[Reading level: B1 – Intermediate]
Khanh Hoa – Five days after departing from Nghe An, 76-year-old Tran Van Thanh had passed through 10 provinces, aiming to reach Ho Chi Minh City before April 30 in time to watch the military parade.
On the afternoon of April 22, Mr. Thanh stopped by his daughter’s house in Nha Trang City and took the opportunity to have his motorbike serviced. He continuously received phone calls from family members and even strangers from various provinces, offering support as he passed through.
Mr. Thanh set off in the morning of April 17. At first, he told his family that he would “take a coach to the South” but secretly prepared his belongings: pots, pans, clothes, blankets, a portable stove, and a national flag before heading off on a motorbike.
“If they knew I was going to travel over 1,300 km, my family would definitely stop me, so I had to lie,” he said.
Mr. Thanh had once fought on the B5 battlefield (area around Route 9 and northern Quang Tri) during the resistance war against the U.S. This trip was a way for him to revisit the lands he had once passed through—“a personal commemoration of 50 years of reunification”—and to pay tribute to his fallen comrades from the old battlefield.
To avoid the Central Region’s scorching heat, he usually set off at 6 a.m., took a break at noon, and resumed his journey at 2 p.m. In the evenings, he stayed overnight in local hotels and guesthouses. On average, he traveled 150–200 km per day.
The veteran said the roads were mostly “quite manageable,” except for the Ngang Pass (between Ha Tinh and Quang Binh) and the Hai Van Pass (between Hue and Da Nang), which “challenged” his 25-year-old motorbike. He once fell and suffered minor scratches in Phu Yen Province.
“There was one time I forgot to check, and the bike ran out of gas while crossing Hai Van Pass. I had to push it for a while, but thankfully, locals helped me in time, so it wasn’t too much trouble,” Mr. Thanh said.
Along the way, he visited many well-known historical landmarks in the provinces and asked passersby to take souvenir photos for him. He stopped by the former battlefield in Quang Tri Province to offer incense to his comrades and visited his foster mother.
Upon reaching Da Nang, Mr. Thanh’s journey began circulating on social media. That was when his family found out and grew concerned, urging him to stop and wait for someone to come pick him up.
“But I still feel healthy and want to continue the journey for the experience. Along the way, I’ve been visiting relatives and constantly updating my family, so my children and grandchildren are less worried,” he said.
Mr. Thanh was quite surprised to see how many people were interested in and following his journey. Throughout the trip, many invited him for meals and gave him gifts, but he chose to “share them with laborers along the road” because he didn’t feel he was struggling too much.
“Through this journey, I sincerely hope to inspire a spirit of patriotism in the younger generation—reminding them of the sacrifices of our forefathers who gave their lives to protect the country and bring about the peace we have today,” the veteran said.
Mr. Pham Quoc Huong, head of Block 2 in Quang Trung Ward, Vinh City, Nghe An, shared that at the beginning of March, during a Block 2 veterans’ meeting, Mr. Tran Van Thanh talked about his intention to ride his motorbike from Nghe An to Ho Chi Minh City to attend the parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of the South’s liberation and national reunification. At the time, everyone thought he was joking, as it seemed impossible for someone his age to make such a journey.
In recent days, Mr. Huong and other residents of Block 2 have been anxiously following Mr. Thanh’s journey.
Ms. Tran Thi Hong Yen, Mr. Thanh’s daughter who lives in Nha Trang, said that when she found out her father was riding a motorbike across Vietnam alone, she was extremely worried. The whole family never imagined he would make such a bold decision. Despite their concerns, she respected his choice and asked some friends to support him during his journey South.
“This April 30, my family will go to Ho Chi Minh City to watch the parade with my father, in celebration of the South’s liberation,” Ms. Yen said.
Mr. Thanh shared that after the trip to Ho Chi Minh City to watch the April 30 parade, he would ship his motorbike back to Vinh City and then return by train (or coach) so that “his children and grandchildren won’t worry.”
Source: https://vnexpress.net/cuu-binh-u80-di-xe-may-1-300-km-vao-tp-hcm-xem-dieu-binh-4877423.html
WORD BANK:
depart /dɪˈpɑːrt/ [B1] (v): khởi hành
military parade /ˈmɪl.ə.ter.i pəˈreɪd/ (n): lễ diễu binh
set off /set ɔːf/ [B1] (phr v): khởi hành
coach /koʊtʃ/ [A2] (n): xe khách
belongings /bɪˈlɑːŋ.ɪŋz/ [B1] (n): tư trang
portable stove /ˈpɔːr.t̬ə.bəl stoʊv/ (n): bếp cồn, bếp gas
head off /hed ɔːf/ (phr v): xuất phát
resistance war /rɪˈzɪs.təns wɔːr/ (n): cuộc kháng chiến
commemorate (sth) /kəˈmem.ə.reɪt/ [C1] (v): kỷ niệm
commemoration /kəˌmem.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ [C1] (n): sự kỷ niệm
reunification /ˌriː.juː.nə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/ [C1] (n): sự thống nhất
pay tribute to sb /peɪ ˈtrɪb.juːt tuː/ [C1] (phr): tri ân ai đó
fallen comrade /ˈfɑː.lən ˈkɑːm.reɪd/ (n): đồng đội đã ngã xuống
scorching heat /ˈskɔːr.tʃɪŋ hiːt/ (n): cái nóng thiêu đốt
guesthouse /ˈɡest.haʊs/ [B1] (n): nhà nghỉ
veteran /ˈvet̬.ɚ.ən/ [C1] (n): cựu chiến binh
pass /pæs/ [B2] (n): đèo
scratch /skrætʃ/ [B2] (n): vết xây xước
passersby /ˌpæs.ɚzˈbaɪ/ (n, plural): người đi đường
offer incense to (sb) /ˈɔː.fɚ ˈɪn.sens tuː/ (v): thắp hương ai đó
foster mother /ˈfɑː.stɚ ˈmʌð.ɚ/ (n): mẹ nuôi
circulate on social media /ˈsɝː.kjə.leɪt ɑːn ˈsoʊ.ʃəl ˈmiː.di.ə/ (v): lan truyền trên mạng xã hội
urge sb to do sth /ɝːdʒ/ [B2] (v): thúc giục ai làm gì
laborer /ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɚ/ [B2] (n): người lao động chân tay
struggling /ˈstrʌɡ.lɪŋ/ [B2] (adj): gặp khó khăn
sincerely /sɪnˈsɪr.li/ [B2] (adv): một cách chân thành
inspire /ɪnˈspaɪr/ [B2] (v): truyền cảm hứng
spirit of patriotism /ˈspɪr.ɪt əv ˈpeɪ.tri.ə.tɪ.zəm/ (n): tinh thần yêu nước
forefather /ˈfɔːrˌfɑː.ðɚ/ [C1] (n): cha ông
liberation /ˌlɪb.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ [C1] (n): sự giải phóng
a bold decision /ə boʊld dɪˈsɪʒ.ən/ [C1] (phr): một quyết định táo bạo
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