In 4 years, Vietnamese daughter-in-law took her Korean parents-in-law to more than 20 expensive resorts.

Met my husband at the "swearing noodle" shop

In 2016, Ms. Hoang Lien and her Korean husband - Mr. Jinho Chang accidentally met each other at the "swearing noodle" restaurant Ngo Si Lien (Hanoi). At that time, Mr. Jinho was working for a Korean company in Ha Long (Quang Ninh), and went to Hanoi for a vacation.

"The Korean guy suddenly asked me about tourist destinations in Hanoi. I also enthusiastically shared in English. He asked for my contact information. After that accidental meeting, we got to know each other, kept in touch, and then developed feelings for each other," Ms. Lien humorously said.

Later, Jinho confessed that at first sight he was impressed by the petite Vietnamese girl with a beautiful smile.

Vietnamese - Korean couple met by chance in Hanoi

In 2017, Jinho's parents flew to Hanoi twice to meet Lien and her family.

"At that time, my husband's parents were still working at a state agency. They went to Hanoi and my hometown in Ha Nam for only a few short days. I didn't have many opportunities to meet them, but they looked very kind," said Ms. Lien.

In 2018, when she held her wedding in Vietnam, Ms. Lien was "shocked" because nearly 50 people from her husband's family came to Vietnam, attending both the wedding in Hanoi and Ha Nam. Everyone was very happy despite the long distance.

"I was very touched because Jinho's relatives on both his father's and mother's sides are all very successful and busy, but they are emotional and sociable," said Lien.

After the wedding, the couple took their extended family to visit Ha Nam and Ninh Binh. The Korean guests were impressed with the large, beautifully-architected pagodas such as Bai Dinh and Tam Chuc, enjoyed rowing boats in Trang An, and especially loved the taste of Vietnamese food.

After getting married, Lien and her husband lived and worked in Vietnam. To strengthen their relationship with her husband's parents, Lien arranged to return to Korea 2-3 times a year.

"Every time I come back to visit, my parents and sister take me on trips, visit beautiful places in Korea, and eat local specialties even though they are very busy," said Ms. Lien.

In 2019, Jinho's parents came to Vietnam, hoping to explore the culture and history of Hanoi. For more than a week, Lien acted as a "tour guide" for her husband's parents, taking them to see the streets of the capital, historical sites and enjoy the cuisine.

Mr. and Mrs. Chang can communicate in basic English, so language is not too big of a barrier. The Vietnamese bride has a lot of time to talk to and take care of her parents-in-law.

"My parents especially love bun cha. They can eat it for several meals without getting bored. Every time they come to Hanoi, I look for delicious restaurants for them to experience, sometimes it's grilled bun cha on bamboo sticks, sometimes it's bun cha with meat, seafood spring rolls... My husband often says that I win my parents-in-law's hearts with bun cha," said Ms. Lien.

Vietnamese daughter-in-law is close to her husband's family

Take your in-laws to the resorts

During the 2019-2021 period, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Vietnamese-Korean family could only meet online. In 2020, Ms. Lien gave birth to her first son, and Mr. and Mrs. Chang were extremely worried but could not visit their grandchild.

For more than a year, the grandparents could only watch their grandson through the phone screen. "Even though they are far away, my parents always care about their children and grandchildren. They supported us financially to start a business and always encouraged and supported us," said Ms. Lien.

At the end of 2021, as soon as the flight route reopened, Mr. and Mrs. Chang flew to Hanoi to visit their children and grandchildren. "Seeing that they were feeling cramped in their apartment, I wanted to take advantage of this time to invite the whole family to travel and explore the country. In recent years, Vietnamese tourism has been popular with Koreans, so my grandparents are very excited," said Ms. Lien.

On the first trip after the pandemic, Ms. Lien invited her parents and brother-in-law to Ha Long, where Mr. Jinho had lived and worked for a long time when he first arrived in Vietnam. Mr. and Mrs. Chang were very curious to know what the place where their son used to live was like and to see Ha Long Bay with their own eyes.

"My parents are old, so I prioritize booking high-end resorts with beautiful scenery and full amenities. Here, there is space for the family to gather, chat, have fun together, and grandparents can experience high-end tourism services," said Ms. Lien.

Family tour of Ha Long Bay

Ms. Lien often prioritizes resorts with private villas, large gardens, and swimming pools for grandparents to play with their grandchildren.

Every year, Mr. and Mrs. Chang fly to Hanoi about 1-3 times, usually in the summer or for Christmas and New Year holidays. The family will go to several different resorts together.

In 4 years, the family has been to more than 20 luxury resorts across Vietnam such as InterContinental Danang, Banyan Tree Lang Co, Angsana Lang Co, Mia Resort Nha Trang, etc. The cost per night in these areas ranges from 10-30 million VND.

Vietnamese brides often invite their parents-in-law to travel to expensive resorts.

The family's most recent trip was a 10-day exploration of Mui Ne, Phan Thiet before Tet. They stayed at Azerai Ke Ga Bay and De' Tuva Resort Mui Ne.

"I usually spend 1-2 months planning a travel itinerary for the whole family. In addition to the time spent relaxing at the resort, I invite my parents, sister and brother-in-law to experience interesting local tourism activities such as mountain climbing, visiting fishing villages, camping, backpacking...

Even though my parents are in their 70s, they are still willing to join their children and grandchildren. They even go sand dune motorbike racing," said Ms. Lien.

On this trip, the whole family trekked up Ta Cu mountain, located at an altitude of about 649m above sea level, with a rich flora and fauna ecosystem, many of which are on Vietnam's red conservation list.

The whole family walked on the winding trail, passing over 1,000 stone steps, through the cool green primeval forests, listening to the chirping of birds and the babbling of streams.

The higher you go, the more majestic the scenery becomes with steep cliffs and towering ancient trees. On the mountain, there are three famous pagodas including Linh Son Truong Tho Pagoda, To Pagoda and Long Doan Pagoda.

Mr. and Mrs. Chang are very fond of the diversity of Vietnam's nature.

"My whole family loves to experience food, especially local rustic eateries. My parents can sit and eat at sidewalk restaurants, on floating rafts... Grandparents often say that wherever there are children and grandchildren, food is delicious," said Ms. Lien.

Mr. and Mrs. Chang enjoy all kinds of exciting travel experiences with their children and grandchildren.

Ms. Lien said that she and her husband have never calculated the cost of family trips.

"My parents are old, so while they are still healthy, my husband and I want to take them to experience as much as possible. Each trip helps my parents and I bond more, and the grandchildren and grandparents become closer, erasing all geographical distances.

My 5-year-old son can now communicate fluently in Vietnamese with his parents, and in Korean with his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and understands more about the cultures of both countries," said Ms. Lien.

"One thing I am proud of is that after each trip, my parents introduce Vietnam tourism to their relatives and friends. They are very surprised because Vietnam not only has beautiful natural landscapes and attractive historical culture, but also increasingly develops high-class resort services."