A Vietnamese woman and her child stand in front of a large wooden temple. The child leans his small head back high enough to catch a glimpse of the four pillars under a sharp pyramid-shaped roof. He stares in silence – just for a moment – to gaze at the Temple of Literature, not realizing that it is just a model.
The actual Temple of Literature is in Hanoi, Vietnam. The model the boy sees sits among other models of Vietnamese landmarks in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium. Even though the boy has probably never been to Hanoi, where the ancient Temple of Literature stands, he now knows the image, and it will give him a stronger sense of his Vietnamese heritage.
The Tet Festival is the first part of the three-week celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. To the Vietnamese in San Diego, Tet calls for a great celebration of family and culture. The San Diego chapter of the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance threw its second annual Tet festival Feb. 9 through Feb. 11 at Qualcomm Stadium. The VAYA come together to get sponsors, plan entertainment and attract vendors that highlight the Vietnamese culture at Tet, which is as important as Christmas to the Vietnamese.
“”[People should] come out and see what it is like to have young people put on a big-scale event,”” Eleanor Roosevelt College senior Frank Vuong said.
Vuong is the vice-chair of the San Diego Tet organizing committee. He was proud to have increased youth participation in the Tet Festival this time around.
“”Last year, the Ancestral Homage Ceremony was done by adults,”” Vuong said. “”But this year, the youth did it all.””
Revelle College senior Thien Le was part of the Ancestral Homage Ceremony this year. The ceremony, according to Le, is an elaborate event – one that pays homage to the ancestors before any celebration.
“”The festival was great,”” Le said. “”It is very special.””
Le, a member of the UCSD Vietnamese Student Association, was just one of many students who participated in the activities. In fact, Thurgood Marshall College junior Valerie Pham was chosen from among 30 high school and college students to be Miss Vietnam of San Diego after a heated competition. The contestants had to speak Vietnamese, which was not easy for most of them. However, San Diego Publicity Coordinator Larry Tran said, it was an important part of the competition.
“”We encourage people to explore their language,”” Tran said.
Right in the center of the fairground, the Cultural Village drew attention and praise. The village had models of several Vietnamese landmarks, like the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 as a tribute to education, and the Heavenly Lady Pagoda. There were also small replicas of traditional Vietnamese houses and shops and villagers in traditional dress. The village, Tran said, helped the youth understand what Vietnam is like without having to go there.
On Feb. 9, Mayor Jerry Sanders and Councilwoman Donna Frye spoke at the opening ceremonies and dedicated the day to the Tet Festival. All around the fairgrounds, local businesses ranging from restaurants to real estate agents hosted tents with signs in Vietnamese and English.
Tran said it is inspiring to have such a successful festival run by people under 30, and the festival is really about youth empowerment. Tran hopes that all of San Diego will “”come and be inspired”” by Vietnamese culture and the youth’s accomplishments and skills in putting on such an event, with over 50,000 people in attendance.
“”There is a lot to learn,”” he said. “”We want to emphasize exploring culture.””
