BERLIN — The Thăng Long Group, a leading Vietnamese culinary enterprise in Germany, has been honoured at a ceremony recently held at the Đồng Xuân Cultural Centre in Berlin. 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany presented certificates of merit to several group members in recognition of their contributions to the Vietnamese community, marking the company’s 30th anniversary.

Since opening its first Thăng Long restaurant in Berlin’s Karlshorst district in 1994, the group has expanded to dozens of Vietnamese eateries across Germany and beyond, alongside ventures in hotel services in the European country. 

The group pioneered the opening of Vietnamese restaurants in major shopping malls, setting a trend for Vietnamese entrepreneurship across European cities such as Hamburg, Hanover, Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne, and later expanding to Romania, Bulgaria, Switzerland and Austria. 

The group has also supported the Vietnamese community in Germany and made significant contributions to the homeland. In 2015, it contributed 10,000 EUR (nearly US$11,700) to aid Vietnamese fishermen in safeguarding maritime sovereignty.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thăng Long Group provided thousands of free meals to frontline medical workers in Germany, valued at nearly 10,000 EUR, earning recognition from the German government and public.

The group also played a key role in restoring the Hồ Chí Minh memorial garden in Moritzburg, the only site in Germany, commemorating the Vietnamese leader’s 1957 visit. With an investment of 60,000 EUR, the restored site was inaugurated on the occasion of President Hồ Chí Minh’s 128th birthday.

At the awards ceremony on August 31, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyễn Đắc Thành praised the group and its chairman, Võ Văn Long, for their contributions to the Vietnamese community in Germany, support for people in Việt Nam, and collaboration with local authorities and the embassy.

Nguyễn Văn Hiền, President and CEO of the Berlin Đồng Xuân Trade Centre, highlighted the group’s role in promoting Vietnamese culture and cuisine in Europe, helping foster tourism, trade and investment links.

Currently, it employs nearly 500 people, mostly Vietnamese, providing them with stable livelihoods and making a contribution to the local economy.

Long was also elected President of the Vietnamese Business Association in Germany (tenure II), Vice President of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in Europe, and Vice President of the Federation of Vietnamese People's Associations in Germany. — VNA/VNS