Hanoians cook traditional rice cakes for flood victims

By Tung Dinh October 21, 2020 | 11:08 pm PT

Hanoians have been gathering at a pagoda for several days to cook "banh chung" for people suffering from the historic floods in central Vietnam.

On the morning of October 21, hundreds of people come to Dinh Quan Pagoda in Hanoi’s Bac Tu Liem District to cook the traditional banh chung, a square-shaped pack of sticky rice with meat and bean fillings wrapped in green leaves and usually popular in Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year).

On the morning of October 21, hundreds of people came to the Dinh Quan Pagoda in Hanoi’s Bac Tu Liem District to make banh chung, a square-shaped pack of sticky rice with meat and bean fillings wrapped in green leaves usually made for Tet (the Lunar New Year).

Each of them is tasked with one step, from preparing ingredients, arranging leaves, wrapping and finalizing.

Each was given one task like preparing ingredients, arranging leaves, wrapping, or cooking.

They work around the clock to ensure their banh chung will reach their fellows in central Vietnam as soon as possible. For the last two weeks, central Vietnam has been struck by severe floods and landslides triggered by heavy, long-lasting rains. As of October 21, at least 111 people have lost their lives and 22 have gone missing amid heavy rain, floods and landslides. Over 200,000 people in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces have had to be evacuated.In the photo, a woman prepares ground green bean for the filling.

They work around the clock to ensure the banh chung would reach the affected areas at the earliest. For the last two weeks central Vietnam has been hit by severe floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains. As of October 21 at least 111 people had lost their lives and 22 were missing. Over 200,000 people in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces have been evacuated.
In the photo, women prepare ground green bean for the filling.

As of October 22, 7,000 banh chung have been made and sent to flood-hit victims in the central provinces of Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Ha Tinhh.In the photo, Thich Tinh Quan, head monk of Dinh Quan Pagoda, puts sticky rice onto leaves before wrapping a banh chung.We are touched when seeing monks in Hue prepare food for people in flooded areas because they cannot cook. So we cook these banh chung to share the burdens of our people, the head monk said, adding the food is tasty, clean, and keeps people feeling full longer.

As of October 22, some 7,000 banh chung had been made and sent to Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Ha Tinhh.
In this photo, Thich Tinh Quan, head monk of the Dinh Quan Pagoda, puts sticky rice into leaves for wrapping. "We were touched to see monks in Hue prepare food for people in flooded areas. So we cooked banh chung to share the burden of our people," she said, adding the food is tasty, clean and keeps people full for longer.

Many university students in Hanoi also joins their hands.

Many university students in Hanoi came to give a hand.

I read and watched the news about the flood in the central provinces and I feel sorry. When my faculty launched the campaign helping people in the central, I registered immediately, said Nguyen Huong Giang (R), student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Hanoi University of Technology.

"I read and saw the news about the flooding in the central provinces and felt sorry," Nguyen Huong Giang (R), a mechanical engineering student at the Hanoi University of Technology, said. "When my faculty launched a campaign to help, I volunteered immediately."

I make my time to join the works at this pagoda. Some people join in the morning, some in the afternoon, others stay up all night to watch over the stoves, Giang said before adding weight on cooked banh chung to make them tastier.

"I find time to join the work at the pagoda... Some people help in the morning, some in the afternoon, others stay up all night to watch the stoves," Giang said.

I come here at 5.30 a.m. and have worked since then. I am tired but feel happy because I know what I am doing is meaningful to people in the central, said Nguyen Duc Chung, sophomore at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Hanoi University of Technology.

Nguyen Duc Chung, a second year mechanical engineering student at the Hanoi University of Technology, said: "I came here at 5.30 a.m. and have worked since. I am tired but happy because I know what I am doing is meaningful."

Many people donate money at the pagoda, so monks can buy more food and ingredients to cook banh chung. Information about donators is written on the board.

Many people also donate money to the pagoda so that the monks can make more banh chung.

These banh chung will be brought to central Vietnam by a sponsored flight.

The banh chung is sent to central Vietnam by a sponsored flight.

I have managed 3-4 pot since the morning, said To Thanh Tuan (R) while putting wrapped banh chung into a pot and prepare for the cooking.

"I have managed 3-4 pots since the morning," To Thanh Tuan (R), said, loading the banh chung in a pot to prepare it for cooking.