In a touching act of kindness, a Vietnamese tourist in China has earned widespread admiration from both Vietnamese and Chinese communities after carrying a young Chinese woman in distress on his back to seek urgent medical attention.

The incident took place about ten days ago at a tourist site in Qingyan Ancient Town, Guizhou Province, China.

On the afternoon of February 19, around 3:00 pm, visitors at Ding Guangmen – one of the four grand gates of the ancient town – were startled when Luo, a young Chinese tourist in her twenties, suddenly suffered a severe health issue.

According to reports from Guizhou Daily, Luo’s condition rapidly deteriorated, leaving her unable to stand. With only her mother present, the situation became overwhelming as she struggled to assist her ailing daughter.

Amid the growing concern, Pham Trung Hieu, a 37-year-old Vietnamese tourist and director of Halong Adventure, a travel company based in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, stepped forward.

Hieu recounted to Guizhou Daily that while touring the Ding Guangmen section, he noticed Luo looking fatigued, pale, and struggling to stand.

“I tried to communicate using basic Chinese and, along with others, decided to help her reach the exit so she could be taken to the hospital," Hieu stated. 

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, he and his Chinese colleague, Zhu Yi, director of the international department at a Guizhou-based travel company, immediately took action.

However, reaching the entrance of the tourist site was no easy task. The path from Ding Guangmen spanned over a kilometer, featuring steep slopes and numerous stone steps.

Undeterred, Hieu and Zhu took turns carrying Luo on their backs, carefully navigating the difficult path.

"We had to switch four times to carry her to the exit," Zhu explained.

After 30 minutes of strenuous effort, they finally reached the entrance gate, completely exhausted.

"At that moment, I felt like collapsing.

"My arms and legs were completely drained,” Hieu admitted.

At the gate, the site's medical team provided Luo with first aid before she was swiftly transferred to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

Following her recovery, Luo expressed gratitude for the assistance she received.

"I suddenly experienced severe abdominal pain, collapsed, and couldn’t stand. Thanks to everyone’s timely help, I was taken to the hospital in time," she shared, adding that she regretted not being able to thank her rescuers personally as they had not exchanged contact information.

Hieu, who was in Guizhou to explore potential tour routes for Vietnamese travelers, explained that the extreme weather conditions made the rescue even more difficult. 

News of Hieu’s good act quickly spread across social media platforms in both China and Vietnam, drawing thousands of commendations.

The man even caught the attention of local Chinese reporters, who visited his hotel to interview him and request video footage of the rescue recorded by one of his companions.

Despite the widespread praise, Hieu remained modest about his role in the rescue. 

“Anyone in that situation would have done the same,” he told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“The stone steps in the ancient citadel aren’t difficult for people in normal health, but for a girl suffering from stomach pain, the distance was too long.”

With 15 years of experience in the tourism industry, this was Hieu’s second visit to Guizhou.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!