Ho Van Thanh
VietnamBiography of Ho Van Tan
Ho Van Tan is an 82-year-old Vietnamese man who lived in the jungles of Quang Ngai province for 40 years. After losing his wife and two children during the war, Tan took his surviving one-year-old son, Ho Van Lang, and retreated into the wilderness, distancing himself from society.
During their four decades in the jungle, Tan almost forgot how to speak, making it incredibly difficult to convince him to return to civilization. Despite the challenges, locals discovered the pair and were astonished to encounter two human-like beings who couldn't communicate, didn't understand the local language, and appeared completely wild.
News of their discovery reached the authorities, disrupting the usual life of Ho Van Tan and Ho Van Lang. After numerous gestures and negotiations, the father and son agreed to leave the jungle and re-enter the world.
Tan's health quickly deteriorated, and at 82 years old, he required urgent hospitalization. In contrast, his 41-year-old son, despite appearing extremely emaciated, was in relatively good health.
Throughout their years in the jungle, they primarily survived on roots, corn, and wild fruits they could find. They also cultivated and smoked tobacco. Tan's relatives were aware of his jungle dwelling and had attempted to convince him and his son to return to civilization, but their efforts were in vain. The last contact Tan had with his relatives occurred over 20 years ago, leaving them uncertain of their survival.
While Tan's condition remained grave due to his age and illnesses, he made an attempt to escape from the hospital and return home. However, for Ho Van Lang, life is just beginning. The Vietnamese Tarzan has much to discover about the world he has never seen or even imagined. When his father took him into the jungle, Lang was only a year old.
Ho Van Lang appears to be a frightened and primitive man after 40 years of living a peaceful and solitary life in the forest. Suddenly, their home was invaded by strangers, forcing both him and his father to enter a world they had actively avoided.
Only time will tell how humane or inhumane it was to disrupt the lives of the two hermits. For now, Ho Van Tan remains in the hospital while his son embarks on a journey to rediscover the world.
