Vietnamese girl travels to 25 countries with US$700

With only $700 in her pocket, Khanh Huyen traveled to 25 countries in Asia and  Africa . In two years of travelling, the  Hanoi  girls learned how to cook many dishes, row, hike, act in films and write.  After graduating from the high school for gifted students of the National University of Hanoi, Nguyen Thi Khanh Huyen decided to work immediately without studying at college.

When Huyen was tired of work her job in  Malaysia , she flashed the idea to travel to some countries. However, the trip lasted for two years, taking her to 25 countries.

"When I was young, I used to say to my mum that I wanted to travel around the world. At that time she only smiled and though that I told a joke. I also thought that was my outburst and I could not do it. But it is amazing that I had such a long journey," Huyen said.

In May 2010, Huyen left  Malaysia  to some countries in Asia and  Africa . She stayed in  India  for four months, then three months in  Nepal  3, another three months in  Israel .

In two years travelling over different lands, Huyen always looked for ways to save money for the trip. As a member of the Couch Surfing network in the world (sharing accommodations), Huyen was provided with free accommodations in the countries she visited by other members of the Couch Surfing network. They also helped her integrate into local communities to learn about their lives and culture.

Huyen was also willing to sleep at bus stops, on the street, and on the beach as long as they gave her the sense of security. She even slept in police stations several times.

"Once I slept on the beach of the Red Sea ( Israel ). The weather was very hot during the day but it was very cold at night. I had to wear all of my clothes in my backpack but I was still cold. In  Nepal , I had to sleep at police stations several times. I had to be very patient to explain for local people that I was traveling. Perhaps I looked naïve so they had compassion for me," Huyen said with a smile.

She regularly walked, for up to 40-50km a day, or hitched a ride because according to Huyen "hitchhiking is very simple. I stood on the road to catch people for a ride."

Once she hitchhiked a truck in  Ethiopia  and overslept in the car. The car took her 200km over her scheduled destination. The driver dropped Huyen in a strange city that she had never heard of its name. But Huyen found out that this was a very interesting place after a few days discovering the city.

She traveled from one place to the other. When she was out of cash, she found a job to do. In  India , she starred as a popular actor and played in commercial ads. In  Nepal , she participated in organizing parties for a club. She wrote for a website in  Israel , worked in a casino in  Tanzania ...

Huyen said that these jobs did not require in-depth knowledge, just a vivacious, dynamic, bold person. These simple works were paid for the hour, immediately, so she still had time to explore destinations.

"Each passing day I had different memories and different experiences. In two years, I learned many things which are as important as the knowledge that I learnt for 12 years at the school," Huyen said.

She said she learned many things such as designing websites, making a film in  India , Buddhism in  Tibet , rowing, hiking cooking dishes from different countries, making jewelry from recycled materials and others.

Travelling alone but Huyen never fell sad because she could quickly make friends with local people.

"When I was sad, I went to the market to find local people to get acquainted with them. I never stayed in hotels. I always tried to stay with local people," Huyen said.

On a bus in the evening in  India , a young man invited Huyen to stay with his family for one night. But Huyen stayed there for a week and learned how to cook Indian cuisines learned about the culture, customs of Indian people. The family presented her gifts when she left.

In her journey, Huyen met accidents and risks. She had a motorcycle accident, causing leg fracture and she had to stay in  Nepal  for a month to care for the injury. She experienced persistent illness in the winter in the  Himalayas . She was snatched, pick-pocketed and was nearly kidnapped.

At the border of  Kenya  and  Somalia  in the evening, a group of young people pressed a knife to her neck and robbed her backpack. Although she chased after them and shouted for help, people around did not help her. At that time, she fell helpless, resentment, and very alone.

"The trip really helped me mature. Situations taught me how to live independently, comfortably, strengthened my adaptability and endurance. I have become bolder and stronger after the journey," Huyen said.

