A recent post on the Son Hai Group’s fanpage caught attention. The post, published on July 26, 2024, reads: “Today marks the 51st anniversary of Bruce Lee’s passing on July 20, 1973, which was the 21st of June in the lunar calendar. Since then, humanity has not witnessed another figure who has attained such a level of martial arts mastery. To commemorate this legendary figure, the leaders and family of the Son Hai Group organized a memorial service for him on the afternoon of the 21st of June in the year of the Dragon.”
The post was signed by Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai, Chairman of the Son Hai Group.
This is not the first time that businessman Nguyen Viet Hai has expressed his personal interest in martial arts and his admiration for Bruce Lee. Previously, on the Group’s fanpage, the Chairman shared a memory of his encounter with Bruce Lee’s legacy.
“Bruce Lee is a legend. I have always admired his talent, morality, and philosophy. In March 2014, I visited his grave and was fortunate and happy to meet and receive martial arts teachings from Mr. Taky Kimura, a Japanese martial arts master and Bruce Lee’s closest friend. From that moment on, Mr. Kimura followed Bruce Lee until the end of his life and continued to develop and promote Jeet Kune Do in the United States after Bruce Lee’s passing.”
The post was accompanied by photos of Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai at Bruce Lee’s resting place and engaging in conversation with Master Taky Kimura.
Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai pays respects at Bruce Lee’s grave. Photo: Son Hai Group’s Fanpage
Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai is known for his low-key presence in the media, rarely granting interviews despite the impressive achievements of the Son Hai Group. Therefore, his personal revelations about his passion for martial arts and admiration for Bruce Lee came as a surprise to many. However, a look into his background provides some insight into his connection with the martial arts legend.
According to information from the Quang Binh Province’s Portal, Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai (born in 1966) hails from Thon Sen, Hoa Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh. After graduating from the University of Economics with a major in Business Administration, he worked in the Logistics Department of the Quang Binh Provincial Police.
Additionally, according to an article in the Investment Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai is a martial arts master in Jeet Kune Do, the martial art founded by Bruce Lee.
He has participated in and sponsored various activities within the Vietnamese martial arts community. On the occasion of the Group’s 20th anniversary, the Son Hai fanpage shared an impressive clip featuring a martial arts performance by Chairman Nguyen Viet Hai himself.
Son Hai Group is one of the largest corporations in Quang Binh Province, specializing in construction, including house building, railway and road construction, land leveling, and real estate business. The company gained nationwide recognition for its involvement in the National Highway 1A expansion project in 2014, where they offered a 5-year warranty for the sections they constructed in Quang Binh Province, surpassing the standard 2-year warranty offered by other contractors.
A section of the Ho Chi Minh Road constructed by Son Hai Group with a 5-year warranty. Photo: NLD
Subsequently, Son Hai Group made headlines again by offering a 10-year warranty for the roads they built, a promise that no other corporation has made.
During the year-end review in 2023, the Chairman of Son Hai Group revealed that the average income of the corporation’s employees had increased compared to 2022, reaching 24 million VND/person/month. The lowest-paid employee at Son Hai Group is a roller operator, earning over 270 million VND per year.
