The house in the golden land of Hanoi, where the memories of famous football player Hong Son are kept

For many former Vietnamese football fans, the house on Hang Bong Street, Hanoi of famous football player Hong Son's family is a familiar address.

This place used to be the destination of thousands of handwritten letters expressing the feelings of fans to Hong Son, and was also the place where football lovers flocked to "storm" every time the Vietnamese football team won in the years 1995-2001.

In a recent meeting with Dan Tri reporters, famous football player Hong Son shared about the house that keeps memories associated with his football glory.

The house on Hang Bong street of famous football player Hong Son's family.

Hong Son's father was a famous photographer of the Oriental Photography Cooperative (Hanoi). After many years of working, he was allocated a small piece of land on Hang Bong Street in the 60s. With 6 children in the family, he and his wife saved up to buy more land in the back so that the whole family could have more spacious living space.

Located on the golden land of the old quarter, where real estate prices are currently expensive from at least 500 million VND/m2, the house retains almost the same structure as when it was first built. This is where Hong Son's parents and his small family have lived for many years.

The walkway leading to the main living space of the family.

The house has a frontage of about 3m, located on a plot of land that widens at the back, is long and deep. His parents rent out the frontage of the first floor, the remaining space is for living.

His family designed a small side path to enter the parking lot and stairs to the upper floors. A part of the land behind was also used to build a house for the famous player's brother.

The first floor area (left) is for parking, kitchen and the second floor (right) is for living room.

From the second floor up are the living room and functional rooms. In the living room, Hong Son reserved a solemn corner to display his collection of medals, trophies, and souvenirs he has achieved during his years of dedication to the country's sports.

The symbols "Vietnam Golden Ball 1998" and "Vietnam Golden Ball 2000", "Top scorer of Vietnam Football Championship 1990", "Best player of Tiger Cup 1998", "Best player of Asia month" in August 1998... are all carefully kept by him in a glass cabinet.

On the living room wall, next to family photos, Hong Son hung many photos of him playing when he was young. The pictures remind him of the best midfielder of the Vietnam national team and The Cong club, associated with a flamboyant style of play, focusing on technique and dexterity.

Hong Son recalled that in the past, every time he and his team participated in the SEA Games or Tiger Cup, fans often passed by the Cua Nam - Hang Bong intersection to shout his name, as well as ask for photos and autographs. At that time, his mother often stood on the balcony of the 2nd floor to greet and thank the fans.

At that time, fans often sent letters expressing their love for famous players. Some sent them to the club's address, others sent them to training locations. However, because he often traveled, went to training sessions and competitions, Hong Son decided to provide his home address so that his relatives could receive and manage them on his behalf.

Famous player Hong Son shares about the house associated with many competitive memories.

"The number of letters sent to my home was huge, about 10 sacks. My family and I only read and replied to half of them. Because I was busy with my competition schedule and couldn't reply to each person one by one, that day my mother and sister photocopied a letter I had written and signed, leaving the fan's name blank, and then replied to each person on my behalf," the famous player recounted.

The famous player still keeps the bags of letters, but due to space constraints at home, he recently moved the bags of letters back to his hometown for safekeeping. He considers them his own precious assets and he is a "billionaire".

Hong Son reads fan letters sent to his house on Hang Bong Street (Photo: NVCC).

According to the famous player, nowadays, fans can easily communicate with their idols through social networks, but in the past, fans could only express their feelings through letters.

Many people also collect his pictures from newspapers and magazines to paste, decorate, and create postcards. He always cherishes those loving feelings and has kept them for over 20 years.

Hong Son is the fourth child in a family of 6 siblings (5 boys, 1 girl). His parents are traders, and he himself is somewhat famous, but after retiring, Hong Son did not pursue a business career.

Up to now, he said "still has nothing for himself". In Hanoi, he still lives with his parents in this house. A few months ago, he and his family moved to Binh Duong to live for the convenience of community football training at an invitation.

Hong Son is considered a legend of Vietnamese football. He is one of the best midfielders of the Vietnam national team and The Cong club, especially in the period from 1995-2001.

At his peak, the talented midfielder left a mark in the hearts of millions of fans. He had the opportunity to compete with the world's top football stars such as David Beckham, Yorke, Roberto Carlos... Hong Son showed his personal skills through each skill competition of passing, juggling and dribbling.

In 2004, he announced his retirement shortly after getting married. For many years, Hong Son lived a private life, choosing to stay with his family and rarely appearing in the media. Recently, the former football star surprised everyone when he reappeared in the music program "Anh trai vu ngan cong gai". He appeared with a youthful appearance and confident style in each performance.

Photo: Thanh Dong

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/can-nha-o-khu-dat-vang-ha-noi-noi-luu-giu-ky-niem-cua-danh-thu-hong-son-20240825164426151.htm