About 500 Vietnamese people who studied in China several decades ago gathered on Saturday for a reunion and a celebration marking the upcoming China's National Day.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. China's National Day is to fall on October 1.

The reunion is held by the Vietnam-China Friendship Association. Chinese teachers from five Chinese universities which have received a lot of Vietnamese students over the past decades came to Hanoi to attend the occasion.

Doan Manh Giao, chairman of the association said at the ceremony that China started to receive Vietnamese students soon after its foundation, although China itself was very poor back then. China has tried to provide the best resources to Vietnamese students.

After these students returned to Vietnam, some became officials at important government posts, some became leading experts in certain fields and some became artists, said Giao. They have made great contribution to Vietnam's national development.

"We will never forget the valuable assistance provided by China and Chinese people," said Giao.

Chinese Ambassador Sun Guoxiang said at the ceremony that over the past five decades, more than 10,000 Vietnamese people have gone to China for study and research. They have become an importance force in pushing forward Vietnam's development and China-Vietnam friendship.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2009)