Gala ‘Beloved Vietnamese Language’ 2026: Preserving the mother tongue, connecting roots
WVR - On August 26, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Television Department, Vietnam Television, organized the 2026 Beloved Vietnamese Language Gala themed “Kites soar high from the mother tongue”. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang attended and spoke at the event.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang attended and spoke at the 2026 Beloved Vietnamese Language Gala themed “Kites soar high from the mother tongue”. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Spreading the love for Vietnamese
The program was organized to celebrate the day of Honouring the Vietnamese Language within the overseas Vietnamese community, contributing to the appreciation of the beauty and value of Vietnamese, spreading the love for the Mother Tongue, and encouraging Vietnamese generations abroad to preserve, use, and promote the Vietnamese language.
With the theme “Kites soar high from the mother tongue”, this year's program utilized the image of a kite—a familiar symbol in Vietnamese culture - to tell the story of the journey of the overseas Vietnamese community: Despite living, studying, and working in various countries around the world, each person carries with them the Vietnamese language and cultural values on their journey of integration, contribution, and reaching out.
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| 50 overseas Vietnamese teachers from 14 countries attended the Gala night. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Speaking at the program, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang stressed that this year's Beloved Vietnamese Language Gala theme, “Kites soar high from the mother tongue”, conveys a very Vietnamese image.
Kites can soar high and far thanks to the winds of aspiration and integration, but they are truly stable only when connected to the string of origin. For the overseas Vietnamese community, that string is the Vietnamese language, the language of kinship, identity, and national pride.
The Deputy Minister emphasised that on August 2, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on the work related to overseas Vietnamese, affirming that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese ethnic community, a significant strategic resource contributing to enhancing the nation's comprehensive strength; a bridge between Vietnam and the world; accompanying and directly participating in the cause of building, developing, and protecting the Vietnamese homeland.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang speaking at the Gala night. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
The resolution emphasised that Vietnamese is not only a means of communication but also a soft power resource of the nation. Every Vietnamese language class abroad, every preserved Vietnamese book, and every teacher persistently teaching the Mother Tongue to the younger generation contributes to nurturing Vietnamese identity in the world.
According to Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang, since 2023, the Beloved Vietnamese Language Gala has become an annual meaningful event, spreading the love for Vietnamese to a wide overseas Vietnamese community and international friends. The vitality of the program comes not only from the artistic performances but also from the stories of incredibly ordinary people.
They are volunteer teachers opening weekend classes, parents persistently speaking Vietnamese to their children daily, or young people born abroad, who, despite not having perfect pronunciation, proudly recite poems and sing in the beloved Mother Tongue.
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| Delegates attending the Gala night. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
The Deputy Minister stated that the program honored 8 Vietnamese Language Ambassadors abroad in 2026, who are exemplary individuals tirelessly spreading the Vietnamese language with love, creativity, and enduring dedication.
The Deputy Minister affirmed that the Vietnamese Language Ambassadors are not only overseas Vietnamese but also foreigners with a special affection for Vietnam, who love the Vietnamese language and have made significant, meaningful contributions to teaching, promoting, and spreading the Vietnamese language to international friends over the years.
“Each ambassador, through their unique journey, has added a bridge bringing Vietnamese closer to the community and the world, proving that Vietnamese is not only preserved but continuously carried forward, developed, and spread across generations and beyond borders,” Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang stated.
“Vietnamese Language Ambassadors Abroad” 2026
Also at the program, the ceremony to award the title “Vietnamese Language Ambassadors Abroad” 2026 honored 8 exemplary individuals: Shimizu Masaaki (Japan), Tijn Konings Le (Netherlands), Nguyen Thi Lien Huong (Taiwan - China), Nguyen Thi Thu Hien (Denmark), Tran Ngoc Thao (France), Nguyen Phuong Chung (USA), Tran Huyen Huong (Australia), and Thich Phap Quang (Sri Lanka).
This year, the Organizing Committee increased the number of honored ambassadors from 6 to 8 individuals, aiming to recognize more exemplary figures and more widely spread inspirational stories.
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| Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang awarded the title “Vietnamese Language Ambassadors Abroad” 2026 to 8 exemplary individuals. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Notably, the composition of this year's honored ambassadors is very diverse, ranging from an 11-year-old child, foreigners who love Vietnamese, monks, teachers, to individuals active in various fields, all sharing a love and attachment to the Vietnamese language.
This demonstrates that the Vietnamese language is not only preserved by the overseas Vietnamese community but is also increasingly receiving attention and support from international friends and younger generations.
Through honoring the ambassadors, the program has acknowledged the persistent contributions of individuals while inspiring more people to join the journey of preserving, promoting, and spreading the Vietnamese language.
Within the program framework, the ambassadors also had the opportunity to participate in activities such as interacting with trainees of the Vietnamese language teaching course abroad and visiting cultural landmarks in Hanoi.
The program will be broadcast at 8:00 PM on September 8 on VTV4 and on the digital platforms of Vietnam Television and the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.
Some images from the Gala night:
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