International Cultural Festival - A vibrant and colorful celebration.

The festival kicked off in the mid-morning with a Photovoice exhibition showcasing the Vietnamese experiences of international students. Through their self-taken photos, amateur photographers expressed the diverse facets of life in Hanoi and famous landmarks such as Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Trang An (Ninh Binh), and Mui Ne (Phan Thiet). Interestingly, they explained the content and meaning of their photos in Vietnamese – the language they have been taught by their teachers at VSL.

While everyone was focused on viewing the exhibition, international and Vietnamese students busied themselves decorating the Faculty's main gate, the booths, and making final preparations for the fun activities that would take place in the afternoon. By around two o'clock in the afternoon, under the gentle golden sunlight of a late winter afternoon, the entire Faculty campus was immersed in a festive atmosphere. In the 11 food stalls – set up on the outer edge of the playground – the stoves were already burning. This year, there were 4 stalls for Vietnamese students and 7 for international students. Besides the "independent" stalls of students from China, Japan, Korea, Bulgaria, Cuba, and Russia, there were also mixed stalls, such as the joint stall of students from Laos, Mongolia, Germany, France, and Hungary… Outside in the courtyard, groups of Vietnamese and international students were gathered playing traditional Vietnamese games. Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the audience, groups of Vietnamese and international students took turns participating in competitive games such as tug-of-war and sack racing. The games were extended with the familiar bamboo pole dance – a performance that transcends age, nationality, and social status, thus attracting the enthusiastic participation of many teachers and students.

The latter half of the afternoon was dedicated to culinary activities. By this time, the stalls run by Vietnamese and international students had finished their cooking and began selling traditional dishes. Except for the chefs and vendors, everyone attending the festival was eager to visit the stalls to sample the flavors of each country's cuisine. While the Vietnamese students' stalls attracted attention with dishes like spring rolls, rice rolls, steamed rice cakes, vermicelli soup with crab, and duck noodle soup, the international students' stalls were equally appealing: mixed hot pot, dumplings, hot green tea, strawberry tea (China), crepes (France), seaweed rice balls (Korea), beer and Lao spring rolls, steamed cassava, and grilled bananas (Cuba)... The organizers even went to each stall to sample the food and judge the culinary offerings – further enlivening the atmosphere. With very affordable prices, friendly service, and especially due to curiosity, all the stalls sold very well. The culinary program concluded in the late afternoon.

As night fell, gentle, enchanting breezes swept through. The delicate scent of milk flowers filled the air, promising a magical and captivating evening. At the invitation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thien Nam – Head of the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, representatives from universities both domestically and internationally, along with alumni of the Department, joined the celebration. Representing the University of Social Sciences and Humanities were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan – Vice Rector, and Dr. Pham Minh Cuong – Deputy Head of the Student Affairs Department. The event also featured the presence of Prof. Inagaki Tsutomu, Prof. Ohashi Kenichi (Rikkyo University – Japan), Prof. Tuong Vi Van – Director of the Center for Vietnamese Studies – National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan), Prof. Dr. Dinh Van Duc – President of the Alumni Association of VNU – former Head of the Vietnamese Language Department, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh – Head of the Linguistics Department – ​​former lecturer in the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language. Among the alumni returning to visit the Faculty, three embassy representatives stood out: Mr. Valeriu - Ambassador of Romania to Vietnam - a former student from the 1972-1976 cohort; Mr. Saadi Salama - Ambassador of Palestine to Vietnam - a former student from the 1980-1984 cohort; and Mr. Andrew Holt - First Secretary of the British Embassy in Vietnam - a former student from the 2013 cohort. Of course, we cannot fail to mention Mr. Justin Jorden - a consultant at the Melbourne Court (Australia) - a former student from the 1986-1987 cohort. After the Vice Dean, Dao Van Hung, announced the awards for the international food stalls, the Dean, Nguyen Thien Nam, delivered the opening speech for the festival. In his brief speech, besides wishing everyone a successful Christmas and New Year, he did not forget to mention the statement of the Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi at the opening ceremony of the 5th International Conference on Vietnamese Studies held on December 15-16: "Vietnam National University, Hanoi is proud to have the largest Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language in the country." "Large" refers to the Faculty's 60-year history and current training scale. Vice-Rector Hoang Anh Tuan, on behalf of the university, congratulated the Faculty on its celebration and presented gifts to representatives of international students. The atmosphere of the evening became more subdued when the Ambassadors took to the stage to share their thoughts on returning to their alma mater. For Ambassador Saadi Salama, “returning to the Department of Vietnamese Language, now the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, after more than 36 years to attend the 2017 International Cultural Night at the invitation of the Head of Department, Associate Professor Nguyen Thien Nam, is like returning to my homeland. It was here that I learned my first Vietnamese words and experienced my first sleep in Vietnam on October 14, 1980.” And for Mr. Jay Jordens, “Decades have passed, but I haven't forgotten the dedication of the teachers in the department. Many times I've returned to Vietnam for work, and each time I visit the department, it feels like 'returning to my own pond to bathe'.”

However, the atmosphere of the evening was immediately reignited with impressive cultural performances by both distinguished guests and hosts. While Mr. Andrew Holt impressed the audience with his Vietnamese song "Tình cờ" (By Chance), Vietnamese and international students showcased their boundless creativity and skillful cultural integration through a series of performances that were both traditional and modern, imbued with the Vietnamese spirit: the Xẩm folk song "Vui nhất có chợ Đồng Xuân" (The Happiest Place is Dong Xuan Market), the dance "Sắc hoa" (Flower Colors), the dance "Bống bống bang bang," and the duet "Trường Sơn Đông - Trường Sơn Tây" (Truong Son East - Truong Son West)... Amidst the vibrant cultural performances, the Faculty's Youth Union launched the Cultural Ambassadors Club - a platform aimed at fostering connection and progress between international and Vietnamese students studying at the Faculty.

Even after the gathering ended, neither hosts nor guests were willing to part ways. There were warm hugs, firm handshakes, heartfelt emotions, and many sparks of hope. It can be said that the International Cultural Festival and New Year Celebration 2017, organized by the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, was a true festival, both diverse and vibrant – a promising sign of a sustainable future awaiting the Faculty.

Dang Hoang Giang