Talking about her experience in preparing for the journey, Huyen said that the most important thing is preparing a good health and anticipate any circumstance that can happen on the road.

When she returned home with sunburned skin, ragged hair, her mother was poignant, but she assured about her daughter's self-reliance.

" Vietnam  youngsters were wrapped carefully by their families so they are disadvantaged compared to their friends in other countries in the world. In many countries, young people are always facilitated by their families to travel," Huyen said.

Huyen plans to visit  South America  for a year. She is also building a tourism portal, wishing to turn it into a Lonely Planet site for the Vietnamese. She is also about to release a book that she wrote about her experience in the journey.

Hanoi plans to lure more tourists with the tours to craft villages

The Hanoi Department for Culture, Sports and Tourism carried out a field work in a preparation to build up some tourism products to craft villages, with Van Phuc silk village on the focus.

The numerous craft villages in Hanoi, in the eyes of experts, are the great potential materials for developing tourism. Hanoi authorities now vow to turn the great potentials into reality.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Mai TIen Dung said Van Phuc, located near the central area of Hanoi, famous with the traditional silk weaving career, always strives to develop tourism. However, Van Phuc still cannot lure a lot of tourists because of the lack of the awareness of local people about tourism development. 

Meanwhile, the infrastructure system here remains too poor to attract tourists, while the services are simple and unprofessional.

Dung, in an interview given to local newspapers, admitted that though having more than 1000 traditional craft villages, Hanoi still cannot develop the “craft village tours.”

He has blamed this on the poor conditions of the roads linking to the craft villages, the unprofessional services, the lack of tour guides, and the existing problems in environment protection.

Dung has promised to support travel firms and craft villages to attract more tourists. However, Hanoi would not follow the popular way by giving money to travel firms to help them cut down expenses and design cheap tours to the villages.

He has affirmed that the local authorities would not prop up money to the travel firms that bring travelers to craft villages.

“The tourism department would help improve the quality of the services at the craft villages to persuade travel firms to design the tours with the craft villages being the destinations,” Dung said.

“I believe that travel firms would automatically bring tourists to craft villages once the villages can show their attractiveness and the professional services,” he added.

A model that associates the production and tourism would be built up at the craft villages. Travelers would be able not only to visit the villages which make wonderful handicrafts, but also to learn about the production, buy ready made products or place orders.

Van Phuc silk village, for example, is planning to attract tourists with its fame as a traditional silk weaving village, where high quality silk products are sold and skillful craftsmen live.

Van Phuc has been praised as the ideal place for those, who are fond of silk products and souvenirs, to go to. 

Van Phuc has been called the “silk shop town,” where almost all houses along the paths have been turned into shops selling silk products. The village is now the home to more than 1000 households, 90 percent of whom are involved in silk production and business. The village makes several million meters of silk every year.

Van Phuc has organized a lot of events to popularize the image of Ha Dong brand silk. In the immediate time, it would join the yearly craft village festival to be organized by the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This would be a golden opportunity for Van Phuc to introduce the beauty of Ha Dong silk to travelers.

Not only Hanoi, but other localities also plan to attract more tourists with the tours to craft villages. The Thua Thien-Hue provincial people’s committee has announced it would organize the handicraft career festival in 2013, an effort to strengthen the role of craft villages in tourism development. 

Vietnam - A look back at the past

A local photographer has introduced a collection of photos featuring various famous sites in Vietnam in which he set old black and white images into colour.   

The collection provides a fresh perspective on familiar cultural and historical landmarks throughout the country, and belongs to a new photo project titled: Vietnam- A look back to the past.

The photographer, Nguyen Xuan Khanh, from central Khanh Hoa Province, has made each of the photos by combining old photos of these places with newly shot ones.

Khanh said that he has spent more than a year travelling around the country to prepare his collection. He hopes that it will show how these places have changed with time.

