A Vietnamese man has founded shops specializing in products from several countries crossed by the Himalayas after giving up a job he had done for a long time.

Nguyen Manh Duy, born in Hanoi, used to be a journalist who covered sports, political, social and everyday issues for ten years.

The 33-year-old developed a liking for traveling to multiple places at home and abroad, with over 20 trips to Nepal and scores to the neighboring regions of Tibet, India, and Bhutan within five years.

Nguyen Manh Duy is seen at Everest Base Camp in 2015 in a photo he provided.

Nguyen Manh Duy is seen in a photo he provided.

“I’m now very rich, in journeys and knowledge of areas at the Himalayas,” he said.

In April 2014, the seasoned traveler arrived in Nepal before trekking to Tibet with several of his friends to stay there for 30 days.

The experience left him with an indelible impression of the local culture, which in turn gave him an unknown urge.

“I felt impatient to do something related to Tibet,” Duy recalled.

He returned to Nepal four months later for his idea to take shape.

Nguyen Manh Duy and a dog are seen in a photo he provided.

In October 2014, he opened in his hometown a shop known as Himalayas Vietnam, which sells products that he imported from Nepal, Tibet, India and Bhutan to followers of Tibet Buddhism.

Eight months separated the establishment of the first shop and the second, located in Hai Phong, a northern Vietnamese coastal city.

Duy founded the next shop in August 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City.

He has sought to use the facilities to form a group of people interested in the cultures of the above Himalayan regions.

“The process of creating a space for business and a cultural circle was strewn with difficulties. I had to determine from the beginning what to do that is both meaningful and profitable,” he said.

The shop in the southern metropolis also acts as a center for mediation and the therapy by means of Tibetan singing bowls.

Men sit at a center of Nguyen Manh Duy which offers treatment with Tibetan singing bowls in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Duy

He recognized that his visitors can be anyone desiring a more balanced, healthier life, in addition to Buddhists or people keen on Himalayan cultures.

The man has latterly launched a chain of Zi Bazzar stores in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offering Persian rugs, Pashmina shawls – those made from fine cashmere fiber, and saffron – with a spice derived from the saffron crocus flower rich in nutritional value.

He embarked on journeys traversing countries which are steeped in the Silk Road like Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, in preparation for the birth of the stores.

Duy has planned to travel on the Silk Road for 65 days as a continuation of his previous Himalayan trips, making a gateway for more Middle East products to be present in Vietnam.

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