Tet painting by Vietnamese-American child artist auctioned for nearly 50 million VND

On the evening of June 8 (local time), in a solemn and warm atmosphere at the Imperial City Event Center, Prague, the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe in collaboration with the Union of Vietnamese Women's Associations in Europe held the Award Ceremony of the contest "Vietnamese Tet in Me" - a meaningful cultural event to honor the efforts to preserve national identity in the overseas Vietnamese community.

A 12-year-old Vietnamese artist won first prize in the "Vietnamese Tet in My Heart" contest. His painting was auctioned to raise funds for Vietnamese cultural development activities in the Czech Republic.

The event was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to the Czech Republic Duong Hoai Nam; President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe - Mr. Hoang Dinh Thang; President of the Union of Vietnamese Women's Associations in Europe - Ms. Nguyen Viet Trieu; representatives of Vietnamese associations from many European countries; along with a large audience, artists, students and authors with award-winning works.

Mr. Hoang Dinh Thang, President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, spoke.

Launched from December 15, 2024 to February 28, 2025, the contest "Vietnamese Tet in Me" is one of the key activities of the project "Preserving, promoting and advertising Vietnamese culture in Europe", with the goal of strengthening the connection of the Vietnamese community - especially the young generation - with the roots of national culture.

The contest received 251 entries from Vietnamese people in 15 European countries, spanning many forms: photos, paintings, video clips, poems and prose. Each work is a piece of genuine emotion, capturing nostalgia, the desire for reunion and the bright memories of the traditional Tet holiday - the most prominent symbol of Vietnamese culture.

Mr. Hoang Dinh Thang, President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, emotionally shared: “The contest is a clear demonstration of the spirit of solidarity, national pride and love for the homeland of our overseas Vietnamese. This is not only an artistic activity, but also a journey to spread profound humanistic values, towards the roots and to motivate the younger generation to nurture Vietnamese identity.”

After more than two months of launching, the Organizing Committee has selected 10 collective prizes and 39 individual prizes (including 3 First Prizes, 9 Second Prizes, 12 Third Prizes and 15 Encouragement Prizes). In addition, 20 outstanding authors were also honored and commended. The total value of the prize is up to 13,500 euros (equivalent to nearly 400 million VND), including cash, trophies, medals and certificates.

The contest received 251 entries from Vietnamese people in 15 European countries.

A notable highlight of the program was the auction of the first prize winning painting by Ha Nguyen Thu Thuy, 12 years old, from the UK, with the theme “Dragon Boat Racing Festival in Early Spring”. The work was successfully sold for 1,600 euros (about 48 million VND), the entire amount of money being donated to the fund to support the next cultural activities within the framework of the project.

The title of “Best Contributing Country” went to the Czech Republic, which had the largest number of entries and made outstanding contributions to the organization of the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Duong Hoai Nam, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic, highly appreciated the initiative to organize the contest as well as the tireless efforts of overseas Vietnamese associations in Europe:

“Activities like this not only ignite the love for Vietnamese culture in the hearts of Vietnamese people living far away from home, but also act as a bridge to help international friends better understand the country and people of Vietnam. I believe that each entry and each cultural work is a gentle but persistent messenger, helping to preserve Vietnamese identity in the heart of multicultural Europe.”

The contest “Vietnamese Tet in me” is one of the key activities of the project “Preserving, promoting and promoting Vietnamese culture in Europe”.

From the perspective of an overseas Vietnamese woman, Ms. Nguyen Viet Trieu, President of the Union of Vietnamese Women in Europe, shared her emotion at the community's spirit of attachment to Tet in their homeland:

“From simple poems, childlike paintings, to emotional videos… I clearly see memories, tears and pride in them. Wherever we are, we Vietnamese always look towards our common home, and Tet is the sacred thread that connects us.”

“Vietnamese Tet in my heart” is not only an art competition but also a meaningful cultural forum, inspiring the young generation of Vietnamese born and raised in foreign lands to preserve traditions. That is also the consistent message that the Organizing Committee and the Vietnamese community in Europe want to convey.

Such efforts show that despite being thousands of kilometers away from their homeland, Vietnamese people in Europe still constantly seek their roots through each story, each drawing, each Tet holiday recreated in their memories.

The program ended in a warm atmosphere, imbued with Vietnamese identity - a late but meaningful Tet season, where love for the homeland overcomes all geographical distances to spread in the heart of Europe.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/buc-tranh-ve-tet-cua-hoa-si-nhi-goc-viet-duoc-dau-gia-gan-50-trieu-dong-5049740.html