Among many channels showcasing rural life and simple, appetizing home-cooked meals, the channel of Hung Yen farmer Mai Van Luong (born 1963, Hong Quang commune) stands out with a unique charm.

Unscripted, without voiceovers, and with all sharing done live, the farmer’s videos have won viewers over with their sincerity, simplicity, and authenticity. In his backyard garden, the silver-haired farmer demonstrates how to till soil, plant vegetables, and care for seasonal crops.

Having spent decades “earning a living” from the fields, accustomed to toiling under the sun and rain, Luong sees planting rice and vegetables as an integral part of life.

When sharing about his work, he speaks fluently and passionately, as if recounting his own life story.

Mai Thi Ly (born 1996, Luong’s youngest daughter), who has been filming, editing, and posting her father’s videos for over a year, was surprised by his confidence in front of the camera.

“I live and work in Hai Phong, and whenever I visit home, I film the peaceful countryside and my parents working in the garden, then post them on TikTok. Unexpectedly, those videos are loved and receive many comments.

Once, while filming my father tending vegetables, I said, ‘Dad, my friends want to know about growing vegetables. Can you share a few tips?’ He spoke passionately without stumbling over a single word. I was amazed by his confidence. He said, ‘I’ve been farming for decades; crops and fields are part of my blood, so sharing this is easy,’” Ly recalled.

Since then, every time she visits home, Ly films her father working in the garden and sharing tips. All Ly needs to do is edit the videos, add music, and post them on TikTok.

Occasionally, to create variety, she films her father cooking. Rustic dishes like braised fish, pickled eggplant, or fried tofu with scallions, though simply prepared and presented, evoke nostalgic memories of a rural childhood for viewers.

“He’s thrilled when we film together. Even if he’s wearing shorts and a T-shirt, with muddy hands and feet, he tucks in his shirt neatly before continuing work. He said he needs to dress properly to show respect to the viewers,” Ly said.

Footage stirs childhood memories

In an interview with VietNamNet, Luong expressed his joy over the past year, hearing his daughter read aloud encouraging and praising comments from viewers. 

In his village, neighbors all know about his videos and call him “TikTok idol”. For Luong, this is a precious joy in his older years.

Luong emphasized that everything he shares in the videos is genuine. His methods of planting, weeding, tilling, fertilizing, and off-season vegetable growing techniques for high yields and stable prices are lessons learned from years of trial and error.

“Farmers like us work hard for a single row of vegetables. Growing crops in season often leads to ‘good harvests, low prices; high prices, poor harvests,’ which is tough.

In recent years, I’ve decided to grow off-season vegetables. It’s more labor-intensive, but the harvest often fetches good prices, making months of effort worthwhile. Initially, some doubted me, saying I was wrong, but after a few successful harvests, they said, ‘This guy turns out to be clever,’” he said laughing.

Luong isn’t that aware of views, engagement, or the benefits of trending videos. He’s simply happy to share his experiences.

“Every time I post a video, I show it to my father. I read him the positive comments, but honestly, I hide negative ones to avoid upsetting him,” Ly said.

Ly said many comments deeply touched her father, like one from Nguyen Huong about pickled eggplant: “Seeing that jar of pickled eggplant reminds me of my tough childhood, eating eggplant dipped in soy sauce made by my grandmother. Nearly 40 years have passed, and now that life is better, my grandmother is gone, leaving only memories.”

Or a comment from Le Na about missing her father: “Seeing you, I miss my dad so much. He was about your age, a farmer his whole life, muddy hands and feet, simple and honest like you. Now he’s gone, and watching your videos makes me tear up.”

Thao Trinh