A Vietnamese taxi driver wins praise for helping Chinese tourists catch their flight at Noi Bai Airport

At 2:10 p.m. on October 3, with less than three hours remaining before their flight to Da Nang, Liu and his girlfriend had just left Hanoi’s Old Quarter to head to Noi Bai International Airport. The Chinese couple planned to take a bus from a stop on Hang Tre Street, which would have cost them a total of VND 90,000.

Liu arrived at Noi Bai International Airport on time thanks to the help of a local driver. Photo: Justice/Xiaohongshu.

Once they got into the car, the Chinese tourist realized that “this was actually a private ride just for the two of us.” He told the driver that as long as they could get to the airport on time, money was not an issue and he was willing to pay extra. However, the driver still charged the initially agreed fare of VND 160,000.

Along the way, the driver proactively looked for shortcuts and drove at a brisk pace to save time. When they crossed Nhat Tan Bridge, the car encountered a traffic jam. The driver repeatedly turned around to reassure the two passengers with simple English phrases: “Busy, busy, 10 minutes.”

Liu understood that given the traffic conditions, continuing to wait for a bus could take even longer. After getting through the congested section, the driver began speeding up again.

Nhat Tan Bridge in the direction from Noi Bai Airport to downtown Hanoi. Photo: Viet Huy.

At around 3:50 p.m., the couple arrived at Noi Bai Airport. Moved by the driver’s efforts, Liu called him a “hero” and handed him VND 200,000, including VND 40,000 as a tip. The driver, however, accepted only the agreed fare before shaking hands and saying goodbye to his Chinese passenger.

“I didn’t have time to take a photo. I only remember that the driver was in a black car, wearing a shirt and having a dark complexion. Because the trip was so rushed, we paid in cash, and I didn’t remember many other details about him,” the tourist said regretfully.

After the journey, Liu posted the story on social media, initially simply wanting to save the experience so he could look back on it later. The post subsequently attracted attention from the online community.

For him, what stood out most was the driver’s way of handling the situation and his down-to-earth personality.

“Thank you, Vietnam”

Liu currently lives in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. This was his first trip to Vietnam with his girlfriend.

On October 2, they entered Vietnam by land on a direct coach from Nanning, Guangxi Province, to Hanoi.

The following day, the couple flew to Da Nang. They planned to return to Hanoi on October 6 before leaving Vietnam by coach in the early hours of October 7.

Sunrise in Da Nang, photographed from the rooftop of the hotel. Photo: Justice/Xiaohongshu.

The trip did not go entirely smoothly, but the unexpected situations gave Liu more interesting experiences with local people.

Before the incident in which they nearly missed their flight, he had encountered another difficulty when trying to book a ride-hailing taxi in Hanoi. He could not make an electronic payment and had no cash. The driver agreed to let the hotel pay the fare first, after which Liu reimbursed the hotel.

In Da Nang, the couple once again received help when they wanted to visit a restaurant that required reservations but they did not have a Vietnamese phone number. Two women they met in a cable car helped contact the restaurant and used their personal phone number to make a reservation for the couple.

My Khe Beach and Ba Na Hills. Photo: Justice/Xiaohongshu.

Through these encounters with helpful locals, Liu developed an even more positive impression of Vietnam. He found the traffic, particularly in Hanoi, quite busy but still orderly. In his view, pedestrians need to remain calm and confident when crossing the street.

“I’m happy with the new experiences I’ve had in Vietnam. My girlfriend said that in just a few days here, she had encountered more foreigners than she had in total before,” he said with a laugh.

During their time in Vietnam, pho became Liu’s go-to choice whenever he was unsure what to eat. It is one of his favorite dishes and was also one of the reasons he wanted to visit Vietnam.

In Da Nang, the couple spent time visiting Ba Na Hills, taking photos and trying the roller coaster. Liu particularly enjoyed the ride and wondered when similar attractions might be introduced in China.

“The trip has brought us many emotions. We would like to thank the Vietnamese people who helped us throughout our journey,” Liu said.

The couple hope to return to Vietnam in the future. While his girlfriend wants to visit Phu Quoc, Liu wants to explore Ho Chi Minh City.

In the first nine months of the year, Vietnam welcomed more than 17.7 million international visitors, with China being the largest source market at 3.9 million arrivals.

Vietnam’s large population base, geographical proximity, convenient air connections and diverse travel demand make the Chinese market suitable for a wide range of tourism products in Vietnam, from beach and resort tourism to urban travel, shopping, food and entertainment.

Among the destinations most frequently chosen by Chinese tourists are Nha Trang, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province.

Source: kenh14.vn