German Woman Finds Love and a New Home in Vietnam
A German woman's journey to recover from burnout led her to Vietnam, where she found love, started a family, and ultimately chose to make the country her permanent home.
Anni, 31, once ran a pharmacy in Oberstdorf, Germany. Years of business pressures and constant expectations eventually left her emotionally exhausted. She closed the pharmacy in late 2022 and set off on a backpacking trip across Southeast Asia in search of a fresh start. Vietnam quickly became the highlight of her travels. While eating banh xeo at Ho Thi Ky Night Market in Ho Chi Minh City, she watched a vendor tirelessly cooking over a blazing hot stove while smiling and chatting with customers. "She looked genuinely happy doing such a simple job, and I realized I had lost that feeling a long time ago," Anni recalled. As she explored Vietnamese food and connected with local people, she gradually regained her sense of peace. In July 2023, she sold her remaining belongings and returned to Vietnam, embracing local life with morning coffee and dishes such as sour soup and fermented shrimp paste with tofu. Anni rides a motorbike in the Mekong Delta in 2026. Photo courtesy of Anni After nearly a year traveling around Vietnam, she briefly returned to Germany to accept a job in Kassel. But Vietnam remained on her mind. She began learning Vietnamese, cooking Vietnamese dishes, and earned a certificate to teach English before deciding to move back once again. By the end of 2024, she had settled in the Mekong Delta. During a visit to Rach Gia in the delta's Kien Giang province, she met 34-year-old Khanh Tuong, a native of Ca Mau who had recently left his position as a software company sales team leader. Over the next week, he introduced her to floating markets, riverside cafés and everyday life across the delta. Their friendship soon turned into romance. When Anni's visa expired, she returned to Germany for Christmas. After seeing her off from Can Tho, Tuong realized almost immediately that he did not want to let her go. Anni and Tuong together during Lunar New Year 2026, when she was eight months pregnant. Photo courtesy of the family The following morning, despite heavy rain, he rode his motorbike from Can Tho to Ho Chi Minh City—a journey that normally takes about four hours but nearly doubled in length because of the weather—to see her one last time before her flight. "I don't know what the future will bring, but I don't want you to leave without knowing that I truly love you," Tuong later recalled telling her. A month later, Anni returned to Vietnam. "It wasn't only because of Tuong," she said. "I realized this country reflects the values I want in life." Although her parents initially worried about her decision to leave Germany, they eventually supported her after seeing how happy she had become. She moved to Can Tho, where the couple rented a modest hotel room while renovating a property they hoped to turn into a homestay. Anni talks about her life in the Mekong Delta. Video courtesy of Anni More than a year after settling in Vietnam, Anni can communicate in Vietnamese, is learning to ride a motorbike, enjoys wearing the traditional ao dai, and often visits local pagodas. Visa renewals, however, have remained a challenge. Every few months, she has had to travel to neighboring Laos, Cambodia or Thailand to extend her stay. In July 2025, she became pregnant before the couple completed their marriage registration. The repeated visa trips left her physically drained, and at one point she considered returning to Germany. Ultimately, her commitment to Tuong and their growing family convinced her to stay. Tuong said facing the difficulties together made him more mature and responsible. Khánh Tuong and Anni with their daughter in Can Tho, 2026. Photo courtesy of the family Today, the couple are raising their daughter, Mai, while building Villa Binh An in Can Tho into a homestay where Anni hopes to organize language and cultural classes and Tuong plans to introduce international visitors to life in the Mekong Delta. Looking back, Anni says Vietnam gave her far more than a change of scenery. "I didn't just find a new place to live," she said. "I found a real family and, despite all the challenges, I found myself again." Subsidiary of VnExpress License number: 71/GP-CBC, Ministry of Information andCommunications, September 22, 2021 Editor-in-Chief: Pham Van Hieu Email: [email protected]: 028 7300 9999 - Ext 8556 10th floor, Block A FPT Tower, 10 Pham Van Bach, Cau Giay Ward, Hanoi
多角的分析
Anniさんのケースは、ベトナムの経済成長がもたらす多様なライフスタイルへの魅力と、それに伴う外国人居住者向けのサービス（ホムステイ、語学・文化教室など）の潜在的な需要を示唆している。彼女のホムステイ事業計画は、ベトナムの観光産業の成長と、地方経済の活性化というマクロ経済的トレンドに沿ったものである。一方で、ビザ更新の課題は、外国人労働者や居住者に対する法制度の整備の遅れを示しており、これはベトナム経済の持続的な成長と国際化において、改善が求められる分野である。
Anniさんのホムステイ事業は、小規模ながらもベトナムの観光・サービスセクターへの投資機会の一例と言える。特にメコンデルタ地域は、そのユニークな文化や自然景観から、外国人観光客にとって魅力的なデスティネーションとなり得る。投資家としては、こうした個人レベルの事業が成功する背景にある、ベトナムの生活コストの低さ、人々の温かさ、そして観光資源のポテンシャルを評価する必要がある。ただし、ビザ問題のような法規制上の不確実性は、潜在的なリスク要因として考慮すべきである。
Anniさんの経験は、ベトナム社会が外国人に対して開かれており、文化的な受容度が高いことを示している。彼女がベトナム語を学び、アオザイを着用し、地元の寺院を訪れるといった行動は、異文化への敬意と適応の表れである。しかし、ビザ更新の困難さは、外国人居住者にとっての現実的な生活上の摩擦であり、社会統合における制度的な障壁となっている。Anniさんのように、ベトナムで家族を築き、地域社会に根差そうとする人々にとって、この問題は生活の質に直接影響を与える。
Anniさんの物語は、多くのベトナム市民が外国からの訪問者や居住者に対して友好的であることを示している。彼女がメコンデルタで出会ったKhanh Tuongさんのような人々は、異文化を持つ人々との交流を積極的に行い、恋愛関係に発展させる。これは、ベトナム社会がグローバル化の波の中で、多様性を受け入れる柔軟性を持っていることを示唆している。一方で、Anniさんが直面するビザ問題は、外国人材の受け入れや長期滞在に関する制度が、国民生活に直接影響を与えるものではないにせよ、国際的な人材の流入や国際結婚といった側面で、社会全体のダイナミズムに関わる課題と言える。
背景・歴史的文脈
ベトナムはドイモイ（刷新）政策以降、市場経済化を進め、急速な経済成長を遂げてきた。この過程で、外国人投資家や観光客の誘致に力を入れてきたが、一方で、社会主義体制下の一党支配体制は、外国人に対する管理と統制を維持している。特にビザ政策は、経済発展と社会秩序維持のバランスを取るための重要なツールであり、外国人居住者にとっては、その柔軟性や簡素化が常に課題となっている。Anniさんのケースは、個人の幸福追求と、国家の政策との間の摩擦を浮き彫りにしている。
原文ソース
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