"Muong Long Happy Village 1": Awakening the potential of medicinal plants and developing community tourism.

"Muong Long 1 Happy Village" was built with the expectation of bringing a prosperous and fulfilling life to the people, based on combining the preservation of indigenous knowledge with sustainable medicinal plant development and community tourism.

"The revolution" under the forest canopy

Located at an altitude of over 1,800m above sea level, Muong Long commune is considered the "gateway to heaven" of the former Ky Son district. It boasts a temperate climate with year-round cool temperatures, majestic natural landscapes, and invaluable treasures including hundreds of precious medicinal plants and the unique cultural identity of the Mong ethnic group.

Since 2016, when TH Herbals Joint Stock Company took over the office building and experimental nursery here, a new journey for this land has officially begun.

Spanning approximately 136 hectares, TH Herbals has invested in building well-organized medicinal herb farms. The company currently preserves more than 40 species of valuable native medicinal plants and those listed in the Ministry of Health's catalog, such as Puxailaileng ginseng, Eucommia ulmoides, purple ginger, Solanum torvum, along with many other high-value medicinal herbs like Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Ganoderma lucidum, Panax notoginseng, and Dendrobium nobile.

Instead of allowing local people to clear land for farming and destroy forests, TH Group chose to cultivate medicinal herbs under the forest canopy. The land is improved using manure and bio-fertilizers, with absolutely no chemicals used, thus both protecting the forest and creating a source of clean products.

However, due to the fragmented terrain, difficult transportation, and frequent landslides during the rainy season, the lives of 162 households with 839 people (including 7 Mong clans) in Muong Long 1 village remain a source of concern, with the poverty rate currently reaching 26% (42 households).

Mr. Pham Van Hoa, Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong Long commune, shared: "The people mainly engage in agricultural production by raising buffaloes and cows, growing purple corn on the fields, and growing elephant grass for fattening cattle; in addition, 33 households grow cardamom for sale."

Over the years, the local government and people have been very conscious of preserving and promoting the cultural identity and traditional festivals of the Hmong people. However, the self-cultivation and harvesting of medicinal plants by the people remains spontaneous, fragmented, and dependent on traders, resulting in low efficiency. The potential of the cool climate and cultural identity is enormous but has not been systematically exploited."

Concerned about this situation, the initiative to build "Muong Long 1 Happiness Village" is expected to open up an effective direction for economic development. In partnership with Nghe An province, Labor Hero Thai Huong - Chairman of the Strategic Council of TH Group - expressed a strong desire to awaken the potential of this land.

Sharing knowledge, guaranteeing product sales, and achieving sustainable wealth.

Accordingly, TH Group will proactively submit the design for "Happy Village," clearly planning suitable short-term, medium-term, and long-term crops, transforming the area into a medicinal herb center linked with experiential tourism, contributing to improving the material and spiritual lives of the people.

"These aspirations and goals can only be achieved with a mother's heart"—clearly aware of the local difficulties, and stemming from a love for the western region of Nghe An, under the leadership of Labor Hero Thai Huong, TH Group not only invests but also chooses to accompany and guide the ethnic minority people step by step.

The Chairman of TH Group's Strategy Department shared a very clear roadmap: "Muong Long 1 Happy Village," combining the development of medicinal plants, is a pilot model for the medicinal plant value chain, civilized rural areas, and green economy linked to the preservation of Mong culture.

The province and local authorities need to work with the people to clearly identify easy-to-cultivate crops that yield quick results, and TH commits to purchasing them at agreed-upon prices. For medium and long-term crops, implementation must strictly adhere to the project's plan.

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Businesses will be responsible for brand building and marketing, while farmers will focus on organic farming practices, ensuring transparency of parameters and traceability information. With appropriate mechanisms and policies, and close involvement from local authorities through community meetings to listen to suggestions, this model is sure to succeed.

Labor Hero Thai Huong - Chairperson of the Strategic Council of TH Group

Initially, the company will supply seedlings of short-term crops such as yam and ground ginseng (harvested in less than one year). Simultaneously, they will research and develop the cultivation of Codonopsis pilosula – a medicinal herb that is in high demand domestically and is currently heavily imported. Successful growers will serve as key figures, passing on their expertise and experience to other households.

The province and local authorities provide support in terms of seeds, fertilizers, transportation infrastructure, lighting, and drainage; while TH is responsible for providing knowledge and techniques for organic farming, guiding "digital literacy education" for the general public, and purchasing all products at a reasonable agreed-upon price.

Currently, in addition to the traditional cardamom plant, households in Muong Long 1 have added ginkgo trees to their home gardens, and in the future, the commune plans to introduce yam and several other species. These patches of medicinal plants are growing day by day, promising to form a concentrated, standardized raw material area.

Everything must start with the people.

The most significant new and distinctive feature of the "Muong Long 1 Happy Village" model is its approach: no substitution, no subsidies, and a people-centered approach, where people are both the implementers and the direct beneficiaries.

Emphasizing this point, Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province, and Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Medicinal Plant Development - affirmed: "Everything must start with the people. When the people of Muong Long 1 village are united and in agreement with the province and TH Group, only then can we successfully build a happy village associated with community tourism and the development of medicinal plants."

To achieve this, we must thoroughly understand the people's sentiments, their knowledge of medicinal herbs, the market, and the village's living environment. And once we succeed, we can expand the program throughout the province.”

The sound policy quickly took effect and resonated with the people. The head of Muong Long 1 village excitedly stated: "The village's regulations and customs already include a comprehensive village plan. The villagers are completely in agreement and committed to actively participate by donating land, trees, and labor to expand roads, protect the infrastructure after investment, and are determined not to encroach on public land or construct illegal structures."

On the local side, Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong Long commune, Pham Van Hoa, said that Muong Long is urgently implementing spatial planning steps. "We are directing and mobilizing the people to continue preserving customs and cultural identity; building houses according to the traditional architecture of the Mong people, from fences to auxiliary structures. The environment is given top priority, and we are gradually planting more ornamental and medicinal plants to make the village green, clean, and beautiful."

The commune will be divided into specific zones including areas for medicinal herb cultivation, clean livestock farming, and the preservation of Mong cultural identity. When the "Happy Village" is built, several homestay and resort services, as well as four traditional blacksmiths' workshops in the area, will also participate in experiential and community tourism, creating more jobs and income for the people.

To ensure the model's early success, Nghe An province is working closely with TH Group and local authorities to finalize the planning of transportation, electricity, water, and healthcare infrastructure, while also organizing technical training courses and digital literacy programs for the local people.

In particular, following the success of the "Spring Colors of the Highlands - Warmth of the People" program, jointly organized by TH Group and Bac A Commercial Bank, which brought the first fireworks display to the people of Que Phong commune during the recent Lunar New Year, the program planned to be organized by the province in Muong Long this Tet will be a meaningful spiritual gift, further boosting the morale of the local people.

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'Muong Long 1 Happy Village' is the first pioneering model of its kind in the country. When each family and each resident feels the positive changes in their material and spiritual lives, Muong Long will not only be an attractive destination on the ecotourism map, but also a vivid symbol of the rise of Nghe An's highlands in the new era of development.

Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairperson of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province, and Head of the Steering Committee for the Development of Medicinal Plants in Nghe An province.