Below comes some of the photos in his collection:

The Vietnam Liberation troops retook the Independence Palace (Dinh Doc Lap) on April 30, 1975

Vietnamese troops celebrated their victory on April 30, 1975

A Street in Sai Gon (now HCM City) in 1969

The Caravelle Hotel (Sai Gon) in 1969 and now

The Majestic Hotel (Sai Gon) in 1966 and now

Ben Thanh market in 1922

The Notre Dame Cathedral in HCM City in 1890

The HCM City opera house and the Continental Hotel during the early 20th century

Sai Gon Street during the 50s-60s

A street in Nha Trang City during 1966-1968

Regional cities in tourism deal

Phnom Penh, Vientiane and HCMC on Thursday signed an agreement on tourism cooperation through promoting and connecting tourism products, boosting regional tourism, developing human resources and exchanging students.

 

Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City

The agreement was signed at the summit on tourism of Mekong Subregion cities held in HCMC on Thursday.

The three sides have agreed on selecting the International Travel Expo HCMC as an event connecting tourism promotion programs for a single destination encompassing the three cities, and there will be at least one program to promote bilateral or multilateral tourism organized each year.

Besides, a student exchange program between the three countries may be organized next year. At the summit, HCMC has proposed creating the website mekongsubregiononedestination to promote the tourism image, and the cities will jointly run promotion events in Northeast Asian countries and China.

According to HCMC chairman Le Hoang Quan, this is the first time the three cities have discussed and made a pledge on tourism cooperation which serves as a foundation for extending cooperation into other spheres. The cities are also trying to improve the quality of services, facilitate the passenger transport to develop the regional tourism and attract international tourists.

The transport between HCMC and Phnom Penh has been quite easy for tourists with around 40 buses and many flights daily. However, the transport from HCMC to Vientiane is not that easy, and cities need to work on this issue, said Quan.

Luckily, “the transport ministers of Vietnam and Laos are studying and may open the HCMC-Vientiane air service next year,” he said.

This summit will be made an annual event for the three cities, and representatives from other cities in the Mekong Sub-region will be invited to join.

Nha Dai of E De ethnic people

Located in Buon Me Thuot City, Dak Lak province, the E De people in Ako Dhong Hamlet are considered a model community of ethnic people in the Central Highlands.

Built in the unique architectural style of the E De people into basalt red soil, the charming Nha Dai (long houses), will put visitors to the sunny plateau immediately at peace.

There are about 300 E De people living in 30 long houses in Ako Dhong Hamlet. The long houses are about 15-100m long, largely dependant on the number of family members.

Many generations of a family live together in each long house, typically in the matriarchal structure common to the E De people.

The long houses are made from natural materials such as bamboo and wood, with the roof covered by reeds. Walls and floors are then grafted by Nua (Neohouzeaua) that is cut in half and crushed.

Built upon stilts for the practical purpose of protecting dwellers from floods and dangerous wild animals, the length of the long house is measured by the number of collar beams.

Traditionally the house is lengthened with a compartment every time a girl living in the house gets married, following E De matriarchal society where men typically live in their wife’s house. E Pap, an elder who has lived in Ako Dhong for over 40 years, said that in front of the door there is a large yard, also called a guest yard. People walk through the yard before entering the house.

The more prosperous the family is, the larger and more beautiful the yard is. Each house has two doors and two staircases at either end with one staircase for residents and the other for guests.

The staircases have an odd number of steps, which is considered lucky in E De culture and is always the pride of the family.

It is made by hand and decorated with breast-motifs at the top, the symbol of matriarchal vitality and power.

In Ako Dhong, visitors not only enjoy the charm of the special long houses, but can also discover the typical lifestyles of the E De ethnic people in the Central Highlands.

A Nha Dai in Ako Dhong Hamlet in the early morning

Foreign tourists visit a Nha Dai of the E De ethnic people in Ako Dhong Hamlet

The inside space of the house is large and full of sunlight

Climbing up the staircase of a Nha Dai

A Nha Dai yard

A Nha Dai staircase

The main door of a Nha Dai

HCM City hosts first Mekong tourism city mayor meeting

 

Leaders from Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam, Phnom Penh of Cambodia and Vientiane of Laos gathered in HCM City on Sept. 13 for the first meeting of Mekong sub-regional tourism cities’ mayors. 

