Project launched to preserve, promote Vietnamese culture in Europe

The project aims to act as a cultural bridge connecting generations of Vietnamese people in Europe, fostering a love for the homeland, national pride, and cultural integration. At its core, the competition is the first online initiative designed to preserve and promote Vietnam’s cultural identity within the community. It seeks to connect generations, especially the youth, to their cultural roots while promoting Vietnam’s image internationally and strengthening ties within the overseas Vietnamese (OV) group.

The competition, open to Vietnamese living, studying, and working in Europe, invites entries in the form of photos, paintings, video clips, and literary works. Submissions will be accepted until February 15, with total prizes estimated at 12,000 EUR.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Nguyen Manh Dong, Vice Chairman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV), noted that the community remains an invaluable resource contributing to national development. He highlighted the increasingly close connection between the over 6 million Vietnamese abroad and the 100 million citizens at home.

Dong affirmed the importance of cultural and human development as a cornerstone of Vietnam’s growth strategy in the new era. Therefore, OVs, particularly younger generations born abroad, are not only beneficiaries but also ambassadors of Vietnamese culture.

Expressing his confidence in the success of the project and competition, the official noted that the committee will continue to prioritise the conservation of Vietnamese culture, the promotion of the Vietnamese language, and the expansion of outreach and communication with the diaspora.

Nguyen Viet Trieu, a Polish Vietnamese and Chairwoman of the Union of Vietnamese Women's Associations in Europe, acknowledged the strategic vision of Vietnam’s Party and State, which consistently affirms that OVs are an inseparable part and a resource of the nation, playing an essential role in fostering its cooperative and friendly relations with other countries.

In this spirit, the two unions have been actively organising activities to preserve traditional culture and strengthen community bonds, especially among younger generations born and raised abroad, she said.