A Mongolian groom brought fermented mare's milk wine and silver cups to Vietnam to ask for the bride's hand in marriage.
More than a week after their engagement ceremony, images of Vietnamese girl Nguyen Hoang Bao Ngoc (born in 2001, from Khanh Hoa province ) and Mongolian boy Khosbayar (born in 1999) continue to be shared on social media, attracting hundreds of thousands of likes and comments.
The groom's family, from Mongolia, dressed in traditional attire to ask for the bride's hand in marriage in Vietnam (Photo: Facebook of the person).
The engagement ceremony of Bao Ngoc and Khosbayar was held on December 29, 2025, at the bride's hometown. In a warm and cozy setting, the Mongolian groom, along with his parents, dressed in traditional attire and brought the betrothal gifts to the bride's family to formally ask for her hand in marriage, following Vietnamese customs.
The groom's family prepares a full set of traditional ceremonial trays, including betel nuts, cakes, and fruits, all meticulously arranged. Notably, in addition to the familiar Vietnamese trays, the engagement ceremony also includes six trays of betrothal gifts according to Mongolian custom, comprising: traditional cakes, fermented milk wine made from mare's milk and cow's milk, shoes, traditional clothing for the bride, and a pair of silver cups – a symbol of the couple's bond.
Bride Bao Ngoc next to traditional Vietnamese and Mongolian wedding trays (Photo: Facebook of the person).
Speaking to a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper , Bao Ngoc said that for the Mongolians, these betrothal gifts symbolize blessings for a prosperous, lasting, and fulfilling married life. Among them, the fermented mare's milk wine represents the bond and hospitality of the groom's family.
On their big day, the bride wore a traditional ao dai (Vietnamese dress) and, together with the groom, performed all the rituals such as ancestral worship and paying respects to both sets of parents. The meticulousness, seriousness, and respect for Vietnamese culture shown by the groom's Mongolian family moved many viewers.
The Vietnamese bride wore an ao dai and Mongolian attire during her engagement ceremony (Photo: Facebook of the person).
"When we decided to hold the engagement ceremony, my mother-in-law searched on YouTube for many videos of Vietnamese engagement ceremonies and weddings, then sent them to me to ask if what we were doing was in accordance with tradition. The Mongolian outfit I wore at the engagement ceremony was also custom-made by my mother-in-law a long time in advance."
"That night at the hotel, preparing for the wedding ceremony the next day, my father-in-law meticulously arranged the cakes on the trays himself. I felt the deep affection my parents-in-law had for me, and I was very moved," Bao Ngoc shared.
A connection forged in the classrooms of Japan.
Bao Ngoc went to Japan to study in November 2020. At that time, she and Khosbayar attended the same school but were in different classes. Bao Ngoc said that she was only focused on her studies and didn't pay attention to anyone else. Later, Khosbayar revealed that he was impressed with Bao Ngoc from the first time they met.
The opportunity arose in 2021, when the school organized a field trip for international students. Just before departure, the other students were busy, so in the end, only the teacher, Bao Ngoc, and Khosbayar went on the trip.
That day, they strolled together in the rose garden, chatting throughout the day. The couple didn't develop romantic feelings immediately, but that special encounter became the first milestone connecting them.
After the trip, they talked more, played a video game together, and gradually discovered more in common. A few months later, the school rearranged the classes, and Bao Ngoc and Khosbayar became classmates – something she called "fate."
The couple met while studying abroad in Japan (Photo: Facebook of the individuals).
Khosbayar quietly showed his interest in Bao Ngoc in his own way: from constantly asking her questions about homework to proactively striking up conversations with her in class.
"There were a few people in the class who noticed me, but when they saw how naturally he approached me, talking as if we'd known each other for a long time, everyone gradually... backed off," Bao Ngoc recounted.
Initially, they communicated entirely in Japanese. For Bao Ngoc, their relationship began simply as classmates supporting each other in their studies. It wasn't until almost a year later that Khosbayar officially confessed his feelings.
He prepared a bouquet of roses and unexpectedly appeared before her with a sincere declaration of love. However, the girl from Khanh Hoa did not immediately agree, but instead took more time to get to know him. Gradually, their similar personalities brought them closer together.
A strange custom caught the attention of a Vietnamese girl.
Sharing what made Bao Ngoc fall for Khosbayar, she said: “Khosbayar told me that, according to Mongolian culture, if you accidentally step on someone's foot, you should sincerely hold their hand to apologize. So he kept stepping on my foot and holding my hand repeatedly. To this day, I don't know if he did it accidentally or intentionally, but at that time I found him cute and started paying attention to him.”
When sharing her relationship with her family, Bao Ngoc received support from her parents. She said her parents always trusted her, as long as she felt happy. Since both Bao Ngoc and Khosbayar plan to settle in Japan, geographical distance is not a concern for the couple in this relationship.
In 2024, after dating for some time, Bao Ngoc visited her boyfriend's family in Mongolia for the first time. She stayed at Khosbayar's house for about 10 days. This trip became a significant turning point in her thinking about future marriage.
Bao Ngoc visited Khosbayar's family in Mongolia (Photo: Facebook of the person).
Bao Ngoc admitted she was somewhat surprised, because life in her husband's family was nothing like what she had imagined or seen in movies. Apartment buildings were densely packed, the streets were well-maintained, and the pace of life here was modern, not much different from Vietnam.
However, Mongolian cuisine, with its abundance of meat, especially lamb and goat, was unfamiliar to her. “Seeing that I wasn’t used to the food, my mother-in-law took me to the market and told me to buy vegetables and other dishes I liked. That thoughtfulness touched me deeply,” she recounted.
Despite experiencing some "culture shock" from the climate to the food, Bao Ngoc still clearly felt the warmth and sincerity from her husband's family.
"During that time, I clearly saw the affection between his parents, the way the family members loved and respected each other, and how the children were always polite to their parents. Perhaps because he grew up in such a loving family, my husband is also a warm-hearted person."
"Seeing his family life made me even more confident in my choice. Another coincidence I noticed is that my husband has three brothers, and I have three sisters, all of whom are around the same age," she shared.
After the engagement ceremony, the couple returned to Japan (Photo: Facebook of the individuals).
Currently, Bao Ngoc and Khosbayar are working in Japan. Despite being far from their families, they still frequently call to check on their parents.
The couple kept the wedding date a secret. In the future, they hope to have an even more special wedding, further connecting and celebrating the cultural values of both Vietnam and Mongolia.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/co-gai-viet-phai-long-chang-trai-mong-co-vi-tap-tuc-la-va-le-an-hoi-gay-sot-20260110222941623.htm
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