The annual Xuan Que Huong (Spring in the Homeland) event is held eight days before Tet to welcome Vietnamese expatriates returning home for their country’s biggest festival.

Addressing the event, President Truong Tan Sang said Vietnam has made important achievements, including economic growth, ensuring social security, keeping social and political order and improving the country’s prestige in the international arena, thanks to the efforts and contributions made by the whole nation, including overseas Vietnamese communities.

“The Party and State always consider the overseas Vietnamese community as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation and try their best to support Vietnamese expatriates in doing business, stabilizing their lives and preserving their cultural traditions,” Sang said.

Vietnamese expatriate Nguyen Quoc Trong, a 68-year-old who has lived in France for more than 20 years, said he was really surprised and moved by the performances at the event.

“This is the first time I got to see such a programme. We are really moved by the familiar images of the homeland through songs and videos shown and they make us feel warm despite the cold weather,” he said.

His wife, Nguyen Minh Luan, said the event makes this year’s Tet all the more memorable and meaningful.

“It’s totally different when celebrating Tet in the homeland. Visiting relatives, famous local landscapes and enjoying traditional food during the festive season is something that can only be done in Vietnam”, she said.

For 20-year-old Nguyen Thuy Hien, an expatriate from Germany, celebrating Tet in the homeland is also a much cherished opportunity.

“Words fail me when trying to express my feelings during my first Tet in Vietnam, my homeland. I arrived here one week ago and felt the atmosphere of Tet in every corner of the city,” she said.

“You can see many quat (kumquat trees) and dao (peach blossom), the symbol of Tet as my mom often told me, being sold along the street…it’s a scene you can not see in Germany.”

All participants wished Vietnam would continue to develop and provide a source of pride for all Vietnamese expatriates.