Once again the Vietnamese Society in Oxford (VOX) played host to an outstanding and memorable “Tet in Oxford – Home and Horizon” at the Randolph Hotel, Oxford on Saturday 18 January 2025.
Over 350 guests, families and dignitaries took part in a day full of activities to celebrate and honor the traditions of Tet, when the Vietnamese people gather to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year. The day was packed with festive fun, laughters, inspiring conversations, friendship, goods food and full of community spirits, love and warmth.
The event kicked start with two thought-provoking panel discussions on Vietnam’s sustainable growth and net zero in 2050 and Vietnam’s opportunities and potentials for the returning Vietnamese talents.
Following the lead of the Venerable Thich Nhuan Tu and HE Ambassador Đỗ Minh Hùng, the participants took part in an auspicious New Year’s Buddhist Praying Ceremony, taking a precious moment to pay respect to their ancestors and homeland and to pray for a peaceful and prosperous new year ahead.
The Randolph Hotel’s ballroom was then transformed into a play ground packed with Lion dances and Vietnamese Tet’s traditional games – from “Bầu Cua Tôm Cá”, “Ném Vòng”, “Nhảy Bao Bố”, “Cờ Tướng”, “Nhảy Sạp” to “Xin Chữ Đầu Xuân”, bringing out the competitive edge of the participants! Guests were also served delicious Vietnamese traditional food, including Banh Chưng, Nem Rán, Xôi Gấc, Giò Lụa, thịt quay, fragrant Phở and Bánh Mì.
It was a day to remember and to talk about for many years to come. Meticulous planning, leadership, vision and sheer dedication by the volunteers at VOX made this event a great success, bringing together the Vietnamese community and friends of Vietnam in the UK and creating lasting memories for those who attended.
Credits to Ms Ha Thu Nga and Mr Ngo Chi Dung of the Vietnam Vaccine Corporation and Tam Anh Hospital’s group for their personal commitments in supporting the Vietnamese students of VOX. This was the fourth year in a row in which VNVC and Tam Anh Hospital’s group stepped forward as the main sponsor to support the efforts of VOX in promoting and preserving Vietnam’s culture and traditions in the UK, making this Tet in Oxford’s event possible in its current scale.
From the Vietnam-UK Network: Mark Kent, Bao Ha Pham, Vu Quach, Rachel Hill, Phan The Thang.
