International students love Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year).

Lunar New Year is not only a significant occasion for Vietnamese people but also appealing to international friends, especially foreign students.

Báo Hải Phòng•15/02/2026

International students are excited to experience the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Commitment

Instead of returning home to visit family, many students choose to stay during the Lunar New Year to immerse themselves in the joyful atmosphere and celebrate the traditional Vietnamese New Year.

"Nhat" is the Vietnamese name given to Xonethammavong Soudthideth, a student from the Lao People's Democratic Republic, by his teachers while studying at Hai Phong University. Having lived and studied in Hai Phong for five years, Soudthideth has developed a special affection for the port city. In his opinion, Hai Phong is not only dynamic and modern but also retains its unique traditions.

"The people here are very friendly, open, and helpful to foreigners, especially international students like me. Moreover, Hai Phong also has unique dishes such as crab noodle soup and spicy baguette sandwiches… Living and studying here is a blessing, and I always consider this place my second home," Soudthideth shared.

As for Chidpasak Soninuer, also a student from the Lao People's Democratic Republic studying at Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, he still vividly remembers the feeling of gathering and reuniting with the family of Mr. Lam Manh Duc - a soldier of Uncle Ho's army who spent years fighting in Laos - during the Lunar New Year.

Celebrating Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) with Uncle Duc's family, Soninuer had many new and interesting experiences. Soninuer shared: “At Uncle Duc's house, I didn't feel strange or unfamiliar at all; instead, I felt very close. Everyone treated me like family and showed me such kindness. Thanks to my fairly fluent Vietnamese, Uncle Duc guided me in wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), I got to enjoy typical Tet dishes, received lucky money from him, and got meaningful wishes from Uncle Duc and his family.”

Impression

Vietnam Maritime University presents Tet gifts to international students.

Soudthideth shared that the Vietnamese New Year is completely different from the Lao New Year. The Lao New Year is also called the Water Festival. The Lao New Year is usually celebrated in April each year, on the 13th, 14th, and 15th.

When Soudthideth decided to stay in Vietnam for the Lunar New Year, he initially felt a little homesick and missed the atmosphere of family reunions back home. Thanks to the care and love of his teachers and Vietnamese friends, especially the warm New Year's meals that his teachers invited him to, he felt less lonely and was able to experience a very unique aspect of Vietnamese culture.

Currently, several universities in the city, such as Hai Phong University, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Vietnam Maritime University, have many international students studying there. Specifically, Vietnam Maritime University has 21 students and trainees from Angola, Morocco, Myanmar, Laos, South Korea, and Nigeria.

Since most countries only celebrate the Gregorian New Year, many students choose to stay in Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

According to David Tapji Duguryil, a Nigerian student studying at the Vietnam Maritime University, the most impressive thing about the Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) is the sense of family. No matter where they are or what they do, everyone always returns home to reunite after a year of studying and working. They exchange smiles and good wishes for a prosperous and successful year.

HOANG XUAN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/sinh-vien-quoc-te-yeu-tet-viet-535763.html