Children are taught how to make traditional to he figurines at the charity cultural event. Photo VNA/VNS

LONDON — From Longfield Hall in southern London to the remote hamlets of the Bru-Vân Kiều ethnic minority people deep in the Trường Sơn mountain range in central Việt Nam lies a journey spanning half the globe.

Yet on the afternoon of November 1, that distance seemed to disappear as Vietnamese expatriates and international friends gathered for the second charity cultural event, themed Love for Central Việt Nam, organised by the Seeds of Love Foundation.

Last year, the foundation's charitable journey reached Khâu Vai in Mèo Vạc, a mountainous border area in northern Việt Nam. This year, its attention turned to Quảng Trị Province, home to Bru-Vân Kiều hamlets along the legendary Hồ Chí Minh Trail. Many local communities currently still lack clean water and proper roads, while annual floods often cut them off from the outside world.

Đào Kim Thư, the foundation's founder and initiator of the programme, told the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in London that its mission is not only to support disadvantaged women, children and communities in Việt Nam, but also to connect overseas Vietnamese, promote Vietnamese culture internationally and nurture younger generations' attachment to their roots.

That affection was reflected in a children's painting contest entitled Việt Nam Through My Eyes. Nine-year-old Bảo Vi, who grew up in the UK and visits Việt Nam with her parents every year, said she chose to paint the traditional áo dài (long dress) and conical hat because she loves wearing the national dress.

The event also attracted international friends. Ion Stott, whose wife is Vietnamese, came to learn about Vietnamese culture and interact with the community. Matt Ramsden, whose partner is also Vietnamese, expressed his warmth at seeing families unite to support ethnic minority communities in central Việt Nam, stressing that people should support one another in difficult times.

Traditional Đông Hồ paintings, handmade tò he figurines, conical hats and Vietnamese tea helped bring the country's cultural identity closer to participants.

Beyond fundraising, the event demonstrated the role of culture in strengthening national identity and connecting overseas Vietnamese with their homeland, in line with the Politburo's Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on Vietnamese cultural development and Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs.

As Việt Nam prepares to mark its first Vietnamese Culture Day on November 24, the gathering in London offered a simple yet meaningful reminder: wherever they live, Vietnamese people can keep their cultural roots alive and turn solidarity into practical support for communities back home. — VNA/VNS