Introduction
The Non-profit Foundation for Hungarian-Vietnamese Relations was established in 2009 in order to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries, which has been lasting since the 1950s. It aims to connect and bring closer the different cultures and traditions of Hungary and Vietnam and to involve many people in creating a cooperative future between the two countries.
Currently, 4-5 thousand people of Vietnamese origin lives in Hungary, many of whom are members of the second and third generation Vietnamese-Hungarian society, which means they were born in Hungary and are familiar with the Vietnamese culture and traditions only through their parents and grandparents. For them, it is highly essential to have the opportunity to learn about their cultural heritage, which they can pass on later to their children and grandchildren.
By supporting events, programs, and activities our Foundation can help with the social integration of long-term residents and permanently resettled people of Vietnamese origin, and at the same time, we can also help to preserve their traditional cultural values. Of course, this activity is not one-sided. People supported by us also include Hungarian nationals moved to Vietnam, whom we can make the integration to an Asian culture easier.
At the events organized by our Foundation, we supported people and visitors have the opportunity to meet each other and to exchange experience. Several events have been highly successful over the past years. Examples are the Vietnamese Day, held in Budapest in 2010 and the Vietnamese Evening held in Simontornya (Tolna County) in 2013. In addition, thanks to our initiative, a Hungarian-Vietnamese Friendship Monument was established in Paks (Tolna County) in 2010 on the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian-Vietnamese diplomatic relation. Furthermore, thanks to our support, cooperation agreements were signed by the Hungarian National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers and the Vietnamese Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Association as well as by the Hungarian National Savings Association and the Vietnamese Central Credit Fund, which further strengthened the two countries' relations. Besides, the Foundation also has many activities to help strengthen the cooperation in the field of environment and training between Vietnam and Hungary with many exchange workshops in the field of environmental safety has been implemented. In 2014, with the connection of the Foundation, Hungary awarded the Integrated Beta-Gamma Spectrum System sponsored by Gamma (Hungary) to Hanoi University of Science and Technology to serve the training activities. In 2015, Hungary awarded an air environment monitoring station (TVS3) to the General Department of Environment for air quality monitoring activities in the installation areas. In 2017, the chairman of the Foundation joined the Hungarian business delegation accompanying Prime Minister Orban Viktor to pay an official visit to Vietnam from the day at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to deepen the good traditional relationship between the two countries. Also, the Foundation is also a bridge for many cultural exchange activities to help promote the tradition of Vietnam to the world such as ASEAN Family Day 2016, the Vietnam - Hungary Music Summer Camp was held in 2018 for the first time in Simontornya. It will continue to become an annual activity to help Vietnamese music preschools get to know old Hungarian classical music, to practice with professional music teachers of this country.
Thanks to the main funding from this Foundation, Dai Bi pagoda was completed in Simontornya, Tolna province in September 2018. This is the first Vietnamese temple officially licensed and operated by the Hungarian government. The pagoda will be accessible for free for everyone and will focus on presenting the religion and culture. Hopefully, within a short period, it will become an international tourist attraction.
The Foundation for Hungarian-Vietnamese relations is grateful and welcomes all the donations and support of those who value the preservation of traditional and cultural features of Hungary and Vietnam as well as to contribute to the development of the two countries' relations. All donations and support from donors and sponsors will be solemnly recorded and kept by the Foundation.