Young overseas Vietnamese on the long stretch of the country

In mid-July, 120 young overseas Vietnamese, who are outstanding youth representing the Vietnamese community in 26 countries and territories, gathered at the Vietnam Summer Camp 2023.

Kiều bào trẻ trong hoạt động du lịch tại Tràng An, Ninh Bình - Ảnh: HƯNG THỊNH — *Young overseas Vietnamese in tourism activities at Trang An, Ninh Binh - Photo: HUNG THINH*

For many young people, this is the first time they have set foot in their homeland Vietnam.

The 16-day journey through 10 provinces and cities of the country, visiting famous landscapes and relics and listening to many historical stories of the nation, has deepened the connection between these young people and their homeland Vietnam.

Vietnam Summer Camp 2023 is an annual event organized by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (Ministry of Foreign Affairs ). This year is the 18th time the event has taken place.

Thank you to the homeland, welcoming with open arms the people with love. No matter where we go, the two words "Vietnam" are proud to be here.

excerpt from the poem Long Miles of the Country by Nguyen Huu Hung Thinh

Kiều bào trẻ mặc cổ phục đến thăm cố đô Huế - Ảnh: HƯNG THỊNH — *Young overseas Vietnamese wearing traditional costumes visit the ancient capital of Hue - Photo: HUNG THINH*

An emotional journey

For Nguyen Huu Hung Thinh, (17 years old, overseas Vietnamese in Bulgaria), this is the first time he has returned to Vietnam to visit his family and also the first time he has returned to his heroic homeland of Ha Tinh. Hung Thinh's father was born in a bunker during the war, so when he arrived at Dong Loc intersection, Thinh could not hide his emotions and wrote these verses:

"Dong Loc legendary crossroads

Also my hometown, so nostalgic

The bell rings and the fragrance spreads over the hills.

Ten legendary girls, forever remembered..."

The poem "Long Miles of the Country" was composed by the teenager right on the bus and won second prize at the Vietnamese Young Talent Contest within the framework of the Vietnam Summer Camp 2023. Thinh decided to compose poetry to enter the contest because his family has a tradition of being teachers and his grandmother and parents both love Vietnamese poetry. Through this poem, Thinh wants to express his love for his homeland and gratitude for the heroic history of our nation.

"The summer camp taught me many things, especially solidarity and more importantly, love for the Fatherland," Hung Thinh said.

Passionate about music, Nguyen Vu Hao has been teaching himself the monochord through instructional videos on the Internet for the past two years.

Leaving Vietnam for Australia when he was just a 5-year-old boy, Vu Hao is now a 25-year-old man, holding a monochord and returning to his homeland as a way of expressing gratitude to the land where he was born: "To me, the monochord represents everything about the Vietnamese people, from the strength to overcome pain to the perseverance of the Vietnamese people to develop the country as it is today."

The overseas Vietnamese man dressed up as a soldier, performed poetry reading and played the monochord to the song Xa Khoi by musician Nguyen Tai Tue.

"When I listen to this song, I think of a soldier who is away from home to protect his homeland and the freedom and independence of the Fatherland" - Hao shared. That emotional performance brought this young overseas Vietnamese in Australia the championship title in the Young Vietnamese Talent contest.

The Vietnamese community around the world is famous for its close ties. That spirit has not been lost even though each young person was born and raised in a different culture. From the first time they met, the Vietnamese blood flowing in each person helped these young people bond.

Laughter filled the air as young people listened to xoan singing in Phu Tho, danced on bamboo poles, walked on stilts, played folk games in Thanh Hoa, or dressed in traditional Vietnamese costumes to "check-in" at the ancient capital of Hue.

Tears were shed during the farewell in Da Nang City, the young overseas Vietnamese did not forget the promise to keep in touch and definitely meet again.

There were also emotional moments when the Vietnam Summer Camp journey took young overseas Vietnamese to Quang Tri province, to Truong Son Cemetery, to visit Quang Tri ancient citadel, to stop by "red addresses" and release flower lanterns on Thach Han River to better understand the sacrifices of our ancestors for the independence and peace of the Fatherland.

This year's program also raised nearly 200 million VND to honor Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, families of war invalids and martyrs, and to support children at the Thanh Hoa SOS Children's Village and those in difficult circumstances at the Quang Binh Provincial Social Work Center.

The summer of 2023 became a beautiful memory for Thuc Anh, 16 years old, a Vietnamese expatriate returning from Kazakhstan.

"We ate together, rowed boats, explored the beautiful scenery and made a campfire. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to socialize," Thuc Anh recalled of the trip.

Nguyễn Hữu Hưng Thịnh đọc bài thơ Dặm dài đất nước - Ảnh: Trại hè Việt Nam 2023 — *Nguyen Huu Hung Thinh reads the poem "Long Miles of the Country" - Photo: Vietnam Summer Camp 2023*

Return to Vietnam to find roots

Due to historical conditions and development through generations, many young overseas Vietnamese have gradually left their roots. Every year, the Vietnam Summer Camp welcomes more than 100 young people back to their homeland, but millions of overseas Vietnamese also want to return and bring their children back to the land where their ancestors were born and raised.

