Vietnamese in Macau (China) share national pride

On the afternoon of April 28, in the Macau Special Administrative Region (China), the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong and Macau, in coordination with the Association of Vietnamese in Macau, organized the cultural exchange program "Memories of May" to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the Liberation of the South, National Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1), the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7), the 134th anniversary of Uncle Ho's birthday (May 19) and the 2nd anniversary of the official establishment of the Association.

The performance "Medley of Southern Liberation" by the dance group of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Macau. Photo: Mac Luyen - VNA reporter in Hong Kong

The ceremony was attended by 3 members of the Macau Legislative Council, representatives of the Consul General of Portugal in Macau, the Vice Consul of Indonesia in Hong Kong, the President of the Minh Ai Charity Association, the President of the Vietnamese Association in Hong Kong and representatives of many influential organizations and individuals with important roles in Macau, as well as a large number of Vietnamese people living and working in this special administrative region.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh - Vietnamese Consul in Hong Kong and Macau said that the "Memories of May" meeting is not only an opportunity to review heroic traditions and honor historical values, but also a tribute to previous generations who sacrificed their blood and bones to protect the Fatherland.

Sharing the joy of the whole country, on behalf of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh praised the achievements of the Vietnamese Association in Macau in the two years since its official establishment. After merging small organizations under one roof, the Association has connected, united and developed for an increasingly unified and beautiful Vietnamese community in Macau, contributing to affirming the image of a country and people of Vietnam who love peace, are hard-working, and help each other to the authorities, people of the special zone and other working communities.

In addition to the above encouraging developments, Consul Nguyen Tuan Anh also hopes that the Association will further strengthen the propaganda and education work on awareness of compliance with local laws, not only within the Association but also spreading to all Vietnamese people in Macau. He also hopes that the Association will continue to work closely with the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong and Macau to persistently mobilize labor broker associations, trade unions, etc. in Macau, and recommend that the special administrative region government soon lift visa restrictions for Vietnamese tourists and workers as Hong Kong has done.

Consul Nguyen Tuan Anh hopes that the recent minor incidents will not slow down the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and China in general and the good multifaceted relationship between Vietnam and Macau in particular.

Mr. Duong Trung Duc - Chairman of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Macau spoke at the celebration. Photo: Mac Luyen - VNA reporter in Hong Kong

Mr. Duong Trung Duc, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Macau, shared that every year on this occasion, people far from home in Macau come together to review the tradition of generosity of the Vietnamese people. Mr. Duong Trung Duc added that with the new age, the Association will develop further, bringing more values to the Vietnamese community in Macau. The Association will also further strengthen propaganda work, updating local laws and policies so that people can better understand the policies of the special zone, which is a central task. He said that the Association will always accompany the Consulate General of Vietnam in Hong Kong and Macau, leading the Vietnamese community in Macau to unite and develop, building a strong and large-scale Vietnamese community, contributing to the locality and the homeland.

Lawyer Doan Quynh Linh – President of the Vietnamese Association in Hong Kong, shared that she was born before the country was unified. Still deeply imprinted in her memory is the image of the capital Hanoi filled with red flags with yellow stars and the jubilant atmosphere everywhere to celebrate the first election day after the country was unified.

According to lawyer Doan Quynh Linh, Vietnam has always appeared in the daily news of the international press for the past two decades, and the historic victory on April 30 once again attracted global attention. Lawyer Doan Quynh Linh shared that she and other Vietnamese people living far away from home all hope for sustainable development of the country so that all people across the S-shaped country can have a prosperous and happy life. The Vietnamese Association in Hong Kong hopes to accompany the Vietnamese Association in Macau in events and cooperate extensively towards common goals. That is to connect the community in the spirit of mutual love, together build a beautiful image for Vietnamese people in the host country, and contribute a small part to the development of the country.

On behalf of the Consul General, Consul Nguyen Tuan Anh awarded certificates of merit to individuals and groups of Vietnamese people living and working in Macau with many outstanding achievements and positive contributions to the homeland and the Association.

On the occasion of International Labor Day, Vice President of the Association, Ms. Tran Thi Gon, launched the Labor Month movement to the members of the Association.

Ms. Tran Thi May - Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnamese Association in Macau shared that every time the Association organizes a ceremony to celebrate these events, they get to review the glorious victories of the nation. Although living and working far from home, Vietnamese brothers and sisters in Macau are always aware of community solidarity with meaningful activities such as turning to the homeland to connect people far from home. She hopes that the Vietnamese community in Macau will increasingly develop, grow stronger and contribute more to the construction of the homeland and the country.

Delegates attending the ceremony took a souvenir photo. Photo: Mac Luyen - VNA reporter in Hong Kong

Joining in the atmosphere of celebrating Vietnam's major holidays, "non-professional" artists of the Association's provincial branches took advantage of weekends or evenings to diligently practice performances such as "Uncle is marching with us", "Southern Liberation Medley", "Songs for Uncle Ho", "The Country is Full of Joy", bringing the most outstanding performances to the "Memories of May" cultural exchange program.

In recent times, the Association has also regularly participated in activities promoting Vietnamese culture in Macau. Most recently, on March 24, 46 "non-professional" artists of the Association had an excellent performance at the International Parade in Macau. The Vietnamese "artists" with traditional Vietnamese costumes, conical hats and regional ethnic costumes, along with their graceful dance movements, not only received enthusiastic cheers, but also truly left a strong impression of Vietnamese culture in the hearts of local people and international visitors.

The Vietnamese Association in Macau was officially established on May 8, 2022. To date, the Association has more than 1,200 members. The Vietnamese community in Macau currently has more than 7,000 people, the second largest working community after the Philippines, making positive contributions to the prosperity and development of the special administrative region in particular and the country in general./.

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