Within the framework of the 1st Trà Leng Cinnamon Festival in 2026, the product display and introduction area has become one of the spaces attracting a large number of locals and tourists. From early morning, the Bằng La residential area was bustling with visitors coming to explore, experience, and learn about the unique products of the highlands.
Unlike conventional exhibition areas, the stalls at the festival were designed to be close to nature and indigenous culture. Each stall roof was decorated with rustic materials, accented with the green color of cinnamon leaves and details imbued with the spirit of the mountains and forests, creating a space that was both simple and rich in Trà Leng's identity.
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Walking through the stalls, visitors could feel the faint scent of cinnamon in the wind, listening to the stories of the locals about the journey of caring for each cinnamon tree, about life intertwined with the forest for generations. These stories made each product much more intimate and profound than its inherent material value.
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From Cinnamon Trees to Products with New Value
A prominent highlight of the exhibition area was the appearance of many products created from cinnamon trees. Besides familiar products such as cinnamon sticks, cinnamon essential oil, cinnamon powder, or various medicinal herbs, the locals also brought to the festival many handicrafts made from cinnamon bark and wood in diverse forms.
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Decorative lamps, souvenirs, handicrafts, and artworks made from cinnamon material attracted the attention of many tourists. Each product carried the rustic charm of the mountains and forests but was meticulously crafted in every detail, demonstrating the skill and creativity of the local people.
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Behind each product is a process of research, learning, and the desire to enhance the value of the cinnamon tree. Instead of merely exploiting raw materials, the locals have gradually created products with higher applicability and aesthetic value, opening up new development directions for the unique products of their homeland.
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This also shows that the cinnamon tree today is taking on a new appearance. The scent of cinnamon still retains the distinctive features of the great forest, but its value is increasingly expanded through the creativity and aspiration for development of the people of Trà Leng themselves.
A Space for Culture and Products to Speak
The appeal of the stalls lies not in the quantity of products on display, but in how each stall tells the story of the land it represents.
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Visitors not only stopped to choose a souvenir to take home but also spent a lot of time chatting with the locals, listening about the history of the cinnamon tree, about the harvest seasons on the mountain slopes, about the lives of the Ca Dong, Xơ Đăng, Mơ Nông ethnic minorities, and the journey of preserving traditional values in the great forest.
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Some visitors carefully observed each product crafted from cinnamon wood. Others were delighted to hold pure cinnamon essential oil for the first time or discover local OCOP products. These simple encounters created a connection between the product makers and the consumers, between indigenous culture and those visiting Trà Leng for the first time.
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It was the sincerity in the introduction and the pride of the locals when speaking about their homeland that helped the stalls become a vibrant cultural space, where identity is told through scent, materials, and everyday stories.
Local Products Contribute to the Festival's Vitality
In addition to cinnamon products, many stalls also introduced OCOP products, medicinal herbs, and characteristic agricultural products of the locality. Each product reflected the natural conditions, production practices, and accumulated experience of the highland people.
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The exhibition space became a place for locals to showcase their labor achievements, and at the same time, opened up opportunities to promote local products to a large number of tourists and interested units in developing indigenous products.
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Through each stall, viewers could feel the transformation of Trà Leng on its journey of economic development associated with resource and cultural preservation. The products introduced at the festival are the result of persistent labor, love for the homeland, and the desire to bring the values of the great forest land closer to the community.
Photo: UED Media
Photo: UED Media
Experiences That Leave Beautiful Impressions
Interspersed among the product display areas were cultural experience activities and folk games, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the first day of the festival.
Many families brought their children to visit, young people eagerly captured moments next to beautifully decorated stalls, while tourists from various places spent time learning about the culture of the mountain people. The interaction between local residents, tourists, and volunteer soldiers from the University of Education - University of Da Nang created intimate images, contributing to spreading the friendly and hospitable spirit of Trà Leng.
The bustling atmosphere still retained the inherent tranquility of the highlands. Laughter, sincere greetings, and the scent of cinnamon spreading through the air created beautiful memories for many who visited Trà Leng for the first time.
From Small Stalls, Big Hopes Emerge
From the outside, the stalls are just one part of the activities of the 1st Trà Leng Cinnamon Festival. However, behind these stalls lies the aspiration to bring cinnamon trees and local products further on their development journey.
Each product displayed is the crystallization of natural resources, indigenous knowledge, and the diligent labor of the highland people. When these values are introduced to a large number of tourists, the cinnamon tree is no longer merely a forestry tree but has become a cultural symbol, a symbol of livelihood, and a belief in the future.
The first day of the festival concluded with joy and excitement for the people of Trà Leng. The stalls still retained the gentle scent of cinnamon, and in the hearts of each visitor were beautiful impressions of a land rich in identity, where every product carried the story of the great forest and the aspiration to rise of the people of Trà Leng.
