The 43rd Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP 2016) arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday with a 329-member delegation ready to spend four days of their 40-day trip exploring the city.

The ship, which carries 329 young people from Southeast Asian countries and Japan, is scheduled to stay in Ho Chi Minh City from November 11 to 14, with a number of exchange activities planned, including a three-day homestay program.

Ten Southeast Asian countries, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, each have 29-member delegations, while Japan has 39 representatives on SSEAYP 2016.  The ship will visit each of the participating countries over the course of its 40 day cruise that began in late October.

The Ho Chi Minh City Chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union held a welcome ceremony for the SSEAYP 2016 at 2:00 pm Friday, followed by a dinning and exchange party later the same day.

The delegates, their leaders, and the SSEAYP captain are also scheduled to pay a courtesy call to Ho Chi Minh City leaders at the municipal hall on Sunday.

During their four-day stay in the southern Vietnamese metropolis, the 329 delegates will divide into eight groups and visit eight different venues, including universities and organizations, for discussion sessions.

The topics to be discussed range from young business and cross-cultural exchange to natural disaster prevention and Japan-ASEAN cooperation.

The headquarters of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper is also among the eight venues to be visited, with delegations expected to discuss information and communication after touring the daily’s newsroom.

The highlight of the program’s itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City is the homestay session from November 12 to 14, with delegates receiving a first-hand glimpse into the local culture and lifestyle of their host families in 14 districts.

The homestay program has remained one of the most memorable experiences of SSEAYP over the last several years.

Ho Chi Minh City will bid goodbye to the SSEAYP 2016 in the afternoon on November 14 when the ship leaves for Thailand to begin its four-day stop in Bangkok.

Established in 1974, SSEAYP is a cooperative program jointly run by the Japanese government and Southeast Asian countries to foster friendship and a greater understanding among the youth from the participating nations.

Vietnam first joined the program in 1995.

Ho Chi Minh City has welcomed the ship 15 times since 1996.

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