceremony to commemorate the death anniversary of Hung Kings in Germany. (Photo:

The annual Hung Kings’ Temple Festival organized by overseas Vietnamese used to be sporadically and without a centralized format, so they ttracted little attention from community members and international friends.

Now, on the occasion of the Hung Kings Temple Festival, which falls on April 29 this year (the 10th day of the third lunar month), Vietnamese communities, agencies, and organizations in countries across the world will celebrate the “Vietnam Ancestral Global Day” (VAGD). The annual event, starting in 2015, aims to connect and engage overseas Vietnamese and international friends in activities to preserve Vietnamese cultural intangible heritage and cement national solidarity.

Legend of Lac Long Quan – Au Co Lac Long Quan (Dragon King of Lac) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai). Au Co gave birth to a pouch filled with 100 eggs, which soon hatched into a hundred sons. Lac Long Quan went to the coast with 50 of the children, while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest. Their eldest son was made king, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city in Phu Tho province), beginning the 18 generations of the Hung Kings. The Hung Kings ruled Vietnam from 2879 BC until 258 BC and they are considered the founders of the nation. To honor the Kings, the 10th day of the third lunar month is designated as their national commemorative anniversary date. The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings are closely related to the ancestral worshipping tradition of most Vietnamese families which forms an important part of people’s spiritual life. It was recognized by UNESCO as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.

Hannah Nguyen

The post Preserving, Spreading Vietnamese Culture in Germany, Canada, Mozambique appeared first on Vietexplorer.com.