Vietnam Insider

When a Korean tourist’s elderly mother with memory loss went missing in the island city of Phu Quoc, panic quickly spread through the family. But thanks to the quick thinking and compassion of a local fruit shop owner, the story had a heartwarming ending.

On the evening of November 2, Hoàng Phương — who runs a small fruit shop on Tran Hung Dao Street — noticed a distressed Korean man rushing toward him. Unable to communicate directly due to the language barrier, the man used a translation app to explain that his mother had wandered off near Long Beach Mart and hadn’t returned.

Understanding the urgency, Phương immediately checked his shop’s security cameras. After scanning footage for about 20 minutes, he spotted an elderly woman with a walking stick passing by his store — the missing tourist’s mother.

Without hesitation, Phương jumped on his motorbike, taking the Korean tourist along as they searched the nearby streets. Familiar with the island’s layout, he navigated through several main roads, asking street vendors and shopkeepers for clues.

Two hours later, the pair found the elderly woman, exhausted but safe, walking alone about five kilometers away. The Korean man was overwhelmed with relief — nearly in tears — as he reunited with his mother.

Back at Phương’s shop, the man tried to give him 500 USD (around 13 million VND) as a token of gratitude, but the shop owner politely declined.

“Helping someone in trouble is just the right thing to do,” Phương said. “I wanted him to know that Vietnamese people are friendly and always willing to help visitors.”

The story quickly spread across Vietnamese social media, praised as a touching example of Vietnamese hospitality and kindness — values that continue to define the country’s tourism culture.

Phu Quoc has seen a surge in South Korean visitors in 2025, with more than 725,000 arrivals in the first half of the year, up nearly 40% year-on-year. Many travel with family, drawn by the island’s beaches, resorts, and relaxed pace of life — and now, stories like this one.

Over the past week, the phrase “Pho Anh Hai” and the mysterious address “No.10 Dan Phuong” have exploded across Vietnamese social media. Young people in Hanoi are typing the address into Google Maps, calling food delivery apps, and even driving to the outskirts of the city — all to find a pho restaurant that isn’t real.

The frenzy was sparked by a new Vietnamese indie game titled “Brother Hai’s Pho Restaurant” (Tiệm phở của anh Hai), created by a small group of young local developers. Despite zero official marketing, the game has gone viral thanks to user-shared clips and memes on TikTok and Facebook.

Set in a rural village in Dan Phuong District, just outside Hanoi, the game lets players step into the role of Anh Hai, a humble noodle shop owner serving steaming bowls of pho to quirky customers. But as players soon discover, beneath the game’s cozy surface lies an unexpectedly surreal and mysterious storyline.

Part of the game’s charm comes from its remarkable realism. Every detail — from the pale green walls and plastic stools to the chili jars, metal spoons, and familiar “no parking” posters — captures the aesthetic of a quintessential Vietnamese street eatery. Even the walls feature flyers advertising “concrete drilling” services and anti-drug slogans, details that instantly resonate with anyone who’s walked through Vietnam’s neighborhoods.

The gameplay starts simply: serve pho, earn money, and keep customers happy. But strange events soon unfold — odd customer behavior, eerie background sounds, and plot twists that hint at something much deeper than a cooking simulation.

Beyond its virtual world, Brother Hai’s Pho Restaurant has spilled over into real life. Countless users have searched for the supposed “Pho Anh Hai – No.10 Dan Phuong” on delivery apps and maps, hoping to visit the location themselves. Some have even shared photos of real pho shops in Dan Phuong, confusing many into believing the place actually exists.

A recent report from a Vietnamese ride-hailing platform showed a surge in searches for both “Pho Anh Hai” and “Dan Phuong No.10,” not just for rides but also in food delivery requests.

Analysts say the phenomenon highlights how authentic local culture — even in its simplest forms, like a pho stall or an old street sign — can inspire powerful creative movements.

“It doesn’t rely on flashy graphics or complex gameplay,” one player commented. “It’s just so Vietnamese — nostalgic, a little weird, and full of heart.”

Vietnam’s traffic police have launched a nationwide inspection targeting illegal vehicle use by students, uncovering more than 19,000 violations in just two hours on Monday morning.

At 8 a.m. on November 4, Major General Đỗ Thanh Bình, head of the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, ordered a synchronized inspection across schools nationwide to curb underage driving and improve traffic safety near campuses.

According to official reports, officers in 30 out of 34 provinces and cities (excluding several areas affected by flooding and storms) inspected 2,219 parking lots both inside and around schools. The operation revealed 19,406 students operating motorbikes without meeting legal requirements, including many who lacked driving licenses or proper safety gear.

Of these, 6,474 vehicles were parked inside school grounds, while 12,932 were found in nearby parking areas. Police also found nearly 9,800 cases where students wore substandard or uncertified helmets.

Authorities have since summoned over 24,000 parents to local police stations to notify them of the violations and to sign written pledges not to allow their children to drive illegally.

In Hanoi, 44 inspection teams comprising 131 traffic officers and local police conducted surprise checks at middle and high schools. Some students were seen trying to hide or move their motorbikes upon learning of the inspections. However, undercover officers recorded their actions and later tracked the vehicles to issue formal citations.

In one instance, a 14-year-old student admitted taking his father’s motorbike to school, promising not to repeat the offense. Another 13-year-old confessed to buying his own unregistered motorbike to get around — with his parents’ knowledge.

Authorities say these inspections will continue nationwide as part of a broader campaign to improve youth road safety and hold parents accountable for violations involving minors.

Police in Da Nang have recaptured a Chinese suspect who escaped from a hospital while receiving medical treatment — even though one of his legs was still shackled.

The man, identified as Li Shang Ze, 31, had been in temporary detention for his alleged involvement in a case of unlawful imprisonment. Early on November 2, while under police escort at Da Nang Hospital, Li managed to flee around 4:30 a.m., heading toward the Hải Phòng–Ông Ích Khiêm intersection.

Local authorities immediately launched an intensive manhunt, deploying police forces across nearby wards and reviewing security camera footage. Notices were also circulated through neighborhood Zalo groups to alert residents.

After several hours on the run, Li was tracked down and arrested in the Ngũ Hành Sơn District — about five kilometers from where he escaped.

Photos shared by local media showed the suspect still wearing one side of his leg shackle at the time of capture.

Police are now investigating how Li managed to escape custody and whether any security lapses occurred during his hospital stay.