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Similar to their fellow Hong Kong residents, Vietnamese individuals in this Special Administrative Region often visit pagodas during traditional festivals to worship Buddha. The Vu Lan Festival, which occurs on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month (August 18 this year), is a significant event for the Vietnamese community. Many have attended a pagoda named “Phap Xuat Duy Giac,” a Sino-Vietnamese term. According to Tran Thi Phuong, the pagoda’s manager, it was founded over 60 years ago by a Vietnamese nun. In the past, it was a bustling place of worship with many followers and visitors. However, after the nun’s passing in 1999, the number of visitors declined due to a lack of keepers. Tran Thi Phuong, who now cares for the pagoda, chants prayers daily, wishing for good health for her family and peace worldwide. Hoang My An, a Vietnamese expatriate in Hong Kong, shared that during the Vu Lan Festival, the community comes together to visit Buddhist pagodas. They pray for the well-being ...

The annual four-day summer festival, which kicked off on July 25, was a celebration of Vietnamese culture and community in Berlin. The event featured a diverse range of live performances, including music, art, comedy, dance, and culinary delights, showcasing the vibrant fusion of Vietnamese and German cultures. One of the highlights was a special film program presenting award-winning short films and exclusive pre-screenings of the new series, “Made in Germany,” directed by the talented Vietnamese-German director, Ngo Ngoc Duc. The festival also marked a significant milestone—the 20th anniversary of the shopping center’s founding. Nguyen Van Hien, the general director, reminisced about the challenges and triumphs of the center’s journey, now a thriving and unique presence in the multicultural landscape of Berlin. The Mayor of Lichtenberg, Martin Schaefer, acknowledged the district’s evolution, home to Dong Xuan and the largest Vietnamese community in Berlin, shaped by the immigrants ...