HCM City raises the French flag to mark Bastille Day
VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City has long had a strong French-Vietnamese community and many of the most ardent turned out today (July 11) to mark the 228th anniversary of Bastille Day at a flag raising ceremony, reports the Vietnam News Agency.
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The flag raising has become an annual tradition put together by the Vietnam-France Friendship Association in celebration of Bastille Day (July 14) in HCM City, putting a Vietnamese footprint on one of the biggest holidays in France.
We take immense pride in HCM City to celebrate important occasions in the lives of our residents and to mark their ancestry and heritage, said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, president of the Association. Today is one of those occasions.
The French community and their friends have assembled here today to mark their commitment in enhancing the business, cultural and social life of this city and to honour the shared values that are the unshakable foundation of the friendship between France and Vietnam, Mr Dung added.
Mr Dung was joined at the event by Emmanuel Ly-Batallan, Consul General of the French Republic in HCM City.
Mr. Batallan brought a special message. I am very happy to be among you here today celebrating one of the most important days for all the French, he said. Ho Chi Minh City represents one of the most important communities of French ex-patriots in the world.
The success of the French-Vietnamese relationship is largely due to the dedication of this community.