The event, which took place within the framework of the 2012 International Travel Expo-HCM City, aims to the implement sustainable tourism development strategy, contributing to prioritizing toursim cooperation between cities in the Mekong sub-region. 

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, Le Hoang Quan, said the city’s tourism sector has developed strongly in recent years. In the 2006-2011 period, the number of international tourists to the city saw an average increase of more than 10 percent, accounting for about 60 percent of the country’s total number of foreign visitors. The sector contributed 43 percent and 11 percent to Vietnam’s total turnover from the non-smoke industry and the city’s GDP, respectively.

He pointed out that the municipal authorities always create favourable conditions to develop tourism through a series of policies, promotion solutions and programmes on human resources training. 

At the conference, the mayors of Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh and Vientiane signed a joint statement on intensifying and encouraging travel agencies to cooperate in information exchange and experience sharing on the tourism development planning and promotion. 

They agreed to cooperate in training and developing human resources for tourism, implementing joint promotion programmes to build the Mekong Sub-region into an attractive destination, and further tighten the relations between countries in the region while strengthening exchanges with other cities outside the region.

Source: VNA

 

Specialties of the Southwestern region

The stretch of road from Ho Chi Minh City, going along National Highway 1A, which runs from Long An Province to the southern most province of Ca Mau, offers a number of specialties.

Stalls foods and fruits unique to this part of the country are to be seen all along this route.

Before passing over My Thuan Bridge to Vinh Long Province, for example, visitors are treated to feast for the eyes. The stalls overflowing with the products of the area, including fruits such as mangoes, oranges and guava and the famous candy of Ben Tre and Soc Trang like sweet coconut, Lai Vung meat rolls and bia cakes (made from durian, wheat powder and egg).

Mrs. Thu, a traveller from HCM City, said this was her first time visiting the region, and that she was impressed with the abundant rivers and wide variety of fruits displayed so well.

“I pay so much attention to the stalls themselves that I forget to buy anything," she said.

 

Mrs. Trang checks the stall display

\

Vy and her mother

 

Attracted by stalls

 

Bia cake in Soc Trang

Lai Vung pork rolls in Dong Thap

 

Various kinds of specialties for customers to choose from

 

Candy and cakes accompany the fruit

 

“Grape fruit towers” in O Mon, Can Tho

 

In Tien Giang fruits are sold by basket

The lush green valley of Muong Hoa

Situated about 15 kilometers from the tourist hotspot of Sapa town in Lao Cai Province is the green valley Muong Hoa, which is the homeland of minority peoples who inhabit and cultivate the land.

The valley has the beautiful Muong Hoa River, which flows across the small town and rice fields of the ethnic minority people of H’Mong, Dao and many others. Located on the sides of the river are the small towns of Lao Chai, Ta Van and Hau Thao; these locations are favored destinations for foreigners for a variety of activities including trekking and shopping for hand-made products

Battle-hardened tourists trek on a slope in the valley

A farmer ploughs on a rice field in the valley

 A stunning view of the beautiful rice fi elds of Muong Hoa Valley - Photos: Pham Thai

Solar electric car tours in Hanoi

Visitors to Hanoi will soon have two more options for city routes run by solar electric cars, set to be put into operation in December.

 

Electric car tours operate in Hanoi

The tours, launched by Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company, will take tourists to visit a number of famous sites in the city, including Hoa Lo Prison, the Opera House and Quan Su Pagoda.

According to the company, while their old fleet of electric cars are now running in the old quarter, these two new routes will expand to larger streets including Ly Thuong Kiet, Hai Ba Trung, Nguyen Du, which they say will give visitors a chance to see more sites and the city's colonial architecture.

