Learning to make Chung cake, decorate five-fruit trays or make traditional dishes were interesting experiences for international students/ interns and foreign graduate students studying and living in The University of Danang (UD) this Lunar New Year.

To confidently participate in the "International Student Exchange Festival to welcome the Lunar New Year 2024" organized by The University of Danang – University of Science and Education (UD-UED), Phetmeuangneua Thao (an international student from Laos) asked his friends to show him how to wrap Chung cake and cook some simple typical dishes that often appear on Vietnamese family meals during Lunar New Year holiday such as stir-fried meat with fruits and vegetables, bitter melon soup stuffed with meat, etc.

Internaional students from Laos performed at the

International Students Festival and Exchange Program

to welcome the Lunar New Year 2024

Although it was not the first time celebrating Lunar New Year in Da Nang, Thao said he was still eagerly looking forward to Lunar New Year holiday like many Vietnamese students and considered this as an opportunity to understand more deeply the culture and traditions of Vietnamese people.

According to Thao, if Laos' Bunpimay New Year involves splashing water to pray for good luck, then traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year involves going to the pagoda to pick fortune and pray for peace for the whole year. Besides, Vietnamese Lunar New Year has many other diversified traditions and customs such as: year-end offerings, New Year's Eve offerings, lucky money, and attaching importance to going to the pagoda on the first morning of the Lunar New Year.

International students from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam

learned and experienced wrapping Chung cake for Lunar New Year holiday

This year, making Chung cake or buying some flower pots to decorate the room helps Thao integrate more into Vietnamese Lunar New Year. This Laotian female student shared that the most difficult thing is the technique of wrapping and cooking the cake, because the hands must be very skillful so that every corner of the cake is square and the cake has a beautiful green color and the filling of the cake is not dry or mushy. However, thanks to prior guidance from friends, Thao was quite confident when participating in wrapping cakes at the International Student Exchange Festival to welcome the Lunar New Year 2024.

Chinese students with calligraphy art

Celebrating traditional Lunar New Year in Da Nang, in addition to the New Year's Eve celebration on the beach, she and her group of friends prepared Ao Dai to wear to go to the pagoda on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Thao shared: "Last Vietnamese Lunar New Year, we invited each other to go to Linh Ung Pagoda (Son Tra district) to burn incense. When I arrived, I saw many Vietnamese women wearing beautiful Ao Dai, I felt sorry because my outfit at that time was quite simple and promised myself that this year I would experience wearing Ao Dai to celebrate Lunar New Year."

Learn about culinary culture of traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year

The international students exchange festival to welcome the Lunar New Year 2024 attracted more than 50 international students from China, Laos and Cambodia studying at UD-UED to experience the activities of wrapping Chung cake, decorating five-fruit trays as well as participating in folk games.

In addition, the quiz program with prizes also shared knowledge about Vietnamese customs of celebrating Lunar New Year such as the custom of presenting a five-fruit tray , worshiping the Kitchen guardians, year-end offering, New Year's Eve...

International students and Vietnamese students were excited about

folk games at Exchange festival to welcome the Lunar New Year 2024

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Vo Van Minh – Rector of UD-UED said that Lunar New Year is always the cultural beauty of Vietnamese people, therefore, spreading the good values to international students is necessary and become a cultural bridge between countries. However, the activities during the festival can only outline a small part, the international students should experience and discover by themselves for the rest, which is even more useful and interesting.

The university's close attention and affection along with practical and meaningful New Year gifts

help students celebrate Lunar New Year and feel like home

Thinking that traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year has many cultural activities worth looking forward to, Kim Tae Kyu, a graduate student in Development Economics, The University of Danang – University of Economics (UD-DUE), expressed that he felt lucky to be able to join into the atmosphere of Vietnamese people celebrating Lunar New Year.

“This is the first time I have celebrated Lunar New Year in Vietnam, everything is new and exciting. With 10 days off, I am planning to go on a spring vacation with friends and participating in games and festivals organized by the city. My friends said that Chung cake served with kimchi is very delicious, so I'm looking forward to enjoying them on the first day of the Lunar New Year," Kim Tae Kyu shared.

UD is a destination that attracts international students and interns from 20 countries and territories

UD is currently a destination attracting more than 700 international students and interns from 20 countries and territories around the world such as Japan, Korea, Laos, China, Myanmar, Malaysia, the United States, Russia, UK, France, Australia, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Nigeria, etc. come to study and research.

According to MA. Ho Long Ngoc – Vice Director of the Department of Science and International Cooperation of UD, along with promoting cooperation policies, attracting international students to study in Da Nang, member universities of UD regularly pay attention to the material and spiritual lives of international students.

Attracting more and more international students to study and research

is the focus of UD to integrate and internationalize higher education

During the traditional Lunar New Year holiday this year, member universities of UD organized meeting activities, thereby creating conditions for international students and interns to study, experience academic, language  and cultural exchange programs. “We hope that international students will have the opportunity to celebrate a happy Lunar New Year, rich in Vietnamese identity and create  many unforgettable memories during their time living and studying in Da Nang” said a representative of Department of Science and International Cooperation of UD.

According to Da Nang Today