Sofia Chwe, 21, arrived in Vietnam on Aug. 23 and drew attention online after sharing a photo of herself being invited to lunch by a shop owner in Hoi An’s old town. In her post on Sept/ 5, she wrote: “Tell me why I randomly walked into a jewelry store and they just started feeding me?”

She said she had stopped at Ky Vi Souvenir Gift Shop on Tran Hung Dao Street to buy jewelry. At the time, the shop owner was having lunch with a woman in the space. To make room for her to browse, he asked his companion to move aside.

“I told them to keep eating, but to my surprise, they invited me to join,” Chwe said.

The owner handed her a bowl and chopsticks, serving her food and encouraging her to eat. His kindness reminded her of her grandmother, making the meal like home. He continued to refill her rice, ladle soup, and even offered mango for dessert. Sofia said his warmth and sincerity made her Hoi An visit memorable.

Back home in Korea, she explained, this kind of affection is often seen in multigenerational families or small towns, though it is becoming less common. Vietnam, she said, reminded her of childhood and struck her as one of the most hospitable places she had visited.

The shop’s owner, Tran Chi Hieu, said he has often shared meals with both local and foreign visitors, and most happily accepted.

“Every day, there’s someone new at the table,” he said with a smile.

Hieu added that Chwe had not bought anything before the meal. She later purchased several pieces, but he emphasized the meal was offered out of genuine hospitality. He said his only wish was for travelers to enjoy local food and take home a good memory of Hoi An.

Sofia Chwe pauses at a stop with mountain views during her Ha Giang Loop trip in northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Sofia Chwe

Beyond the jewelry shop, Chwe said she encountered many moments of kindness during her trip.

In a lantern-making class in Hoi An, two instructors patiently guided her and even helped arrange international shipping. At a local spa, a staff member gifted her a handmade bottle of coconut oil for sunburn, leading to a conversation.

On the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam, she cherished the sense of connection between tourists, guides, and homestay families.

If she had to choose a place to live, Chwe said Hoi An would be her pick because it felt “as familiar as home”. She plans to continue her travels to Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City and hopes to encourage friends back in Korea to visit Vietnam.