Villages continue the story of Vietnam – Czech friendship
WVR - On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Vietnam – Czech diplomatic relations (1950–2025), the villages of Vestec and Jesenice have become special highlights with the "Friendship Tet Festival" on December 30, 2025 – where diplomatic history is retold through everyday stories rich in humanity about integration, sharing, and the bond between the Vietnamese and Czech communities.
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| "Vestec and Jesenice Village Festival – Friendship Tet" program. |
There are villages that, when mentioned, people remember not just for their names on the map, but for how people live together. Vestec and Jesenice, two small villages in the Czech Republic, are such places where the story of friendship between the two countries is continued not through diplomatic statements, but through daily community life.
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| The friendship connecting the Vietnamese and Czech peoples in the villages of Vestec and Jesenice. |
In 2025, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, Vestec and Jesenice marked this milestone in a unique way by organizing the Friendship Tet Festival on December 30. Here, the Vietnamese and Czech communities watched a special documentary video, retracing the historical journey of the two countries' relations from the 1950s when diplomatic foundations were laid, through phases of support and companionship, to the image of Vietnamese people today living, working, and contributing positively to the localities they consider their second home.
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| The "Friendship Tet" program of the Vietnamese community in the villages of Vestec and Jesenice. |
The Friendship Tet Festival is not only a cultural event but also a meeting between memory and the present. Diplomatic history is told through the language of everyday life: warm handshakes, shared meals, and cultural activities experienced together. For the first time, local government representatives, Czech citizens, and Vietnamese families together wrapped banh chung, rolled spring rolls, and printed Dong Ho paintings so that culture is not only introduced but also touched, felt, and shared.
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| Ms. Nguyen Dieu Linh - Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Vestec and Jesenice, along with Ms. Iva Řehulková, Deputy Mayor of Jesenice, and local residents at the "Friendship Tet" program. |
In Vestec and Jesenice, the Vietnamese community currently makes up over 30% of the population. Having come to live and work, largely due to the proximity to the Sapa Trade Center, the Vietnamese have gradually integrated into local life. Vietnamese children study and play with Czech friends; adults actively participate in community activities; thus, neighbourly relations have become increasingly close and strong.
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| Children designing patterns for mask-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
This spirit of responsibility and sharing was evident during difficult times, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the locality needed collective effort, the Vietnamese community in Vestec and Jesenice voluntarily made masks, prepared disinfectant solutions, supported testing centres, research institutes, hospitals, and provided direct assistance to local residents. These quiet yet practical contributions were acknowledged and appreciated by the authorities, leaving a beautiful impression in the hearts of the local community.
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| Czech and Vietnamese residents together contribute to charitable activities. |
Not only in times of crisis, for nearly a decade, charitable activities have become a regular feature of the Vietnamese community in the two villages. With the collaboration of Vietnamese families, individuals, and businesses, many programs supporting the disabled, nursing homes, and those in difficult circumstances have been consistently maintained. Notably, the younger generation participates actively, with children and youths making handmade items like hope stars and crocheted flowers to raise funds, learning to share through simple acts.
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| The Vestec and Jesenice village festival is always maintained in the cultural preservation activities of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic. |
Vestec and Jesenice are also places where all generations are present and heard in community life. From the elderly to middle-aged, youths, and children, everyone has a role in communal activities. During village festivals, elders are honored, adults organize, and children perform and carry forward the good values.
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| Generations within Vietnamese families in the Czech Republic enjoy the "Friendship Tet". |
There are villages like these, where people do not ask where you come from, but how you have lived together. Vestec and Jesenice are not just places where Vietnamese people live, but vibrant examples of harmonious integration, of neighborly love transcending national boundaries. From these small and simple communities, the story of Vietnam – Czech friendship is quietly yet persistently and widely continued.
(Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Czech Republic)
