Vietnam Insider

Recently, the entry “Nguyen Tiu Mai’s Vinh Tan Album,” submitted by China Southern Power Grid International (CSGI), stood out among nearly 2,000 entries from over 130 countries and regions worldwide and won the “Green Practices Award” at the Seventh Belt and Road Initiative Short Video Competition. Through its delicate cinematography and sincere emotional expression, the film tells a touching story of energy cooperation and green development between China and Vietnam, showcasing the active efforts of CSGI in promoting clean energy development and fostering cross-cultural integration.

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Based on the green environmental practices and social responsibility initiatives of the Vinh Tan 1 Power Company (VTPC1), “Nguyen Tiu Mai’s Vinh Tan Album” vividly narrates, from the perspective of “Nguyen Tiu Mai,” the child of an employee of the VTPC1, the multifaceted stories of how the VTPC1 has improved the local ecological environment, preserved marine biodiversity in the surrounding areas, provided employment opportunities for local Vietnamese communities, and promoted green and sustainable development. The film directly demonstrates the company’s commitment and actions in advancing the green development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

This film uses the sounds of marine animals such as Bryde’s whale to guide the audience’s imagination, depicts reality with innocent hand-drawings, softens hard topics, and thus achieves cross-age and cross-regional dissemination and penetration, ultimately forming a global expression that is both infectious and socially influential. In the picture, the magnificent power plant facilities are integrated with the Vietnamese marine scenery, and the green concept of Chinese technology and the respect and tolerance of local culture complement each other, conveying that CSGI’s service to the high quality Belt and Road development is moving from “hard connectivity” and “soft connectivity” to “heart connectivity”.

As a key energy cooperation project under the Belt and Road Initiative, the VTPC1 aims to build an “advanced, reliable, and green” demonstration power plant, establish a comprehensive environmental protection system, and achieve “zero” wastewater discharge. Corals grew continuously on the breakwater of the power plant’s coal terminal, creating a “whale leaping out of the sea” scene in the harbor. The project also won the “Vietnam National Green Environment Award 2023”. During the construction and operation of the project, international environmental protection standards are strictly implemented, energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies are promoted, and local energy structure optimization and low-carbon transformation are facilitated.
This award is not only a recognition of CSGI’s practical achievements in the field of green energy, but also a full affirmation of the company’s cross-cultural communication and social responsibility fulfillment, becoming a “heartwarming business card” for China-Vietnam energy cooperation and cultural integration.

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.