Traveling to their roots, visiting historical sites, meeting historical witnesses to tell the story of how Vietnam became the country it is today will help them find and understand their roots and identity.

This is not the first time he has returned to Vietnam, but only when participating in the Vietnam Summer Camp did Vu Hao clearly feel the connection with his roots and origins.

"Before, I felt that I already had connections with the culture and was always proud of being Vietnamese. But now I feel my soul and vision are more open, I have new motivations. Now I just want to stay and contribute to programs that gather overseas Vietnamese in Vietnam or make Vietnamese culture more present in Australia," Hao said.

"Come back to Vietnam" - that is the message from Hung Thinh for young overseas Vietnamese who do not have the opportunity to return to their homeland.

"As a Vietnamese, one must know Vietnamese history, Vietnamese language and Vietnamese homeland. With thousands of years of history, Vietnam is not inferior to any other powerful country.

In recent years, Vietnam has entered the top 10 countries with the most trade with the US, surpassing Germany - one of the world's largest economies. Coming to Vietnam will change your feelings about your own homeland," Hung Thinh shared proudly.

Ha Ngoc Khanh Linh (19 years old, Russian expatriate) was moved because she had returned to Vietnam many times but each time she returned she saw the changes and development of her homeland.

For those who have not had the opportunity to return home, Linh hopes that you will take the time to visit your homeland and see all the beauty of the country and people of Vietnam. For young overseas Vietnamese, these are things that "can never be fully conveyed through photos or stories".

Sharing with Tuoi Tre, Ms. Lanh Doktor-Nguyen (33 years old, Hungarian expatriate) said that more approaches and communication are needed to arouse the natural emotions of young people, helping them feel that returning to their homeland is a gift, not just a wish of their parents.

"As a parent, I really want my children to return to Vietnam and I don't mind spending money so that they have the opportunity to learn about our national culture, as long as I make sure to build a reputable program and have someone trustworthy to introduce it."

Kiều bào trong hoạt động thiện nguyện tại Làng trẻ SOS Thanh Hóa — *Overseas Vietnamese in charity activities at SOS Children's Village Thanh Hoa*

Young overseas Vietnamese - tourism ambassadors

The young generation is the future, the stature of the overseas Vietnamese community, while tourism is a peaceful, tranquil environment that helps you feel the soul of your homeland. Therefore, when summarizing the Vietnam Summer Camp 2023, Mr. Dinh Hoang Linh - Director of the Department of Cultural Information, State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese - commented: "No one is a better tourism ambassador than young overseas Vietnamese".

The Vietnam Summer Camp 2023 has come to an end, but it has opened up many ideas for each young overseas Vietnamese to contribute to promoting their homeland. Throughout the journey, young people also learned about the concept of "safe tourism" in Vietnam after COVID-19, and at the same time understood that through tourism they can contribute to the country's economic development.

"I want to return to Vietnam and take photos of famous landscapes to introduce the beauty of my country," said Hung Thinh, a young overseas Vietnamese with a passion for photography. He revealed that he has long cherished the idea of creating an Instagram account to post photos of Vietnamese landscapes that he took himself.

In addition, with programming experience, creating a website to share these photos is also part of Hung Thinh's plan to become a Vietnamese tourism ambassador .

"I hope that contributing to promoting Vietnamese tourism can help our country a little," Thinh told Tuoi Tre.

Artist Vu Hao wants to bring the sound of the monochord everywhere to tell the story of Vietnam to international friends: "I want to perform the monochord on the streets of Australia and in many activities of the Vietnamese community so that both overseas Vietnamese and foreign friends can learn about the traditional music and culture of Vietnam" - Vu Hao said.

Hao also hopes that there will be more meaningful programs such as visiting Vietnamese heroic mothers and orphanages so that overseas Vietnamese can truly feel the love for their homeland.

When asked if she wanted to return to contribute more to the country, Ha Ngoc Khanh Linh (Nga) immediately replied that she wanted to have the opportunity to live and contribute to building Da Nang because it is a livable city, with many delicious dishes and friendly people.

As a second-year student majoring in foreign economics, Khanh Linh is spending a lot of time researching economics and tourism to find ideas to introduce Vietnamese tourism to the Vietnamese community in Russia.

Quán quân Nguyễn Vũ Hảo của cuộc thi Tài năng trẻ tiếng Việt — *Champion Nguyen Vu Hao of the Young Vietnamese Talent Contest*

Bridge between Vietnam and the world

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Vietnam Summer Camp 2023 in early August in Da Nang, Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese - believed that from the sweet journey to connect with their roots, young overseas Vietnamese will become ambassadors, a bridge between Vietnam and the world, continuing to send messages about a peaceful, friendly Vietnam that is increasingly developing and always welcoming overseas Vietnamese with open arms. "I believe that you have witnessed the changes and development of your homeland, learned about the historical traditions of the nation, and experienced the culture, cuisine, and music of many regions of the country. Our country is so beautiful, isn't it? Your support for disabled children, orphans, and poor students who overcome difficulties also demonstrates the spirit of mutual love and affection, imbued with Vietnamese humanity. Even though you live far away and may not have many opportunities to return to your homeland in the future, I believe that you will still carry with you such precious traditional values of the Vietnamese people," Ms. Thu Hang emotionally shared.