September 15, 2025
VIETNAM – To many, Việt Nam is a land of breathtaking landscapes, rich culture and warm-hearted people. But to Đào Minh Tiến, a YouTube vlogger, the true heart of the country lies in the quiet rhythms of daily life.
Tiến’s journey begins in discipline.
Born in 1995 in Hưng Yên Province, he entered the Military Academy of Logistics in Hà Nội in 2013. Over seven years in the military, he cultivated precision, discipline and a deep sense of duty.
“I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to study in a military environment where I was taught national pride, patriotism as well as history and culture,” Tiến said.
During his days on leave, he travelled and began filming his trips on a smartphone. His first journey, recorded and posted online, was to Cao Bằng Province, capturing landmarks such as Mắt Thần Mountain and Bản Giốc Waterfalls. The video received encouraging responses from viewers, inspiring him to keep going.
“Later on, when I had the chance, I started visiting places I had once studied, heard about or seen. I wanted to share those values and knowledge with audiences. That was the reason my channel gradually came to life,” he said.
To his thousands of online followers, he is better known as ‘Dế Mèn Du Ký’ (The Cricket’s Journey). The name, now familiar, came to him by chance.
“I happened to think of the name ‘Dế Mèn’ (Cricket). Since I was making travel videos, I added ‘Du Ký’ (Journey) and that’s how the name was born,” he said.
Like many young travel vloggers, Tiến began with a camera in hand, exploring Việt Nam’s mountains and coastlines. But over time, he realised there was more to the work than simply capturing beautiful scenery.
“After vlogging for a while, I realised something,” he said.
“At the same location, anyone can admire and capture the same beautiful scenes, especially with today’s smart and convenient devices. But each person’s way of talking, connecting and sharing with local people is different. That’s what makes a story unique. I want to focus on that and improve with every journey.”
In his videos, the soul of Việt Nam shines through simple yet powerful human stories. From O Bê, a woman vendor of bún mắm nêm (rice vermicelli with fermented anchovy sauce) in Huế, to Mr Lãng, who sewed the national red flag once flown at Hiền Lương Bridge in Quảng Trị, a crucial wartime border between the North and the South, they are the people who tell Việt Nam’s story—a story of a place worth loving.
“If we want to spread the spirit of patriotism or love for Vietnamese culture, it must first come from genuine sincerity, not from political slogans or anything forced,” he said.
“Instead of saying ‘you must love’ or ‘you should cherish’, perhaps the best way is to create opportunities for people to feel that beauty themselves. When someone sees something beautiful, love comes naturally. And once they love it, they’ll want to preserve and share it without needing a reminder.”
A storyteller with a flag
Another symbol has come to define his work: a Vietnamese flag appearing in nearly every video.
The tradition began in Cù Vai Village when Tiến noticed a worn-out flag on a flagpole. In his video, he asked viewers, “If anyone happens to come up here, please help me replace this flag.”
A few days later, a viewer sent him a clip showing they had done just that.
“I was truly touched,” Tiến said. “It made me realise that what I’m doing can create meaningful connections. Since then, I’ve always kept a flag in my backpack. Every time I film the flag fluttering in the wind, it brings me joy. It’s a moment when I feel fully alive, while capturing something beautiful and holding onto that deep sense of pride.”
For him, the flag is more than a symbol of identity; it is a reminder of where he belongs and of the invisible threads connecting him to his viewers.
Now, he continues to walk Việt Nam’s roads, camera and flag in tow, searching for those small quiet moments that resonate deeply.
In doing so, he invites his audience, not just foreigners but Vietnamese themselves, to rediscover what makes their country beautiful: the kindness, sincerity and simple humanity that thrive in even the quietest places.