Chinese guests were moved to receive lucky money from Vietnamese soldiers

Sun Hongbo, a Chinese businessman, came to Hanoi to work on February 18 (the 2nd day of Tet). When looking for directions through the app, he went to the wrong address so he sought assistance from a soldier at a nearby guard post.

“The soldier was very nice and enthusiastically guided me to the point I needed,” Sun said. After helping, the soldier also gave him a lucky money envelope for the New Year.

Having never received gifts from strangers, Sun considered this a memorable memory in Vietnam. He shared his story with foreign groups to spread a positive message. Under the post, Hung Anh account commented: “Vietnamese people are always so hospitable.” Another person said that these small gestures are an effective way to promote tourism.

Sun has not opened the envelope and has no intention of spending the money. He decided to bring the gift back to China as a souvenir and tell his relatives about his experience in Vietnam.

According to Sun, Chinese people still keep the custom of giving lucky money but rarely give it to strangers. In the North, lucky money for relatives is usually from 500-1,000 yuan (about 1.8-3.6 million VND). Meanwhile, in areas bordering Vietnam, people often exchange 5-30 yuan (18,000-110,000 VND) to wish each other good luck at the beginning of the year. In addition, hanging red parallel sentences for good luck is also very popular in China, something that male tourists find rarely appears in Hanoi.

On his first trip abroad in February 2024, Sun chose Hanoi as his stopover and considered this the “best journey of his life”. He has experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed by the dense density of motorbikes or surprised to see street vendors over 60 years old communicating in English fluently. For male tourists, the openness of the people is proof of a dynamic economy.

In Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, Sun continued to be impressed with the enthusiastic support from local people, from giving directions to offering drinks.

“This warmth is different from the way of life in China, where people are quite closed. If you smile at strangers on the street, they will evaluate you and wonder if something is wrong with you,” Mr. Sun said.