The City of Canterbury Bankstown is celebrating 50 years of Vietnamese culture in Australia with a three-month long celebration.
The Let’s Go Vietnamese program will be held this March, April and May and will feature events, photo exhibitions, movie screenings, craft workshops and more.
A surge in Vietnamese immigration to Australia after the Vietnam War was the first test for Multiculturalism, and by the 1970s more than 80,000 Vietnamese people migrated, many as refugees.
Mayor, Khal Asfour, said more than 25,000 Vietnamese people now call Canterbury-Bankstown home.
“The Vietnamese community is a huge part of CBCity’s diverse culture,” Mayor Asfour said.
“This celebration is a fantastic way of sharing that culture and its traditions with the wider community.”
A highlight will be the Vietnamese Cultural Concert at the Bryan Brown Theatre and Function Centre on Sunday 27 March.
Concert MC, Tuan Anh, migrated to Australia as a refugee 30 years ago, and is excited to bring Vietnamese music and dance to Canterbury-Bankstown.
“The concert celebrates the Vietnamese countryside and folklore through dance and songs, as well as Vietnamese martial arts, a lion dancing performance and much more,” Mr Anh said.
“It reminds me of my childhood and memories. Vietnamese music is not often played in Australia and we must do our best to pass it on to our children and future generations.
“I want to share our Vietnamese culture with everyone, and I look forward to showing what it means to be Vietnamese with the community.”
The Vietnamese Cultural Concert will be held on Sunday 27 March, from 5-7.30pm. Tickets are free, but you must book seats by calling 9707 9713.
See the full program for Let’s Go Vietnamese at cb.city/Vietnamese