(VOVworld) – Each year programs are organized to teach young overseas Vietnamese about the history, culture, and traditions of their country of origin. Charity tours and visits to historical sites make them feel proud of and more connected to Vietnam.

Vietnam Summer Camp 2016: the delegation of young overseas Vietnamese visit Son My relic site in Quang Ngai province. (Photo: VOV News Center)

The annual summer camp organized by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs is popular with young Vietnamese around the world.

This year’s program, called ‘Young Vietnamese expats meet national cultural heritages’, offers activities in northern and central localities.

110 youths from 26 countries and territories are attending the camp from July 10 – July 23.

The youngsters will visit sites recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritages in Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Thua Thien – Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Da Nang. They will also visit the Kim Lien relic complex and the villages of President Ho Chi Minh’s father and mother in Nghe An.

A workshop on the role of young Vietnamese expats with regard to Vietnam’s national cultural heritages will be held at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam to discuss culture preservation among overseas Vietnamese and the importance of seeking global recognition for Vietnam’s tangible and intangible heritages.

A similar program called ‘I Love Vietnam’ is being held in Ho Chi Minh City and in Da Lat City in Lam Dong province.

Overseas Vietnamese youths from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, the US, Russia, Czech Republic, and Ukraine, will join Vietnamese peers in exploring their homeland’s landscape, cultural features, and the daily life of the people.
Nguyen Tran Bao An who lives in the US says: “I’m a bit nervous about meeting peers I don’t kno. I want to make friends with them and explore the beauty of Da Lat City and other places.”

A writing contest is being held to encourage in overseas Vietnamese youths a greater sense of responsibility for protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty over its sea and islands.

The contest involves collecting and providing information about historical and legal documents confirming Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

These sightseeing tours, returns to their roots, and writing contests are designed to give overseas Vietnamese youngsters a better understanding of Vietnam and turn them into envoys from the the Vietnamese nation and people to the world.