“I watched your video yesterday! I recognized you instantly when you said, ‘Hello everyone, I am Nam, Chairman of Dong Van Commune,’” a resident exclaimed at a grocery store in De Day hamlet.
That brief encounter echoed the opening line of the very first video Pham Duc Nam, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Van Commune in Tuyen Quang Province, shared online. The modest clip swiftly captured widespread attention from viewers across Vietnam.
Mr. Pham Duc Nam, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Van Commune, rides his old motorbike through remote hamlets across the rocky plateau.
The Village-Roving Chairman
At 8:00 AM on Saturday, Nam kicks his trusty vintage Honda Dream into gear, setting out on another weekend route into the highlands.
From the commune center, he winds along sheer mountain passes with the poise of an experienced backpacker. The terrain shifts constantly. Broad asphalt sections give way to dizzying vertical climbs. Narrow concrete ribbons barely fit a single set of wheels, while unpaved dirt trails quickly turn into slick mud after rain.
On every trip into the villages, Nam packs bags of cookies and candies for local children.
In Dong Van, ethnic minority families cluster in small hamlets tucked deep into the mountains. Each village is separated by jagged peaks and nearly ten kilometers of mountain passes, completely isolated from administrative centers.
Nam has lived and worked in Dong Van for 35 years across various public posts. Regardless of his title, he has kept the habit of riding into hamlets to speak directly with residents.
“Only by setting foot in the village can one truly understand the hardships people endure,” Nam explained.
Recently, alongside visiting locals and surveying the area, Nam took on a new mission: standing before the lens to tell stories of the highland people and their land.
Over the past two weeks, his weekend visits gained an extra dimension. Every ride became an opportunity to document daily life across the karst plateau.
He explores how Hmong villagers assemble dry-stone walls without mortar, details traditional hemp weaving, and documents folk crafts alongside casual domestic conversations. Touring from morning until midday, he eats wherever he finds himself. Some days he shares lunch with a local family; other days he stops at a modest roadside stall.
Mr. Nam joins local villagers in planting buckwheat flowers.
On social media, Nam appears in an everyday collared shirt and trousers, paired with cheap honeycomb rubber sandals and a green pith helmet. His signature opening never changes: “Hello everyone, I am Pham Duc Nam, Chairman of Dong Van Commune.”
Following that greeting, familiar scenes of Dong Van unfold, narrated with unvarnished pride and a deep love for the plateau.
Nam stops to chat with everyone he meets, frequently staying in the villages from morning until dusk.
Starting from zero followers, his debut upload drew immediate responses from people across the country.
“During each village trip, I film spontaneous moments. I record the voiceover, and our young team edits the clips before publishing,” Nam shared with a smile. “People told me it would take 10 to 15 clips to go viral. Yet viewers and travelers from 34 provinces waved back, leaving greetings and thoughtful comments from the very start.”
The Commune Chairman and villagers introduce Dong Van’s beauty through the traditional art of building dry-stone walls.
Practical Relief Beyond the Camera Lens
For Nam, life across Dong Van remains filled with hardship. Beyond filming promotional clips, each excursion sparks practical ideas to improve rural livelihoods.
“After returning from the villages, I meet with our collective leadership to discuss crop and livestock restructuring,” Nam explained. “We are working to transition farmers from low-yield maize to ginger, yacon roots, and fruit orchards. I have personally contacted lowland companies to establish off-take agreements. Each ride also reveals scenic vantage points to develop community ecotourism, helping villagers earn additional income.”
In the villages, many young people recognize the Commune Chairman they frequently see on social media.
Navigating steep, degraded paths remains the most grueling challenge, yet tackling those trails highlights the isolation local families endure.
Alongside state budget allocations, communal authorities mobilize community co-financing to build rural roads. Smooth roads stimulate commerce and ease everyday commutes.
Though he once turned down press interviews out of modesty, Nam now steps comfortably in front of the smartphone lens. For him, anything that serves the public good is worth the effort.
His digital presence also puts him at the forefront of implementing Politburo Resolution 57 on science, technology, and digital transformation.
“Through these short clips, I hope more domestic and international travelers discover Dong Van,” Nam said. “I want them to witness our raw landscapes and rich ethnic traditions, helping Dong Van flourish as the heart of the Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark.”
Joining villagers to prepare “mèn mén”, a traditional steamed cornmeal staple.
Along the road, a companion’s motorbike tire was punctured by sharp rocks, forcing the group to push the bike to a repair shop.
According to Nam, Dong Van still holds countless pristine landscapes waiting for travelers to explore.
(Source: tuoitre.vn)
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Source: Vietnam Insider