How TikTok made a barefoot Vietnamese ‘monk’ go viral
Le Anh Tu, better known as Thich Minh Tue, is a 43-year-old Vietnamese man who became an internet hit last month when several influencers began documenting his barefoot pilgrimage across Vietnam on TikTok and other social media platforms. He amassed legions of supporters who were drawn to his simple lifestyle and humble attitude.
Tue sports a shaved head, patched robe and a rice cooker as an alms bowl - but isn’t officially a monk because he’s not recognized by the state-sanctioned Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, or community. In fact, he doesn’t claim to be a monk - only a man trying to live out Buddha’s teachings.
Tue practices a form of Buddhism that requires followers to own only three sets of clothes, to subsist by collecting alms house to house, and to live a low-impact life in outdoor places like forests, mountains, or even in graveyards.
He began his religious journey six years ago and has since made several pilgrimages on foot between Vietnam’s southeastern city of Nha Trang and the northern border with China, but it was only after his latest trip was covered on social media that he drew widespread attention.
While he is not recognized as a monk by the official Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, supporters say they are drawn to Tue’s humble ways that stand in contrast to senior monks in Vietnam who encourage followers to give offerings while living in large pagodas and flaunting expensive watches and luxury cars.
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