Brigade 144 soldiers wrap nearly 2,000 banh chung for Tet

Soldiers from Brigade 144, General Staff, competed in a banh chung wrapping contest, with criteria including standard size, sharp corners, green and flat leaves.

Rice, beans, meat, and all ingredients were prepared on the same day, ensuring quality.

On 24/1, seven teams gathered at the General Staff stadium in Ba Dinh district for a banh chung, a traditional Vietnamese sticky rice cake, wrapping competition. This festive event, organized by Brigade 144, General Staff, aimed to create a joyous atmosphere ahead of the new year.

Brigade 144, the successor to Battalion 187, was founded in 1951 in Bai A, Cho Chu, Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province. Its historical role included safeguarding central government bodies, the Ministry of National Defense, and command centers for major military campaigns.

The banh chung were wrapped in pairs and decorated with Tet greetings before being placed on tables alongside a five-fruit tray.

Each team consisted of 10 soldiers, who had 60 minutes to wrap banh chung at five designated stations. The organizers supplied all necessary ingredients: glutinous rice, green beans, pork, dong leaves, and banh chung molds.

The five-fruit trays were beautifully arranged, with each team striving to create the most appealing display to win top prizes.

Female soldiers from various units also participated, embracing the theme "Wrapping Green Banh Chung - Deepening Solidarity".

Private Nguyen Tien Chung, a native of Hung Yen, shared that this was his first experience wrapping banh chung. "As it's my first year away from home, this activity helps ease my homesickness", Chung stated.

Today, over 600 officers and soldiers from seven teams, representing seven companies (five from Battalion 1, Company 18, and Company 20), wrapped nearly 2,000 banh chung for the Binh Ngo Tet.