Dao boy taken on a backpacking trip by his mother, at the age of 4 he has visited all 63 provinces and cities

Inspire your children's patriotism by... going on a backpacking trip

At the end of July, Ms. Duong Thi Kim Canh (born in 1985, Thai Nguyen ) and her son Giang (real name Duong Phuc Bao, born in 2020) went on an 11-day trip before the child started the new school year.

On this trip, Ms. Canh took Giang back to the places they had been to two years ago. They traveled along the Western branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail (Western Truong Son Trail), revisiting historical sites.

Ms. Kim Canh and her son cross the West branch of Ho Chi Minh road (Photo: Provided by the character).

This route is quite deserted, with no shops or phone signals. However, Ms. Canh and her child leisurely rode the old car from Phong Nha – Ke Bang through Thien Duong Cave ( Quang Binh ) and then to Khe Sanh (Quang Tri).

“This time, we encountered heavy rain in the forest, with no shelter. I am a Dao ethnic group living in the mountains, so I expected that this rain would not have wind or thunder. When it rained, my mother and I took shelter under the trees, when the rain stopped, we continued on,” Ms. Canh recalled.

During the trip, Ms. Canh and baby Giang encountered heavy rain (Photo: Character provided).

She said she is also a professional backpacker, so she always researches and prepares to deal with risky situations. This time, she went for more than 10 days, but she decided not to bring a tent.

“If I go alone, I can set up a tent on the side of the road to sleep anywhere, but if I go with my child, I prefer to stay in a hotel or motel. Going alone can help me deal with unexpected incidents, but with a small child, it’s difficult. I have slept in a tent with groups many times, but I have never slept in a tent with my child alone,” she explained.

However, to give Giang more experiences, Ms. Canh also carefully researched the location, as well as consulted with local people, to choose safe areas and set up tents for the mother and child to rest for a short time.

Little Giang excitedly experienced the country's historical relic with his mother (Photo: Character provided).

Now little Giang can speak fluently and clearly understand what his mother wants to convey. After this trip, he learned about the sea, bombs, and the heroes of the country – things that his mother told him throughout the trip.

“At this age, my child asks a lot of questions. Every time he encounters something new, he thinks back to the old. When I took him to Ta Con airport (Quang Tri), he saw an airplane and immediately thought of an American plane shot down by the Vietnamese army. When he saw the communal house, he happily told me about the hero Nup - an outstanding son of the Central Highlands. In particular, he always remembers Uncle Ho and General Vo Nguyen Giap,” said Kim Canh.

Throughout the journey, Ms. Canh and her child communicated entirely in the Dao language. She told her child many glorious and heroic stories of history, and introduced her child to the important role of the Ho Chi Minh route.

According to her, this trip is a journey for her children to be grateful and learn more about the feats of national heroes who sacrificed for the country.

4 years old has explored 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam

Ms. Canh said that since her child was 18 months old, she has taken him everywhere by many different means of transport. The mother and son just go and explore nature, immersing themselves in different climates and weather. According to her, that is one of the ways that helps Giang grow up and become more mature.

She said: “When my child was young, I took him there just to train his physical strength in different environmental and weather conditions, challenging his health. When he grew up, I took him there to teach him, to cultivate patriotism through each stage of the country, to give him a lot of knowledge and memories during his childhood, to help him better understand the history of our country.”

Baby Giang was taken on a backpacking trip by his mother since he was 18 months old (Photo: Character provided).

Although only 4 years old, Giang has had more than 10 trips with his mother, exploring all 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam. He has experienced all kinds of weather from 0 to 44 degrees Celsius, from cold rain to scorching sun to exercise, enjoy local food, and discover new things.

This year alone, little Giang and his mother have made three trips. During that time, he visited the Nup Hero Memorial House (Gia Lai), the Son My Relic Site (or My Lai Relic Site, Quang Ngai), the Dong Loc T-junction Relic Site (Ha Tinh), the Quang Tri Citadel, the Vinh Moc Tunnels (Quang Tri), the Western Truong Son Road and several historical sites along National Highway 1A.

Talking about her love of exploring, Ms. Canh said that more than 10 years ago, she often traveled here and there. However, due to severe motion sickness, she always preferred to travel by motorbike instead of taking a bus. Over the past 10 years, she has had 3-4 trips each year, so it is impossible to keep track of the number of times she has gone backpacking.

Every year, Ms. Canh always arranges to take her children on short and long trips. Sometimes, she takes her children for 2 days and 1 night, sometimes she and her children travel from North to South, from her hometown Thai Nguyen to Ca Mau.

Only 4 years old, but Giang has had the opportunity to travel through 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam (Photo: Character provided).

If traveling alone, Ms. Canh can travel entirely by motorbike. When Giang is with her, she often divides her trip into shorter segments, and uses multiple means of transportation to save time, because Giang is busy studying and cannot take long breaks.

“If I have my child with me, I have to go in two stages, from the North to Hue, then return, take a bus to Quang Tri, then continue by motorbike to the South. Then I take a motorbike back to Quang Tri, then from Quang Tri take a bus home,” said Ms. Canh.

When asked about the budget to serve her passion for traveling, Ms. Canh said that she practices traditional herbal medicine. In addition, she also holds Dao language classes in the local area.

On backpacking trips with her son, Ms. Canh budgets 400,000-600,000 VND/day. The mother and son often choose to stay in motel rooms that cost 100,000-150,000 VND/day. However, because they have friends everywhere and are loved by many people, Ms. Canh and her son are often invited to sleep, rest, and eat for free.

Ms. Canh's motorbike doesn't consume much gas, so the mother and daughter's budget is like that, but sometimes they don't spend it all.

“Now and forever, I will try to take my child to more places, so that he can know more about the country’s famous landscapes, historical sites and relics. In particular, I want him to appreciate the glorious feats of the heroes, thereby becoming more grateful, loving and proud of the country, people and nation of Vietnam,” said Ms. Canh.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/be-trai-nguoi-dao-duoc-me-dua-di-phuot-4-tuoi-da-tham-het-63-tinh-thanh-20241006190539836.htm