Ha Noi (VNA) – Sixty-five young overseas Vietnamese from 22 countries worldwide are gathering in their motherland for the Viet Nam Summer Camp 2007 from July 21-30.
This is the fourth year the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee have organised the camp with the aim of getting the young generations of Vietnamese living abroad understand more about their homeland.
The camp kicked off by a visit northern Phu Tho province to pay tribute to the nation's legendary founders, the Hung Kings.
Duong Thuy Ha from Ukraine said her parents, who hailed from Phu Tho, told her many stories about how the Hung Kings founded the country of Viet Nam and fought off invaders to protect their land, but this was the first time she had set foot in the temples dedicated to the Kings.
"I wish my friends have opportunities to come here to discover beautiful landscapes and sacred historical and cultural traditions, thus understanding more about the history of Viet Nam," Ha said.
Ngo Ngoc Anh from Bulgaria confided that this is the first time she has been told about the Hung Kings. She said she will try to learn Vietnamese well in order to study more about the history of her nation.
The delegation then left for Ha Long Bay in northern Quang Ninh province, which was twice recognised as a World Natural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Hoang Hong Phuong, an overseas Vietnamese from the UK, said this was the third time she has visited Viet Nam but her first time to Ha Long Bay. “During this visit to Viet Nam, I had a chance to visit old quarters of Ha Noi and take part in several charity activities and I was very surprised at the rapid development of the country,” she said.
Phuong, who works as an accountant at a hospital in London, said she would come back to Viet Nam to teach English if she had any chance.
Meanwhile, Anh Vu, a student from Canada's Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal University, showed her good knowledge of Vietnamese history
though he was born and grew up in Canada. “I have been learning how to beat Vietnamese traditional drums at Hong Duc Cultural Centre in Canada for six years,” he said.
After a series of activities in the north, the young overseas Vietnamese will then to visit central Da Nang city and Ho Chi Minh City.-Enditem |