Carrying 'forest' to the city - the simplicity of the highlands

(Baonghean.vn) - The cries of "Muong oi", "Che oi!" ... have long since become familiar sounds every morning in Hoa Binh town (Tuong Duong). The image of women carrying baskets of clean agricultural products from the mountains and forests to sell to city customers has contributed to the simple beauty of the highlands.

Early morning in Hoa Binh town is romantic and peaceful...

But in just a moment, the town "wakes up" in daily activities. Among the traffic, the image of people carrying heavy loads of firewood to earn a living like this has become a characteristic of the highland town. Each load of firewood earns about 30,000 - 50,000 VND, but many times the women have to carry it on their shoulders and walk nearly ten kilometers to reach the town.

'In the past, villagers often carried agricultural or forest products harvested from the forest down to the mountain town to sell in exchange for food. They carried their baskets from house to house to offer their services. Now "tNowadays, many women in the village use bicycles to go around selling their wares. The cries of "Ai rau doi!", "Chè day!" can be heard throughout the streets...

Even though there is a market in town, baskets and vegetable carts like this are still favored by many townspeople because of their preference for clean agricultural products from the mountains and forests.

Vegetable stalls do not only have vegetables, sometimes there are also unexpected specialties, this is dried frogs, a specialty of ethnic minorities.

Women "compete" to buy galangal. The native galangal is much more fragrant and aromatic than the galangal grown on other lands.

Encountered two old ladies carrying several bottles of wild honey and offering to buy it at the doorsteps of townspeople.

After carrying their loads around town, by noon all the goods were sold out. The women walked back to their villages to plant crops, raise livestock, leisurely catch stream fish, pick wild vegetables... preparing for tomorrow's market.

Thanh Cuong