Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) New Taipei and Vietnam's representative office held a special event in Taiwan's most populous city Sunday to celebrate the Vietnamese New Year.

Speaking at the city's fifth annual celebration of Tet, New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) thanked migrant workers and immigrants from Vietnam for their contributions to Taiwan's economy and society.

The mayor noted that his city of nearly 4 million people is home to 22,887 Vietnamese workers and 16,502 Vietnamese who have settled down there.

The total migrant worker population of the city is 77,000.

Chu extended a special thanks to Vietnamese workers, most of whom are employed as domestic helpers and laborers, as well as spouses of Taiwanese nationals in appreciation of their contributions.

Cultural activities at the event included making banh chung, a square-shaped take on glutinous rice dumplings in bamboo leaves, known in Taiwan and China as zongzi (粽子).

The Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 19, is considered the most significant festival of the year in many Asian societies, including China and Vietnam.

(By Justin Su and Kuo Chung-han)
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