Recently, a 10-second video showing a large family cutting up chicken, cutting chung cakes and Vietnamese pork rolls, and peeling fruit by the roadside during a vacation attracted significant attention on TikTok.

The video was posted with the humorous caption: “Traveling with family: there may not be beautiful photos, but there will definitely be plenty of food.”

Nguyen Phuong Ngan (23, from Bac Ninh) was the person who filmed and uploaded the clip. Ngan said it captured a joyful moment during a trip involving 39 family members traveling from Bac Ninh to Quang Tri and Nghe An over the April 30–May 1 holiday, from the night of April 29 until May 2.

At 10pm on April 29, the family boarded a 45-seat bus departing from Bac Ninh (the former Thai Son Commune area of Bac Giang Province). Early on April 30, the group stopped at a rest station in Ha Tinh before heading to the Dong Loc Junction historical site.

"This trip was planned a month in advance by the paternal grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and uncles. The whole family offered incense at the Dong Loc Junction Relic Area (Ha Tinh), visited Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Nhat Le beach, the tomb of General Vo Nguyen Giap (Quang Tri), went to Cua Lo beach and Uncle Ho's hometown (Nghe An),” she said. 

Fearing that the children and grandchildren would be hungry along the way, the grandmothers and aunts prepared a lot of food and drinks. After the long overnight trip, everyone got off the bus, spread out mats, chopped chicken, cut cakes, and peeled fruit for breakfast. 

Everyone in the family had a task, so it was very quick. Our family even invited the staff at the rest stop to enjoy banh chung wrapped from 'nep cai hoa vang' sticky rice - a specialty of our hometown," Ngan recounted.

Many netizens praised Ngan's large family for being bonded, happy, and unanimous when traveling together. preparing and eating food this way seemed rather tiring.

“I still feel very happy and grateful for the thoughtful preparation of the grandmothers and aunts,” Ngan said.

Hoang Nga, 55, Ngan's grand-aunt, took on the role of “tour leader.” She said she personally wrapped 10 banh chung for the trip. The daughters-in-law prepared 2 additional boiled chickens (about 6kg), along with Vietnamese sausage, more than 20kg of fruit, candies, and soft drinks.

"Traveling during a crowded holiday and moving through the night, I was worried it would be difficult to find a place for breakfast on the first morning. The grandchildren and I came up with a preparation plan so the whole group could eat heartily and deliciously, gaining strength to start the journey of discovery. For other meals during the trip, the whole family ate at restaurants and enjoyed local specialties," Nga shared.

The oldest member of the group is over 70 years old, while the youngest is in kindergarten. 

Nga added that she and the grandchildren in the house have a shared fund. Every month, each small family contributes VND200,000. At the beginning of the year, when the whole extended family gathered, the children and grandchildren suggested organizing a joint trip to Quang Tri and Sen Village, Uncle Ho's hometown.

"I have visited these destinations many times, so the children and grandchildren appointed me as the tour leader. I want my grandchildren to learn about the history of their homeland and country. The trip is not only an occasion for fun and entertainment but also helps the family gather and love their homeland and country more," Nga said.

In late March, the family booked accommodation in Phong Nha and Cua Lo. Each night, the extended family rented eight rooms at a cost of around VND5 million.

For lunch and dinner, with help from the driver, Nga’s family contacted reputable restaurants in advance to order meals. The group usually ordered four to five banquet tables featuring attractive local specialties for the children and grandchildren to enjoy.

“The journey was long, but no one felt tired. On the bus, the children and grandchildren sang and chatted happily together.

“The moment that moved me most was when we arrived at Dong Loc Junction. Listening to the tour guide explain the history of the site, the whole family became emotional. My children and grandchildren also prepared offerings from Bac Ninh and respectfully offered incense in memory of the fallen heroes,” Nga said.

Ha Nguyen