Unique 'gardens' on roofs in the Western region of Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) – Due to lack of land, growing vegetables on rooftops has been a familiar image for generations for the Mong people in the Western region of Nghe An.
In areas where Mong people live such as Huoi Tu, Muong Long, Tay Son, Na Ngoi, Nam Can... (Ky Son), it is easy to see buckets and pots full of onions and herbs hanging on the roofs of houses. This is a long-standing method of cultivation of the Mong ethnic community due to lack of land for production and convenience in use.
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| Mong people grow onions on the roof. |
We met Mr. Xong Chia Xa (Na Cang village - Na Ngoi) when he was busy taking care of the lush onion bushes on the roof of his sa mu house. According to Mr. Xa, these are Mong people's onions, which can be harvested and eaten after only a short time of planting. This type of onion is larger than chives, similar to shallots but has a more distinctive aroma.
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| People use broken basins to grow onions. |
Mr. Chia Xa said that he did not remember when the Mong people started growing vegetables on the roof, but he knew that he had seen his ancestors using discarded objects such as buckets, pots, and styrofoam boxes to plant. Doing so not only saves land, but also beautifies the house and is convenient to use.
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| Growing onions in water tanks. |
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| ...And herbs. |
In Huoi Giang 1 village (Tay Son commune), we also saw people using public water tanks to grow vegetables. On the flat roof of the tank, some households took soil to grow onions, basil, and fish mint for food. Village elder Vu No Tu told us that some households grow vegetables on the roof, but others asked the village for permission to grow them on the water tank for convenient irrigation and care. Vegetables grown on high ground like this can both catch sunlight and avoid being damaged by chickens and ducks.
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| Planting like this is easy to care for and avoids damage from chickens and ducks. |
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| Some households also use the roof as a trellis for squash. |
Thus, it can be seen that growing vegetables on the roof of the Mong people is a unique and distinctive feature that has existed for a long time in this ethnic community.
Dao Tho
