Nghe An's gold-producing region recovers from drought.

(Baonghean.vn) - The risks that befell many "tycoons" who became rich through gold mining have left people haunted by the curses passed down through folklore. People believe that gold and silver underground all have owners, governed by mountain and river spirits.

A close-up view of gold mining in Na Pu village (Yen Na) in August 2013.

The "tycoons" of the gold-producing region and the devastating floods.

Lo Van Oi, from Hao village, Yen Hoa commune, Tuong Duong district (Nghe An province), became penniless after finding 2.1 kg of gold in 2009 and had to leave his village to wander elsewhere. In the gold-rich region of Tuong Duong, Lo Van Oi is not the only case of someone becoming a "millionaire" overnight and then losing everything.

The "gold spirit" can appear in dreams to help people find their huge gold nugget, as in the case of Lo Van Oi, and can also take it all at any time. During casual conversations over tea and drinks, the villagers in the gold-rich region recount stories of unexpected good fortune as well as times when disaster struck as quickly as a flash flood.

Even now, after the gold rush has passed, people in Yen Hoa commune still talk about Mr. VVC, a well-known figure in the local gold mining community. At one point, he owned several excavators, something not easily achieved by a local resident. However, he quickly fell into poverty, then illness, and passed away two years ago at a relatively young age.

In the Chà Hạ stream, fish and shrimp have reproduced, and the people have resumed their familiar lives after years of pollution caused by gold mining.

Another "gold tycoon" from the Bon village (Yen Na commune) that the villagers often talk about is a man named Tan. Originally from Dien Chau district, he settled in the Bon Yen gold mining area (comprising the communes of Yen Hoa, Yen Na, Yen Tinh, and Yen Thang) nearly 20 years ago. Being shrewd, he invested in mining machinery when the gold rush hit and struck it rich several times. There was a time when the villagers saw him change cars several times; at one point, he owned two expensive cars. Eventually, this "gold tycoon" had to sell his cars and house and return to his hometown.

For generations, the locals in the gold-rich region have believed that gold and silver in the streams cannot bring people lasting happiness or wealth. Therefore, many people squander the money they earn from selling gold, eventually falling into poverty and debt.

The color blue is back.

Anyone passing through Na Pu village in late 2013 would undoubtedly be saddened by the sight of the stream bank right next to the residential area being dug up. Gold-mining excavators were digging right up to the foundation of the primary school in Na Pu village. The deafening noise of the excavators day and night prevented the elderly and children from getting a peaceful night's sleep.

The stream bed of Cặp Trạng village, in Yên Tĩnh commune, was once a gold mining site.

For some inexplicable reason, many households in the villages of Bon Yen sold their rice paddies to gold mine owners back then. Meanwhile, the local authorities seemed to remain completely uninvolved.

Mr. Pay Van Ut, head of Bon village (Yen Na), recalls the days when the entire village couldn't cultivate rice, partly because the land had been sold to gold mine owners, and partly because the stream water was polluted. At that time, the villagers were also involved in gold mining. Those who weren't involved in gold mining sought work in China, Laos, Thailand, or industrial zones in the North and South of Vietnam. "Now things are better. We can farm again. Most of the girls and boys stay at home cultivating rice and raising livestock. Few people from this village go away to work," Mr. Ut shared.

For over a year now, the gold rush has subsided in the Bon Yen area. Intense crackdowns were carried out after the gold mining companies withdrew. The authorities' actions seem to have had an immediate effect, and illegal gold mining in the Bon Yen area has completely stopped for over a year.

In Na Pu village, Yen Na commune, the waterwheel has resumed operation, supplying water to the rice fields.

The green has returned to the rice fields in Na Pu, Bon, and Xieng Nua villages (Yen Na commune). After the gold mining machines withdrew, the villagers, as if in a daze, hastily restored the land for production. This area has regained its peaceful appearance, as if a massive gold mining operation with dozens of sites along the Cha Ha stream flowing from Yen Tinh commune to Yen Hoa had never existed.

However, the scars of the gold rush still remain. It's like a wound in the heart of the Bon Yen gold mining region that hasn't yet healed.

Huu Vi - Ho Phuong