The two new routes will operate every day from 7am till 11pm, beginning December for VND20,000 per person.

Since July 2010, 20 electric cars that could fit seven passengers have been in operation. One route goes up the trade streets and to Dong Xuan Market and the other one tours famous sites for food and shopping, as well as sites like Ngoc Son Temple, Kim Ngan communal house and the Temple of the Le Kings.

September last year, some 20 more electric cars were added to the city's guided tour options by the State-owned Tay Ho company, giving tours around West Lake and a number of other pagodas, parks and temples.

Two international standard amusement parks for Da Nang

 

 

Viet Nam’s Sun Group general director, Mr. Dang Minh Truong, said the group will build the 200 million USD Da Nang Asian Park near the 2 September Peace Monument. It will cover over 48 ha of land and over 40 ha of water.

World-known American architect Bill Bensley of the Bensley Design Group International Consultants Co is the master planner for the project. The group will be exempt from land lease fees. 

There will be a 125m observation wheel named Da Nang View, numerous international standard rides and replicas of buildings from many Asian countries. A multi-function centre will show films, stage drama, have circuses and hold music performances. The park will feature water, sound and light shows, water puppets, sporting events and fireworks displays.

Mr. Truong said stage 1 of park will open in sixteen months. It is expected to welcome about 1.5 million visitors per year.

Construction of the Sun Group’s Ocean Park on the Son Tra Peninsula is underway. The park, which will include a water palace and a cable car will carry visitors from the cruise ship wharf to the top of Mt. Son Tra, is designed by the U.S Pacon’s Tree House Consultancy Co.

There will be models of famous ports and lighthouses from around the world. 

Source: Danang Today

 

The 9 Best Things To Do In Vietnam

Vietnam is one of my favorite places in Asia . So much history, so much natural beauty, and the Vietnamese people themselves are renowned for their graciousness and good cheer. They harbor no resentment toward Americans despite a decade of bombings during the war. In fact they hold us in the highest favor - increasingly consuming our globalized bounty of pop culture - and welcome Americans with open arms.

#10 -- A hopeful current is buzzing throughout much of the country, and it's a thrill to watch the chaos and order play out their yin and yang amidst honking horns, noodle stands, crumbling colonial remnants and high-rises. Here is my list of the nine best things to do in Vietnam .

#9 -- Access ethic tribal minorities at villages nestled in the lush hills near Sapa, and share a cup of tea with locals in their rustic mountain homes.

#8 -- Dine at the epicenter of culture at an exclusive dinner at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi .

#7 -- Enjoy a private reception at a first-rate art gallery in Hanoi . The curator is our longtime friend, and the crème of Hanoi 's artists are in attendance.

#6 -- Take a private cooking class with a gourmet chef, our friend of two decades who is frequently featured on Vietnamese cooking shows.

#5 -- Visit the collection of antiques and photographs of the "American War" by our friend Cuong, who photographed the fall of Saigon and was later sent to a Marxist re-education camp. His life story has been the subject of a PBS documentary.

#4 -- Enter a state of blissful oblivion at the breathtaking Six Senses Con Dao beach resort, located on a white sand beach of stunning natural beauty.

#3 -- Navigate the alleyways of the ancient port town of Hoi An by bicycle, to explore the syncretic cultural influences of Southeast Asia 's most important port from the 17th through 19th centuries.

#2 -- Cruise the waterways of the Mekong Delta to glimpse the timeless rural scenes of farmers working the fertile land and fishermen with their nets. Stop in a home to see them making rice paper, one at a time, with a ladle and griddle.

#1 -- Take a private overnight cruise through Halong Bayon a restored junk, a traditional Chinese sailboat. This bay is on anyone's short list for the greatest natural scenery in Asia . From sea kayaking into caves to visiting locals in their fishing villages on tucked-away islands, Halong Bay is a must on any trip to Vietnam .

