U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius and Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen have recently shared their thoughts on as well as plans for Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year), as the holiday is drawing near.

The American ambassador told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters that Vietnamese people nowadays still keep the traditional Tet values as they were 20 years ago, when he first came to Vietnam.

The values, according to him, are spending time with family and showing respect for old people.

What has changed, he added, is that Vietnam is getting more and more prosperous as well as integrating better with the world.

And thanks to the Internet, the ambassador said, people now can share their Tet experiences with everyone in the world.

United States Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius carries a branch of peach blossom flowers as he visits Quang An flower market in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Ambassador Osius also engaged in some Vietnamese traditions, including the ritual of releasing red carp to see off Ong Tao (the Kitchen Gods) to heaven on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, and visiting a flower market in Hanoi.

Besides, he spent five days on an expedition to Son Doong, the world’s largest cave in the central province of Quang Binh, before returning to the capital on the first day of the first lunar month.

The ambassador has plans to visit his best friend, former U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Rena Bitter, who is now an ambassador in Laos.

Meanwhile, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen and her daughter have decided to stay in Hanoi during Tet to experience the holiday.

Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The Danish ambassador also recalled her experiences last year when they also stayed in the capital city for Tet, saying they saw a different Hanoi which was more quiet and peaceful than normal.

Their Tet journey last year was visiting some of their friends and cycling to the Old Quarter to enjoy the quietness of the city when most shops down the alleys were closed.

For this year, the ambassador and her daughter have already prepared some ingredients to make some Danish dishes as they would be hard to find during Tet, when most of the stores would be closed.

During Tet this year, they are willing to have a walk around to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and invite some friends to their house.

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