The National Committee for Overseas Vietnamese forecasts that more than 500,000 overseas Vietnamese or Viet Kieu will return to Vietnam to welcome the lunar New Year (Tet), the highest number so far.

Viet Kieu singer Ai Van at the conference for Viet Kieu in November 2009 (photo: VNExpress).

The committee’s vice chairman Tran Duc Mau said that there are two reasons for Viet Kieu to come back home at record number: the recovery of the global economy in 2009 and 2010 will be a year of great events in Vietnam.

To welcome Viet Kieu, a programme named Xuan Que Huong will be held on the 23^rd day of the first lunar month 2010. Last year this programme took place at the Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi, attracting 500 Viet Kieu and President Nguyen Minh Triet.

In late November, the largest conference for Viet Kieu was organized in Hanoi, with the presence of more than 900 Viet Kieu.

Over 4 million Vietnamese are living abroad. Last year they sent back home around $8 billion.

PV