Vietnamese Community Tet in Sri Lanka: A taste of homeland Spring in the heart of Colombo
On the morning of January 31, at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel (Colombo), the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka organized a gathering for the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in the area, with the participation of over 200 expatriates from across Sri Lanka.
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| The Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ms. Trinh Thi Tam, speaking at the event. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka) |
In her welcoming speech, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam expressed her joy and gratitude to the attendees for taking the time to join the program; she emphasized that the joy of celebrating Tet this year is amplified by the excitement and pride in the success of the 14th Party Congress recently held in Vietnam, and the significant achievements the country made in 2025, especially the GDP growth rate exceeding 8%, creating a heroic momentum for the nation to enter a new era.
She highlighted that in this process, the overseas Vietnamese community, including those in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, continues to be an integral part of the nation, as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh summarized at the meeting reviewing 20 years of implementing Resolution 36 on overseas Vietnamese affairs: "A facilitating state, a pioneering community, unity inside and outside, a prosperous nation, respected friends, and happy people".
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| The program featured many activities rich in Vietnamese culture. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka) |
The Ambassador noted that in 2025, marking 55 years of diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka and 50 years with the Maldives, the Embassy organized over 50 activities across political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, achieving many positive results that are significant for the development of bilateral relations between Vietnam-Sri Lanka and Vietnam-Maldives.
She emphasized that the community is one of the valuable local resources helping the Embassy achieve these results, thereby contributing to spreading the image of a peaceful, friendly, culturally rich, and aspiring Vietnam to the people of Sri Lanka and international friends.
On this occasion, the Ambassador honored and commended exemplary community representatives who made significant contributions in 2025.
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| This year's Community Tet program featured a diverse reenactment of traditional Vietnamese Tet in Colombo. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka) |
A highlight of this year's Community Tet program was the diverse reenactment of traditional Vietnamese Tet in Colombo. From the morning, the community decorated the "Vietnam corner" and prepared the Tet space. While the competitions for wrapping banh chung, banh tet, and arranging the five-fruit tray created a lively atmosphere, the ao dai fashion show – the national costume – fostered intergenerational connections.
The cultural space also included activities such as calligraphy for the new year, simulating the banh chung boiling stove to evoke the taste of Tet from home; alongside were folk games, quizzes with prizes, cultural exchanges, and new year gifts for children, bringing laughter and excitement to the spring day.
The feast introduced many traditional Tet dishes such as banh chung, banh tet, pork rolls, chicken rolls, beef rolls, fried spring rolls, bitter melon soup, jams, and sweet soups, embodying the spirit of community reunion and sharing.
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| Nguyen Mai Trinh, Head of the Vietnamese Community Liaison Committee in Sri Lanka, speaking at the event. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka) |
Speaking on behalf of the community, Ms. Nguyen Mai Trinh, Head of the Vietnamese Community Liaison Committee in Sri Lanka, shared her emotions about celebrating Tet in a space rich in Vietnamese identity; she also expressed gratitude to the Embassy for always caring and providing a foundation for the expatriates to connect, unite, and look towards their homeland.
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She urged the community to continue building a strong community, actively participating in common activities, and spreading the image of Vietnam in the area.
Concluding the program, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam extended New Year wishes to all attendees, expressing her hope that the community will continue to unite, adhere to local laws and culture, and serve as a bridge for people-to-people exchanges.
She encouraged them to always accompany the Embassy in promoting the image of Vietnam's land, people, culture, and history, and in fostering the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Some images in the event
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| The program took place in a warm atmosphere, deeply imbued with traditional Vietnamese culture. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka) |
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