Foreign experts celebrate Tet at Vietnamese homestay

Impressions of Vietnamese Tet

"The New Year's Eve meal is a unique and special cultural feature of Vietnam that few countries have," commented Mr. Tang Shu Bo, Deputy Production Director of Hearty Rise Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Thanh Mien).

Although he has only been in Hai Duong for 2 years, Mr. Tang Shu Bo is quite knowledgeable about Vietnamese culture. He is impressed by the markets and streets filled with colorful flowers and decorations that people sell during the Lunar New Year, or the peach gardens blooming in the cold weather at the end of the year. In particular, Mr. Tang Shu Bo loves the Vietnamese New Year's Eve feast with traditional dishes such as banh chung, xoi gac, nem ran, and bamboo shoot soup...

"On the occasion of Lunar New Year 2023, after attending the year-end party at the company's dormitory, we continued to join the crowd to go to Hai Duong City to watch the fireworks. On the morning of the first day, we held a ceremony at the company and went sightseeing and worshiping some historical sites in the province. This year, I plan to bring my wife and children from Taiwan to Vietnam to enjoy the atmosphere of Vietnamese Tet," said Mr. Tang Shu Bo.

Chinese Mr. Zhang Bo is the Production Manager at Daity & Gemmy Technology Co., Ltd. in Cong Hoa Industrial Park (Chi Linh). Lunar New Year 2024 is the first year he stays at the company to work during the holiday. Although he has never celebrated Tet in Vietnam, through the stories of his colleagues and information on the internet, Mr. Zhang Bo is very excited. "Friends and colleagues have told me many times about Vietnamese Lunar New Year. What impressed me most is that in the new year, people will give each other red envelopes and wish each other good luck. The dishes during Tet are not only rich and diverse, but also associated with educational stories about the origin of the nation. I really look forward to experiencing those things," said Mr. Zhang Bo.

Warm dormitory

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuoi, Head of Human Resources Department of Hearty Rise Vietnam Co., Ltd., the company currently has 5 Taiwanese experts. To facilitate foreign experts, the company has built a dormitory with 6 fully equipped rooms. During the Lunar New Year, the dormitory is decorated with lights, fresh flowers and hung with the national flags of Vietnam and China. Kumquat and peach blossoms are two indispensable plants in the common room and main hall of the company. The company also arranges a private chef to serve the experts. In addition to Taiwanese food, the chef will cook pure Vietnamese dishes for the experts to enjoy during the Lunar New Year.

"At the beginning of the new year, we will come to wish the New Year and have a New Year's meal with the experts according to Vietnamese customs. We have also maintained going to the pagoda to pray for good luck at the beginning of the new year regularly since the company started operating. Most Taiwanese experts really enjoy the traditional Tet atmosphere. Many have brought their whole families to Vietnam to celebrate New Year's Eve and enjoy spring at the beginning of the year," said Ms. Tuoi.

Although it has not yet been Lunar New Year, the dormitory of Daity & Gemmy Technology Co., Ltd. where Zhang Bo lives has been decorated with flags and flowers. The sound of electronic firecrackers makes him even more excited. For Zhang Bo, the traditional Tet of Vietnamese and Chinese people have many similarities but the atmosphere of celebrating Tet is different in each place.