HCM City the convergent point of tourism promoters

 

 

A number of programs are hosted in coincidence with the Travel Expo HCMC 2012 (ITE HCMC) from Thursday to Saturday.

Tomorrow India will kick off its tourism promotions in the city with road shows introducing the country’s tourism at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza followed by the Cambodian night on Thursday. In addition, local tourism promotion agencies from Haiphong, Khanh Hoa or Binh Phuoc will also organize scores of other events in HCMC to promote images, events and new products of their localities.

The city has become the focus of tourism marketing activities as the number of agencies engaged in international travel here makes up nearly a half of the total number of tourism companies nationwide. Up to 435 foreign tour operators and 324 domestic ones are present in HCMC, with most of the country’s leading enterprises based in the city.

The number of foreign arrivals to the city accounts for about 58% of the total while the number of domestic visitors of the city also grows by 20-30% annually.

A lot of tourism firms in HCMC have become the major ones to take travelers to other provinces. According to the departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lam Dong and Binh Thuan provinces, the majority of visitors to their localities are handled by city-based tourism companies. In Lam Dong alone, the number of visitors handled by travel agencies in HCMC amount to up to 45% of the total.

Source: SGT

 

UNESCO ‘Memory of the World’ title for Buddhist Woodblocks

 

 

A grand ceremony will be held on October 7 to pray for national peace and prosperity, and to receive the UNESCO certificate declaring the ancient Buddhist Sutra Woodblocks at the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Bac Giang Province as ‘Memory of the World’.

The event aims to honor the collection of valuable woodblocks of an ancient oriental cultural and traditional heritage. 

The ancient woodblocks were made in the early 14th century by monks at the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in the northern province of Bac Giang.

The blocks tell a history of woodblock carvings in Vietnam; the development and ideology of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism-founded by King Tran Nhan Tong in the 11th century; science and technology; literature and the arts; and the philosophy, sociology and linguistics of earlier civilizations.

On the occasion, a historical site relating to the Yen The up-rising (1883-1913) will be recognized as a special national relic.

Source: VietNamNet/SGGP

 

Hoi An launches car-free campaign

 The central city of Hoi An on Sept. 9 launched its first Car Free Day campaign, coinciding with its annual Nature Day in which over 5,000 people participated. 

The ancient city was the first city in Vietnam to host a Car Free Day in an effort to make the environment in the tourism hub cleaner. 

Participants rode on bicycles and pedicabs around the city's old quarter to raise awareness about environmental protection among local people and tourists. 

"The campaign shows how committed local people are to environmental protection. The city has successfully organised a pedestrian street in the old quarter since 2002 and hosted the Nature Day for the past three years," said Hoi An City's People's Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Dung. 

"We are honoured to be the first city in Viet Nam to join the Asian network of Car Free Day programmes. We also hope that the campaign will encourage people to use more environmentally friendly vehicles like bicycles and battery-powered bicycles and to walk more," Dung said. 

The Car Free Day, which was debuted in La Rosshelle in France in 1997, has attracted the participation of 2,268 cities in 40 countries. 

The city also set up 13 sites where people can change used nylon bags for new reusable bags in an action to say no to plastic bags. 

A painting contest for children was held at An Hoi bridge as part of the response to Car Free Day.

Source: VNA

 

Russian businesses explore Ninh Thuan’s tourism potential

 

 

A Russian Farmtrip delegation consisting of representatives from 10 travel agencies of Pegas Touristik Company paid a fact-finding visit to Ninh Thuan province from September 7-9.

During their stay in Bau Truc resort and Saigon-Ninh Chu hotel, they called at Vinh Hy bay, the Bau Truc pottery village, My Nghiep weaving village and Poklong Garai tower to enjoy art performances by Cham people. 

The visit was in preparation for the first 300 Russian tourists to go sightseeing there for 3-4 days, starting on September 16. 

