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Phan Thanh Dung walks his bicycle in the Central Highlands’ Da Lat Town on a leg of his cross-country expedition |
An adventurous farmer recently completed a trans-Vietnam journey by bicycle to see the country and teach his children a lesson in willpower.
With flowing white hair and a skinny frame, few would have expected that 57-year-old Pham Thanh Dung from the south-central Binh Dinh Province had just managed to complete a trans-Vietnam tour alone on his rickety bicycle. But Dung, who had set out on the journey to see with own eyes sights around the country and teach his children the value of determination, proudly shares that he not only gained the greatest experiential learning lesson from the trip but also was able to promote messages about traffic safety and environmental protection to the general public.
“I wanted my tour to stand for something more meaningful than personal gains,” said the resident of Tay Son District’s Phu Hung Commune.
Deeply affected by news about the number of annual traffic accidents and deaths and increasing pollution from industrial firms, Dung decided to hang banners on his bicycle with words like “traffic safety” and “protect the environment” throughout the course of his 200-day journey.
When he first set out in May with just a few sets of clothing, a canvas and VND600,000 (US$35.47) from savings and borrowed money, Dung’s wife called him crazy but gave him her blessing nonetheless as she knew he could not be persuaded from changing his mind.
Dung said he usually pedaled around 100 kilometers a day but managed to handle it because “I’m a busy farmer who used to practice martial arts, so my legs are sturdy.” He also never asked for lifts from other motorists whenever he was exhausted because “then the trip would no longer be meaningful.”
Crisscrossing the country from the capital of Hanoi to romantic Da Lat Town in the Central Highlands and the southernmost point in Ca Mau Province, Dung found the open road to be refreshingly liberating while urban centers were chaotically cluttered places that gave him much stress.
Along the way, he was supported by many generous locals who gave him free meals, clothes and even complimentary hotel stays. However, at other times, Dung had to sustain on just rice cakes and wild vegetables and would sleep on any available grounds he could find at nightfall.
The saddest memory the traveling farmer had was being called a robber when he was found sleeping outside a house in Ho Chi Minh City’s Hoc Mon District, while the happiest occasion was when he was treated to a sumptuous meal by a businessman in Hanoi.
Dung said he had contemplated making the trip for 30 years, and when it finally came to fruition, he wanted to impart the lesson to his children about being committed and having the willpower to accomplish anything they set out to do.
After all, if an old country bumpkin like him can conquer the terrain to see the best Vietnam has to offer, then other youngsters in the countryside should not be afraid to take risks and open their minds to learn about the rapidly changing world.
As for Dung’s next challenge, he is already planning to make another cross-country excursion on his trusty bicycle early next year – after he first changes the tires that have been worn out from this trip.
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