Moved by the whole Dien Bien lit up to welcome guests

Households in Dien Bien invite guests to stay at their homes for free on Facebook - Screenshot

Late at night on May 6, with 80km left to Dien Bien Phu City, Nguyen Kien Quyet (born in 2002, living in Hanoi ) went around everywhere but only received head shakes. People all said that currently all motels were full.

A soldier suddenly remembered a friend on Facebook and told Quyet: "That friend's family is providing free accommodation for tourists . Call them and ask."

Quyet said that that night many people were in the same situation as him and had to travel 100km just to find a place to stay. Tourists all wanted to have a place to stay for the night in order to attend the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory on the morning of May 7.

"I contacted Phuong Anh and arrived at the city center at 12:30 on May 7. I really didn't think there would be any rooms left, because I had asked more than 30 motels along the route to the city but couldn't find any. Luckily, her family welcomed me very enthusiastically.

Right after receiving the call, my uncle and aunt waited outside for more than an hour just because they were afraid we would go the wrong way, spread out pillowcases, discussed places to visit as well as good locations to attend the parade," Quyet recalled.

Not only that, Phuong Anh's parents also enthusiastically supported dozens of other people with accommodation without any profit. All for free.

"It's really a beautiful picture. Because of the hospitality and gentle beauty of this place, I will come back one day soon," he shared.

Mr. Ka drove to pick up passengers at 3am on May 7 - Screenshot

Meanwhile, Ha Thao (born in 1999, living in Hanoi) and a group of friends went on a trip to Dien Bien to see the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. Also on the night of May 7, all the motels were fully booked.

Her group found a post about homestays for tourists to stay for free. Among those 5-6 numbers, she contacted a number with a very nice ending. Immediately, Ms. Cao Thi Hang (born in 1991, a resident of Dien Bien City) called her husband, Mr. Truong Ka, to drive out to pick up her group.

Ms. Hang shared: "My house has a spa with four beds. Two beds for shampooing hair, two beds for eyebrow tattooing. I also used it as a place for guests to stay. In the morning, I was a bit worried and asked them if they had any inconvenience. They all happily said: 'I slept very well. I have never slept so well'.

The next day, this group of friends found a motel so they moved out. However, in the evening, they still invited the couple to go out for a drink. My husband and I bought some smoked pork for them as souvenirs, and we bought some good ones. Everyone said, 'Wow, we get to stay overnight and get some meat for free'. So much fun!

Guests sleep on the leather bed and still say it's delicious - Screenshot

Ms. Hang confided that although she did not have much money, she was not in a difficult situation. "Before that, I saw a woman post that there were many groups coming but there were no motels. I felt so sorry for her because there were many people there. There were old people, young people, children, what would they do if it rained or winded.

I thought it would be difficult if I went somewhere without a place to stay. So I told my husband that we should stay here to welcome guests," she continued.

Her husband, Mr. Ka, drove the car and waited until dawn to pick up guests. If the group was too big, he would introduce them to another place. He would ask everyone he met: "Hey, do you need a place to sleep? I'll invite you to my house to sleep for free." At around 3 a.m., Mr. Ho called his wife and said: "I have guests." So Ms. Hang stayed home to clean up the spa to welcome guests.

Ha Thao said: "That day, we knew the rooms were full but we were still determined to go. At 2am, everyone thought they must have gone to sleep at the stadium. We didn't expect that even though we called so late, they still called back and even came to pick us up.

The next morning, they invited us to breakfast, gave us headbands, and invited us to watch the parade.

They also gave out free water and yogurt to everyone. It felt like we had known each other for a long time. I was deeply impressed by the enthusiasm and kindness of the people of Dien Bien. So proud, so grateful."

Ha Thao's group of friends invited Hang and her husband to have a meal to show gratitude for Dien Bien's kindness - Photo: NVCC

Ms. Hang (in yellow shirt) also invited young people to give out free yogurt to tourists in her family - Photo: NVCC

Living 80km away from home, still supporting guests to go home… my parents live there

Tuoi Tre Online contacted Phuong Anh (born in 2000, the owner of the house where Kien Quyet lived). Phuong Anh said she was working 80km away from home, right at the gateway to Dien Bien. However, that night, the policewoman of Tuan Giao district (Dien Bien province) still kept the lights on and diligently contacted her parents (living in the city center) via Zalo to support the guests.

"On the evening of May 6, Dien Bien no longer had any motels. My family still had two spare bedrooms with enough blankets, pillows, and fans. Normally, the house was for living. This time, my parents cleared out all of the family's belongings to make room for guests. In total, my family welcomed 17 guests. If anyone didn't know the way, my family would support them," she said with a smile.

Phuong Anh recalls that at that time, it was past 10pm, a customer called to say that his friend was on the pass more than an hour away from her house. So her parents stayed home to wait for the customer until late at night.

"That day, the whole of Dien Bien was lit up to welcome guests. Social media groups were very active. My phone and other households' phones were also buzzing with messages. Near my house, there was a big road, many people were out there looking for guests to take home.

Everyone was worried that the guests would not have a place to rest, so they offered to use that method. We all wanted the tourists to be less tired after the long trip because the road to Dien Bien was very far. People had traveled hundreds of kilometers to get here, so the people loved them very much. Everyone wanted to show the most hospitality possible," she said.

The family of Ms. Nguyen Trang Hoa (born in 1989, Dien Bien) believes that inviting guests to stay at their home for free comes from the kindness of the people of Dien Bien.

"Dien Bien's economy and tourism may not be developed yet, but its hospitality is immense. My family also helped the group find a motel during the 60th anniversary, so we have a little experience. As long as the guests are happy, we are happy too.

Everyone appreciates the kindness of everyone who came to Dien Bien. We thank tourists from all over the country for coming to Dien Bien, we are grateful and look forward to seeing you again," she said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xuc-dong-vi-ca-dien-bien-sang-den-don-khach-20240509121814826.htm