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

On the morning of January 16, in the pre-spring weather, preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the cultural diplomacy program "Vietnamese Tet Symphony".

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.

"Vietnamese Tet Concert" is a program to connect and exchange with international friends to look forward to 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.

Madame Ngo Phuong Ly and the female ambassadors and diplomats experienced the traditional Tet flavor like members of a big family, gathering together, going on spring outings, enjoying folk songs, and visiting traditional craft village stalls. The ambassadors also visited the Tet flower market, asked for calligraphy from Ong Do, experienced pottery making, hand embroidery, and played folk games...

In particular, Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly and the ambassadors experienced wrapping and boiling banh chung - the traditional Tet cake of the Vietnamese people.

Madame Ngo Phuong Ly skillfully wrapped banh chung, from cutting leaves, arranging them in molds, tying strings. The steps such as pouring a layer of sticky rice, then a layer of mung beans, placing pieces of pork... were all skillfully done by Madame, 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 a banh chung mold.

The lady also enthusiastically guided the diplomats through the steps of preparing the finished product, wrapping the cakes, boiling them, scooping them out...

The First Lady shared with the ambassadors that every time Tet comes, from children to grandparents and parents in the family are very eager to wrap and boil banh chung.

Every family usually prepares the ingredients to wrap the cakes and gathers in the front yard, wiping leaves, cleaning beans, washing rice, and marinating meat to wrap the cakes. But perhaps the most enjoyable part is cooking the cakes and waiting for them to be done. Outside, the cold, frosty air cannot overcome the warm atmosphere around the red fire.

For many generations, banh chung is the joy of Tet, a time of reunion and family gathering. The beautiful, thick, square cakes are reserved for display on the altar of ancestors, while the small cakes are wrapped separately for children as New Year gifts...

The lady said that in today's modern society, although banh chung is no longer enjoyed on Tet holiday, the custom of wrapping banh chung on Tet holiday 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.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu expressed his respect for the General Secretary's wife as the guest of honor at the program with the participation of many female ambassadors and diplomats.

The Deputy Minister hopes that through experiences and cultural exchange activities, international friends will increasingly love the country and people of Vietnam, and see 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 spoke about his experience during Tet, enjoying special dishes such as banh chung and colorful festivals across the country. Bright flowers and budding trees also contributed to beautifying the 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 made in recent years, with high growth rates and increasingly improved living standards. The Ambassador wished Vietnam continued prosperity and success in its future socio-economic development plans...