On Sept. 7, a video capturing a ride-hailing driver’s thoughtful gesture toward a group of tourists in Da Nang drew widespread attention on social media, receiving a flood of “hearts.” Many praised the driver for his friendly and enthusiastic manner, saying his gesture helped leave visitors with a positive impression of Vietnamese people.

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The driver’s story went viral on social media, drawing widespread positive reactions. Photo: Screenshot

According to the video, the driver picked up a family visiting Da Nang. During their conversation, he realized they had booked a ride back to their hotel just as the Dragon Bridge was about to begin its fire-breathing show, so he asked whether they had ever seen the city’s signature spectacle.

After learning that it was the family’s first visit to Da Nang and that they had never seen the Dragon Bridge breathe fire, the driver took the initiative to double-check whether the show was taking place that evening. Once he confirmed it was, he suggested that they cancel the ride and stay to watch. The cancellation did not cost the tourists anything.

The family decided to stay and repeatedly thanked the driver for giving them the chance to experience one of the city’s distinctive attractions.

Speaking to VietNamNet, Huynh Le Quoc Khanh, 32, a resident of Hai Chau Ward in Da Nang, said the encounter took place on the evening of Sept. 2, when he was near the Dragon Bridge and accepted a booking to take the tourists to a hotel near the beach.

“It was almost time for the Dragon Bridge to breathe fire, but they had booked a ride back to their hotel, so I asked why they didn’t stay to watch,” Khanh recalled. “They said they had never seen it and didn’t know there would be a show that evening.”

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Khanh received widespread praise for his friendly gesture. Photo: A.K

According to Khanh, the tourists only knew that the Dragon Bridge usually stages its fire-breathing show on weekend evenings, so they were surprised to learn that there was also a performance during the National Day holiday. Realizing that they wanted to experience it, he checked the schedule and then encouraged them to cancel the ride.

“For me, the visitors’ experience mattered more,” he said. “They were traveling, it was their first time in Da Nang, and they wanted to see something the city is known for but simply didn’t have the information. The fare wasn’t worth much anyway, so I wanted them to have the chance to stay and see it.”

The driver also rejected suggestions that he had encouraged the cancellation because the fare was too low.

“If I thought the fare was too cheap, I wouldn’t have accepted the booking in the first place,” he said. “I take every ride because one trip can sometimes lead to longer journeys with the same passengers.”

Ho Giap