Aspiration on the top of Chong Ta Gia

Meeting Vu Va Chong while he was herding cows to the farm. Expressing his wish to follow him, Vu Va Chong (born in 1967) happily accepted: "You guys can come and see freely, but there is only tea and po mu, sa mu!"... Completely different from the outside with the road and trees covered with dust, the farm grounds are strangely quiet, you can hear the birds hopping from branch to branch and the wind rustling through the endless green of Shan Tuyet tea interspersed with rows of po mu and sa mu trees, promising high economic value.

Ao Tien is covered with the green color of Shan Tuyet tea mixed with rows of po mu and sa mu trees.

Leading visitors through the vast green mountains and forests, Vu Va Chong said: “This mountain range used to be covered with immense po mu and sa mu trees. On the top of the mountain was a crystal clear pond with water that never dried up, providing enough water for the villagers during the dry season. It was called Ao Tien, in Mong language it is called Chong Ta Gia. Later, the forest trees were massively cut down to make fields, gradually thinning out, and Ao Tien also disappeared. Witnessing that, I was extremely sad. Since I was young, I have cherished the desire to replant the forest and find the water of Ao Tien again.”

Growing up, Va Chong went to Muong Xen to study high school, then signed up for the army. After being discharged from the army and returning to his hometown to start a family, he was determined to start a farm. After many seasons of farming, the Tien - Chong Ta Gia pond range was barren, deserted with cogon grass and wild plants. In 2000, Vu Va Chong applied to bid for 10 hectares and was approved by the commune. Initially, he raised more than 10 cows, letting them roam the mountains so they could trample the cogon grass while looking for food, saving the effort of clearing it.

In 2000, Vu Va Chong applied for a 10-hectare bid to raise more than 10 cows and goats.

After 3 years, the grass gradually receded, the couple brought rice balls to clear the trees, dug holes to plant tea. The tea trees took root, Va Chong went everywhere to buy po mu and sa mu seedlings to plant in between according to the motto "take the short to feed the long", temporarily planting bo bo in areas where tea trees had not been covered. Suitable for the soil and climate, all the plants grew quickly, the entire area the family contracted was gradually covered with green...

It has been nearly 20 years since receiving the forest land, 17 years since planting the first tea tree, now Vu Va Chong has a respectable foundation. According to his calculations, after deducting expenses, each year the family earns 50 million VND from tea trees, 40 million VND from bo bo trees, 50 million VND from raising buffaloes and cows. There are about 7,000 po mu and sa mu trees that many people have come to see and offered 3 million VND/tree but they do not sell, because they consider them "savings", must be kept for the livelihood of future generations. By normal calculations, Vu Va Chong's forest is currently worth about 21 billion VND...

Vu Va Chong's forest is worth about 21 billion VND...

The farm was divided into 3 areas by Va Chong, most of which is for growing tea and timber; next is the area for grazing buffalo and cows. There is a part on the top of the mountain that is quite flat and still empty, which Va Chong explained that the family plans to build a resort and entertainment area in the next few years with a system of resting rooms, parking lots, huts, soccer fields, volleyball courts, and rebuild the Fairy pond for visitors to come and enjoy the scenery. That is, it will turn this place into an eco-tourism area. The "reason" Vu Va Chong gave was that the climate in Hoi Tu is quite mild, especially in the summer it is quite cool, the family has a farm with beautiful scenery, if they invest in building a system of resting rooms, entertainment areas and food services, it will definitely attract tourists. For this idea to become a reality, a huge amount of capital is needed, the family will put all available resources and borrow more to continue promoting economic development, contributing to protecting the ecological environment...

Speaking about Vu Va Chong, Mr. Vi Hai Thanh - Chairman of the Veterans Association of Ky Son district said: "Vu Va Chong is an exemplary member in economic development, especially farm economy, with great influence, and has just attended the Provincial Emulation Congress of Exemplary Veterans. Currently, in Trung Tam village, there are more than 10 households, and in the whole Huoi Tu commune, there are more than 30 households studying the model of Va Chong and it has initially brought about economic efficiency."