Pham Trong Tho
Consul Consulate General of the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Chongqing
Following the consulate's formal opening on October 29, 2025, Pham Trong Thi, among its inaugural diplomatic team, settled into both his posting and life in the mountain city. In a recent sit-down with Chongqing Currents, he opened up about what Chongqing and Chongqingers look like through his eyes.
A Place That Never Stops Rising
"I've been at the Consulate General here for about a year now. Walking Chongqing's streets and backstreets, what hits me again and again is how this city turns the 'impossible' into the everyday."
"Hanoi unwraps itself along the Red River, flat, open, spreading laterally. Chongqing, though, is a mountain city that decided to build anyway. Out of folded ridges and twisting river bends it carved an '8D' metropolis: a monorail that glides straight through a residential tower; flyovers stacked in tiered layers; river-crossing tunnels knitting north to south. Even in a core district like Yuzhong, you're never more than a few steps from a sweep of green hills."
"The infrastructure efficiency, and the intelligence baked into it is staggering. Near-universal mobile payments, a rail transit network that reaches everywhere, it makes daily life convenient in ways that exceed any expectation. The whole city just never stops feeling upward."
What Moves Me Most About Chongqing? Its People.
"In the day-to-day work of the Consulate, I probably interact most with friends from all walks of life here in Chongqing, and what moves me most about the city is its people: their forthrightness and sincerity. Whether it's officials at government departments handling meeting logistics, or the local counterparts coordinating on the business side, things get done, cleanly and without dragging feet. When a problem comes up, no one dodges responsibility; people sit down, figure it out, and solve it together. That's rare, and it leaves a strong impression."
"Off the clock, it's even easier to feel at home. My Chongqing friends don't put up walls or stand on ceremony just because I'm a foreigner. Not long ago, still new to the city, I misread where I was and assumed I was already somewhere inside downtown Chongqing. Because of that, a friend ended up driving 30-plus kilometers out of his way, especially, just to hand-deliver a document I needed. That kind of warmth and spontaneous kindness, honestly, really got to me."
Absolutely Worth the Trip
"Chongqing sits at a vital node in the whole arc of Vietnam–China exchange. Today, trade and logistics between us aren't just ticking along, they're accelerating, and new doors are opening everywhere: in supply-chain logistics, in cross-border trade, in cultural and people-to-people ties, and in tourism."
"So here's what I'd tell my Vietnamese friends back home: whether you're planning to visit, looking for work, or scouting for investment opportunities, Chongqing is absolutely worth the trip. You've got the jaw-dropping, multi-layered mountain cityscape that everyone calls China's '8D city.' You've got the food, steaming hotpot and those addictive bowls of xiao miannoodles, and you're a short hop from the majestic scenery of the Three Gorges. Prices are refreshingly reasonable, and day to day, the city makes you feel welcome as a foreigner. Come walk these streets, come see for yourself, and I'm pretty sure you'll fall in love with it the way I have."
Image provided by interviewee
Chinese Article: Wang Jingjing