In the next few days, the delegation will study tourism products in Binh Thuan and participate in the International Travel Expo (ITE 2012) in Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: VOV

 

Celebrate the rice season in Mu Cang Chai

In the rural district of Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai Province, northeastern region, the harvest season in mid-September is the most important event of the year and is celebrated as such.

The area is populated by the H’Mong – a group of minority people who live their lives around rice and corn cultivation.

This area’s rice cultivation is very different from the deltas of Mekong and Hong rivers, as there is only one harvest season and the rice productivity here is not as high as in the deltas.

Every year, the H’Mong will flood the fields that are built on the slope of the hills, to prepare for the planting of seeds in April or May and wait four months until harvest. The harvest season comes early or late depending on the weather.

In recent years, the authorities of Mu Cang Chai have held a celebration ceremony at harvest time, usually in the middle of September. The event attracts tourists to enjoy the splendid scenery of the mountainous area as well as the typical culture there.

Endless green rice fi elds on the slopes of hillsi

A H’Mong boy signs ‘hello’ to foreign and local tourists - Photos: Pham Tha

Hoang Su Phi terraced fields - new national heritage

 

The terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi District in the northern province of Ha Giang, have been recognized as a national heritage site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The province will hold a certification ceremony on September 16 which will feature traditional art and culture of ethnic people.

The terraces bear witness to centuries of wet rice cultivation by ethnic minorities in Hoang Su Phi, including the Dao, Nung and La Chi, and they have great cultural and historical value in addition to being aesthetically beautiful. The terraced fields cover six communes including Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Ho Thau, Nam Ty and Thong Nguyen.

Local authorities will create projects to preserve the fields and promote their tourism potential.

Source: SGT

 

Plough casting of the Mong ethnic people

For a long time, the Mong people in Dong Van Karst Plateau in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang have preserved a technique of casting a special kind of plough that is suitable for rocky soils. 

With its high geological value, the plateau was officially recognised as a Global Geo-Park by the UNESCO Global Geo-parks Network (GGN) in 2010. It is the first certificate ever issued in Vietnam and only the second in Southeast Asia. 

Over the years, the plateau has been home to several ethnic groups, but primarily the Mong people who survive by farming in rare plots scattered on rocky mountainsides.

The image of the plateau is one of an immense, rugged, rocky, mountain area with occasional strips of rocky earth dispersed between mountainous creeks and rivers. Predictably, it is no easy task for local people to farm here.

They cannot use the normal ploughs that are typically used in the plains because the ploughs simply break or are quickly damaged by rocks. 

Grinding clay to make the mould

Mixing the rock and oak charcoal flour to coat the casting mould

Making the mould smooth with a mixture of oak charcoal and rock flour

The mould consists of  two pieces made from clay, mixed with charcoal flour and rock flour and then placed on a wooden stand

Grafting two pieces of the casting mould using a layer of clay

To cast a plough, it requires about 7kg of pig iron

Pouring the melted pig-iron into the mould

After three minutes, the plough can be taken out of the mould

At the market, each plough is sold for VND350,000

To deal with this difficulty, the people in the plateau have built a special kind of plough that is suitable for the rocky soils.

In Sung La Hamlet in Sung La Commune, Dong Van District, the casting technique is now preserved by the Mua family.

The secret and experience in casting the firm and durable ploughs are handed down from generation to generation.

At first glance, the Mua’s casting technique appears to be nothing unusual, but in fact it consists of many interesting secrets.

For example, besides common pig-iron, they add other materials such as rock flour and charcoal from oak trees. Coal for firing the kiln is also from the oak tree.

After completion, the ploughs are kept in ash instead of water just like the traditional plough-casting method.

Thank to the special plough, Mong ethnic people can cultivate on the Dong Van Karst Plateau

Thanks to these techniques, the Mong ethnic people have created their own ploughs that help them till the earth on these rocky outcrops.

Despite harsh conditions, green corn and rice fields are seen on the plateau, promising to bring the local people in the border areas of the country a better life.