The 2013 Vietnam Summer Camp for young overseas Vietnamese, which has the theme of “10 years – The call of the homeland”, started in northern mountainous province of Ha Giang on July 14.

Nearly 200 outstanding young overseas Vietnamese from 24 countries worldwide are attending the camp this year, which marks the 10th anniversary of the annual event.

Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Nguyen Thanh Son said that the event aims to help young overseas Vietnamese better understand the origin of their nation’s culture, therefore enhancing their attachment to the country.

In Ha Giang, participants will pay tribute to fallen soldiers at a cemetery in Vi Xuyen district, engage in an artistic exchange with the province’s youths, and visit the Thanh Thuy border gate and some border markers.

They will end activities in Ha Giang on July 15 by visiting the Lung Cu flagpole and the Dong Van Stone Plateau.

“I am so moved when setting foot in Ha Giang, the northernmost province of the country. Here, we have learnt more about our ancestors’ struggle to defend the national border”, said Vu Huyen Trang, 20, from Bulgaria.

The 2013 Vietnam Summer Camp will take the youths through nine provinces and cities across the country. It will end on July 30 in the southernmost province of Ca Mau.-VNA