Viet Nam’s Tet festival in eyes of foreign diplomats

This year is the second year Mr. Thomas Gass serves as the Swiss Ambassador to Viet Nam. Sharing his feeling about Vietnamese people, he said, people have been very warm and very kind. What has impressed him most is the resourcefulness of the Vietnamese people.

"Vietnamese people always find a solution for a problem and the drive, the energy, the passion they have to find solutions. That is the strength that I think Viet Nam could do more", he noted.

The nation has a wonderfully diverse population, he said, adding that the strength of Viet Nam is the diversity of its hundred million people. That diversity is much more than just cultural diversity. It has to be a diversity of ideas, and a diversity of voices, the Ambassador shared.

"So my message to the Vietnamese audience is that the whole of Switzerland and its population stand behind me wish you a happy and inspiring Tet and a new year that is full of peace, full of prosperity, full of health and full of happiness for the Vietnamese people", he added.

Spouse of the Swiss Ambassador, Mrs. Nathalie Gass-Lussi shared her sense about her second Tet in Ha Noi: "It is a lot of buying. People in the street are very eager to buy things for their families. It is a bit like Christmas in our country and I enjoy seeing people preparing for their festivities, decorating their house, and doing things that they do and we do normally for Christmas. All these branches and nice things that are put around the cities, the trees, and the flowers, are wonderful".

Regarding the feeling about Tet activities in Viet Nam, Norwegian Ambassador to Viet Nam Hilde Solbakken, shared: "I really enjoy Tet, just feeling the excitement that is building up the weeks ahead of Tet. Everybody is rushing around and getting the kumquat trees or the peach blossoms. It is wonderful. I like the fact that it is family-oriented so everybody come together to visit parents and siblings. It is very lovely".

Sharing her upcoming trip on the occasion of the Tet holiday, the Ambassador said: "I think it is good to do Tet with my family. This year, we are going to travel and see a new part of Viet Nam where we haven't been before. This time we will visit Con Dao to relax and see a beautiful place but also learn about the history of that very special life".

Indonesian Ambassador to Viet Nam Denny Abdi said, this is the fourth time he is in Ha Noi to witness Tet with his own eyes.

"I remember that it is the biggest celebration in Viet Nam. Everybody just seems like exciting to wait for Tet. In this happy occasion, I like to say Chuc Mung Nam Moi and happy Tet New Year, the Year of the Dragon", he shared./.