Mr. Truong Van Son - an overseas Vietnamese in the US - has been back in Bac Lieu for more than 10 days to celebrate Tet. Originally from Ward 5, Bac Lieu City, he left Vietnam to work in the US for more than 30 years.
He has been back to Vietnam many times, but this time is very meaningful to him. Mr. Son believes that Vietnam's economy and society are developing very quickly. Besides, security and order are quite good, and life is very comfortable.
“I will complete the procedures to return to Vietnam to live, because I have just decided to retire in the US. There is no place like home, no place as beautiful as Bac Lieu. For me, after traveling all over the country, returning home when I retire is the happiest thing,” Mr. Son confided.
Although overseas Vietnamese live far from their homeland, they always turn to their roots, the place where they were born and raised, the place where they are sweet star fruit, with the spirit of patriotism, love for their homeland, preserving cultural traditions, turning to their roots. Every year, more and more overseas Vietnamese return to visit their families and homeland, participate in economic development investment, business, cooperation in many different fields, especially humanitarian charity work, with many benefactors contributing to social security programs, supporting and caring for the poor every year with billions of dong... to contribute to building the homeland of Vietnam in general, and building the homeland of Bac Lieu in particular to become more and more prosperous.
Each person has their own thoughts and circumstances, but the common point is that they all miss Tet in their homeland and agree that there is no place like celebrating Tet in Vietnam.
Mr. Phan Thanh Binh - settled in a European country - because his unit worked there. For many years, he has just returned to Vietnam to celebrate the traditional New Year. This year, he and his wife returned to Bac Lieu to celebrate the New Year.
Mr. Binh said that Westerners do not celebrate Tet like us. We have many beautiful and meaningful festivals, customs and practices. Every year when we cannot return to Vietnam, his family still prepares a meal to worship our ancestors at the end of the year; still makes banh tet and banh chung… mainly to remind our children and grandchildren of their homeland, Vietnam.
Mr. Binh believes that although Bac Lieu does not develop as loudly as other provinces, this is what gives Bac Lieu its unique features of simplicity, quietness, gentleness, and cuteness... truly the final stop in the journey of many people to make a living.
