What happened to the top university master who caused a stir by driving a motorbike taxi to 'kill off the boredom'?

Graduated with a master's degree from one of China's most prestigious schools, earning billions of dong each year, but when he became unemployed at the age of 40, he chose to drive a motorbike taxi for a while to 'change the air'.

In 2021, Chinese social networks were stirred up by a bald man wearing a blue T-shirt, driving an electric motorbike carrying passengers like a technology motorbike taxi driver.

Passengers call him "the motorbike taxi driver who speaks English like the wind" because when he talks, he can use this language fluently, no different from a foreign language teacher.

From a motorbike taxi driver to an internet phenomenon, Du Duong has stirred up the Chinese online community with his 'huge' education. (Photo: Baidu)

The identity of the mysterious man was quickly revealed: Du Duong was born in 1983 and is a master of law graduate from Sun Yat-sen University - one of the most prestigious schools in China, ranked in the top 10 nationwide and top 85 in the world .

Du Duong also co-founded an English center, with an income of up to 400,000 yuan per year (about 1.46 billion VND). However, after the Chinese government issued a ban on tutoring, the center was forced to close.

No longer teaching, he fell into unemployment and was forced to find a new direction. One time while picking up his child from school, he was unexpectedly mistaken for a technology-based motorbike taxi, and from there, Du Duong came up with the idea of trying out a few rides “to relieve stress”.

Unexpectedly, the videos recording the moment he drove passengers and taught English went viral, making him an internet phenomenon. The turning point that seemed to move from the podium to the sidewalk opened up a completely different journey for the man in his 40s.

The video of him sitting by the river, reading English translations of ancient Chinese poems with a standard voice and good intonation made viewers both curious and admiring. The contrast between his humble appearance and his high education made netizens extremely excited.

After the social media 'halo': Returning to being a teacher

When the videos went viral, Du Duong’s relatives were shocked. His mother, who used to work in a government agency, felt “lost face”. The young son even declared that he would “never talk to his father again” if he continued to work as a motorbike taxi driver.

Currently, Du Duong no longer drives a motorbike taxi, but his special story is still widely shared as a symbol of choosing a different life. (Photo: Baidu)

“I didn’t tell anyone about driving because it was just a short experience. But then, when the video went viral, my relatives and friends found out. Luckily, people gradually understood and I was able to return to education – what I do best,” he said.

"There is nothing shameful about this job," Du Duong shared in an interview with CCTV.

"An educated person can work in any field. I was in a difficult period in my career and driving a motorbike taxi was the choice I proactively made during this transition period," he calmly added.

Although he became famous quickly, Du Duong did not choose to chase after the temporary "viral" trend. He stopped driving after that and returned to his familiar job: Teaching English, designing online courses and training Chinese for foreigners.

On social media platforms, he also started building a Douyin channel (Chinese version of TikTok), specializing in sharing English learning tips, life knowledge and inspirational lectures.

“People think I made up stories to become famous. But in fact, I don’t need to use the name of a ‘xe om’ to attract attention. Someone who used to run an education center and teach study abroad exam preparation doesn’t need such tricks. I just went through a period of depression and used that time to readjust my life,” he once shared.

Du Yang currently lives in Hunan Province, China. He maintains his job as an English and Chinese teacher, develops online courses, and is an educational blogger with a steady following on social media.

In the latest videos, he no longer appears with a motorbike or red helmet, but is the simple image of a teacher reading poetry, teaching grammar, and sharing life stories in a gentle, confident voice.

“I believe that reading and studying is never a waste. Knowledge has helped me maintain my composure and get through the crisis calmly,” Du Duong said.

(Source: Vietnamnet)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/thac-si-truong-top-tung-gay-bao-khi-chay-xe-om-de-giai-khuay-gio-ra-sao-ar956839.html