Western tourists bring golden horses on the plane home to reveal shocking secrets after 2 years

The Vietnamese online community must not have forgotten the image that caused a "storm" on social networks in 2023 when a foreign man took a colorful golden horse to the airport. At that time, the story made many people laugh because of the funny.

That man is Arnaud Zein El Din – a Mexican architect and blogger who used to take a long trip to explore Vietnam. During his journey around Hanoi's Old Quarter, Arnaud came across a golden horse displayed in front of the store.

"I found it beautiful, unique and very different from anything I'd ever seen before," he said in an interview with the press that year. With the attitude of a lover of beauty and a collector of handicrafts, Arnaud decided to buy this horse as a souvenir without knowing that it was an item used in Vietnamese spiritual rituals.

However, when preparing to leave Vietnam, Arnaud could not bring that "special friend" on the plane. Initially, airport security staff were forced to keep the item because of its bulky size and flammable material. The story seemed to stop there, but it was Arnaud's regret that touched the Vietnamese online community. A group of people, led by architect Son Dang, decided to buy another golden horse on Hang Ma Street, donate it and send it to Arnaud to France.

After more than a month of preparation and transportation, the "Vietnamese golden horse" officially crossed thousands of kilometers to Europe. When receiving the gift, Arnaud emotionally posted a picture of hugging the new horse on his personal page, with the message: "I not only received an item, but also received the hearts of Vietnamese friends."

From there, the journey of the special horse began. In the photos Arnaud has posted over the past year, people can see "Vietnamese horses" appearing everywhere in France, from Lyon to Pont d'Ain, and then the peaceful Cormoz countryside. Wherever he went, Arnaud carried the gift with him as a companion. Many French people were delighted to see this brilliant red and yellow item, calling it "a strange work of art from the East".

A few widely shared photos show Arnaud and his wife standing next to the "Vietnamese horse" in front of an old house in the South of France, or at a friend's table. "Everyone here is asking me: Is this a toy? I said, no, this is part of Vietnamese culture – where I had the most memorable trip," Arnaud recalled.

Later, when reading Vietnamese articles, Arnaud found out that he accidentally bought gold horses – items for sacrificial rituals. He laughed, but also expressed his appreciation: "When I understand its spiritual meaning, I feel even more lucky because I have a part of Vietnamese culture in my home."

According to cultural expert Vu Hong Thuat (Vietnam Museum of Ethnology), in folk beliefs, paper horses are not only sacrificial items, but also sacred images. Vietnamese people believe that horses are spiritual animals intermediate between the earth and the underworld, carrying prayers and offerings to the gods. Normally, each set of votive gold has all five horses representing the five heavens – East, West, South, North, and Central – with distinct colors.

The profession of making votive gold in Vietnam, especially in craft villages such as Phuc Am (Hanoi) or Song Ho (Bac Ninh), is still maintained for many generations. Each product is the result of meticulousness in paperbacking, gluing, cutting and color matching. Although made only of bamboo, paper and paste, these horses carry the soul of folklore, serving as a bridge between belief, art and spiritual life.

Le Hoang Hiep revealed a rare photo in the countryside, embankment with a boy, what is left after being famous? Hải Dương17:13:15 08/10/2025The video captures the daily life of Lieutenant Le Hoang Hiep when he has a trip to visit his hometown, causing waves on the internet. Many people can't help but lament about Le Hoang Hiep after losing his famous aura.