The General Secretary's wife and diplomats wrap banh chung for Tet

Ms. Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of General Secretary To Lam, and many female ambassadors and diplomats had an interesting time experiencing the traditional Vietnamese Tet flavor by wrapping Chung cakes and learning about the art and culture of Tet.

On the morning of January 16, in the pre-spring weather, preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year of At Ty 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the cultural diplomacy program "Vietnamese Tet Concert". This is one of the cultural programs that the people of the capital look forward to every time Tet comes and Spring returns. This year's program was attended by Ms. Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of General Secretary To Lam; female ambassadors, ambassadors' wives, heads of representative agencies in Vietnam and Vietnamese diplomats.

The scholar gave Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly the word "Virtue"

At the traditional craft booth, Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly introduced to guests the Luy Lau ceramic vase in Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh and the art of Dong Ho painting printing.

''Vietnamese Tet Concert'' is a program to connect and exchange with international friends towards a new year with peace , love, international solidarity and strong friendship between peoples around the world.

Lao Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh and Thai Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya dance the bamboo dance

Madam Ngo Phuong Ly and the female ambassadors and diplomats experienced the traditional Tet flavor like family members in a big family, gathering, going on spring outings, enjoying folk songs, visiting traditional craft village stalls. The ambassadors also visited the Tet flower market, asked for calligraphy from Ong Do, experienced pottery making, hand embroidery, played folk games... In particular, Madam Ngo Phuong Ly and the ambassadors experienced wrapping and boiling banh chung - the traditional Tet cake of the Vietnamese people. Madam Ngo Phuong Ly wrapped banh chung skillfully, from cutting leaves, arranging leaves in molds, tying strings. The steps such as pouring a layer of sticky rice to a layer of green beans, placing pieces of pork... were all skillfully done by the Madam, to the admiration of foreign diplomats.

Madam Ngo Phuong Ly instructs Egyptian Ambassador Amal Abdel Kader Elmorsi Salama how to cut and arrange leaves into banh chung molds.

In just a few minutes, Madam Ngo Phuong Ly finished wrapping a square banh chung to the surprise of the diplomats.

The lady also enthusiastically guided the diplomats through the stages of preparing the finished product, wrapping the cake, boiling the cake, scooping the cake... The lady shared with the ambassadors that every time Tet comes, from children to grandparents and parents in the family are very excited to wrap and boil banh chung. Every family often prepares the wrapping ingredients to gather in the yard, wipe the leaves, clean the beans, wash the rice, marinate the meat to wrap the cake. But perhaps the most enjoyable stage is the stage of cooking the cake and waiting for the cake to be cooked, the cold, frosty weather outside cannot overwhelm the warm atmosphere around the red fire. For many generations, banh chung is the joy of Tet reunion. The beautiful, thick, square cakes are reserved for display on the altar to worship ancestors, while the small cakes are wrapped separately for children as a New Year gift... The lady said that in today's modern society, although banh chung is no longer enjoyed every Tet, the custom of wrapping banh chung on Tet is still an indispensable part of many Vietnamese families.

Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly introduced the process of boiling banh chung, which lasts for many hours and is often done overnight, by the flickering fire of a wood stove in cold weather.

After the cake is cooked, take it out and immediately put it in cold water to wash. Then let the cake drain, use a heavy object to press down on the cake to make it firm, and preserve it longer.

The finished banh chung has a delicious flavor, rich filling, fragrant and delicious.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu expressed his respect for the General Secretary's wife as the guest of honor of the program with the participation of many female ambassadors and diplomats. The Deputy Minister hoped that through the experiences and cultural exchange activities, international friends would increasingly love the country and people of Vietnam, seeing Vietnam as close and warm as their second home. On behalf of the diplomatic corps, Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam Amal Abdel Kader Elmorsi Salama shared that Lunar New Year is the biggest and most meaningful festival of the year for Vietnamese people. This is an occasion for families and friends to gather, show respect to the elderly, and mark the beginning of Spring, bringing joy and happiness throughout Vietnam, encouraging the spirit of peace, cooperation and friendship among people. The Ambassador also talked about her experience during Tet, enjoying special dishes such as banh chung and colorful festivals across the country. Colorful flowers and budding trees also contribute to beautifying this land. Tet is also an occasion for Vietnamese people to show respect for the culture and traditions of the nation. The Ambassador highly appreciated the socio -economic achievements that Vietnam has achieved in recent years, with high growth rates and increasingly improved living standards. The Ambassador wished Vietnam continued prosperity and success in its socio-economic development plans in the future...