Minh Quan (real name Ben, born 1987) was born and raised in Perth, Australia. He lives with his wife and child in Western Australia, managing a store selling premium wine and food while creating online content.

He recently gained fame on TikTok with videos speaking fluent Vietnamese with a Quang Nam accent.

The video of Quan counting from 1 to 10 in Quang Nam accent has garnered 2.8 million views and 140,000 likes. Another video naming fruits has attracted 5.4 million views on TikTok.

His Vietnamese pronunciation and charming expressions have taken the internet by storm, with many surprised by Quan’s fluency.

Quan first visited Vietnam in 2016, staying in Hoi An, Quang Nam (now part of Da Nang). He heard from friends that it was one of the world’s most beautiful places.

“I stayed in (Hoi An) for three weeks, then returned to work and saved money to come back to Vietnam to stat longer. In total, I spent about three and a half years there,” Quan said.

Determined to live in Vietnam for a long time, he learned Vietnamese seriously. For about a year, he learned with three teachers, then self-studied by watching movies and using language-learning apps.

Minh Quan seized every chance to talk with Vietnamese people to practice communication. For him, pronunciation was the hardest thing. “I used to walk around the house, repeating a word until I got it right,” he recalled.

He noticed that his accent resembled that of Da Nang locals. Later, after marrying his Vietnamese wife and watching a comedian who used a Quang Nam accent, he grew fond of it.

“I found the central accent, especially Quang Nam’s, very charming and interesting. I explored the culture and intonation of the locals. Gradually, I picked up a bit of the Quang Nam accent, though it’s not perfect yet. Recently, I’ve been connecting with Quang  Nam natives to chat and improve my accent,” Quan said.

With his endless passion for Vietnamese, Minh Quan started making videos. Speaking in a Central accent, his videos have attracted massive engagement. The joyful, enthusiastic comments from viewers have made him incredibly happy.

Quan’s love for Vietnamese extends beyond the language as he married a Vietnamese woman.

His wife, Trang (born 1993, from DaNang), met him in 2017. Captivated by the charming Central Vietnamese woman, Quan pursued her, and they soon began dating.

In 2019, the couple married. “Our marriage is wonderful. Though we love life in Australia, we always miss Vietnam,” Trang said.

Thanh Minh