On the high mountain slopes of Trà Leng, where clouds cover the mountains year-round and streams wind through ancient forests, Ngoc Linh Ginseng is a precious medicinal herb and has become a part of the lives of many generations of local people. For many highland families, the journey of each person's growth seems intertwined with the growth of ginseng plants under the forest canopy.
From tiny seeds sown in the forest soil to mature ginseng plants after many years of care, each ginseng plant embodies a story of perseverance, hope, and the aspiration to change the lives of the people of Trà Leng.
When Children Grow Up with Ginseng Forests
In many families in Trà Leng, children have been familiar from a young age with accompanying their parents into the forest to care for ginseng. The trails winding through the mountains, the ginseng gardens nestled under ancient trees, and the stories of Vietnam's "national treasure" become a part of many people's childhood memories. Many children grow up with the sound of flowing streams, the cool, damp smell of the forest soil, and the image of ginseng beds carefully sheltered under old trees. Each trip with adults to the forest is not just a work trip but also an opportunity for them to learn, observe, and understand more about the value of this precious medicinal herb associated with their homeland.
For the local people, the ginseng plant is not merely a crop with economic value. It is an asset preserved through many generations, the fruit of their labor, and the pride of the community. Many families view ginseng plants as a valuable asset for their children and grandchildren in the future. Therefore, caring for ginseng is also seen as a lesson in patience, responsibility, and love for the mountains and forests. From walking gently in the ginseng garden, preserving the natural environment, to protecting each young plant from weather changes, all require carefulness and dedication.
Many elders recount that in the past, when they went to the forest with their parents to work, they were taught how to identify healthy ginseng plants, how to maintain soil moisture, and how to protect young plants from the effects of the weather.
In addition, there was valuable experience in choosing suitable locations for planting ginseng, observing climate changes, and preserving the forest ecosystem for optimal plant growth. This knowledge was not written in books but passed down through oral tradition, through practical work sessions in the mountains and forests. Over time, it gradually became a part of the indigenous knowledge transmitted from generation to generation, contributing to the unique identity of the Trà Leng community.
Photo: Collected
Ngoc Linh Ginseng and the Lesson of Perseverance
Unlike many crops that can yield income after a few production seasons, Ngoc Linh Ginseng requires a very long time to grow and accumulate its natural values. From sprouting under the forest canopy to reaching harvest age, the ginseng plant must endure many rainy and sunny seasons, adapting to the specific climatic conditions of the high mountains. Some plants need 7 to 10 years, or even longer, to fully develop and achieve the desired value.
Each seed sown in the ground is an embodiment of long-term hopes. Throughout its development, the ginseng plant needs to be regularly monitored and protected from the effects of weather, pests, and factors that can affect its growth. Ginseng growers must spend a lot of time caring for it, preserving the environment under the forest canopy, and ensuring suitable natural conditions for the plant to grow stably.
For the people of Trà Leng, the ginseng plant offers profound lessons in patience and faith in the future. Success does not come overnight but accumulates through many years of silent labor. Each growing ginseng plant is the result of daily care, from maintaining soil moisture, protecting young plants, to preserving the surrounding pristine forest ecosystem. This process helps many people understand that sustainable values always need time to form and develop.
Many local youths share that their childhood was intertwined with trips accompanying their parents to the forest to care for ginseng. As children, they witnessed each ginseng bed being planted, each young plant being nurtured under the forest leaves. Over the years, they grew up alongside the development of these ginseng gardens. By the time they entered the workforce, many ginseng plants were old enough to be harvested, becoming an important source of income that helped families improve their lives, invest in education, and build a more stable future.
From a Mountain Forest Product to the Pride of the Homeland
Today, Ngoc Linh Ginseng is known as one of Vietnam's rarest and most precious ginseng varieties and is increasingly attracting attention due to its special medicinal value. However, for the people of Trà Leng, the ginseng plant holds a much deeper meaning. After many years of living with the mountains and forests, the ginseng plant has become a part of the life, memories, and pride of the local community.
The development of ginseng has contributed to positive changes for many highland households. From initial small planting areas, many families have gradually expanded their production scale, improved their income, and are better able to care for their lives. Income from ginseng helps many households invest in their children's education, renovate their homes, and build a more stable life in their homeland.
Besides its economic value, developing ginseng under the forest canopy also creates motivation for people to engage in forest protection. Ginseng growers understand that the growth of the plant largely depends on the natural environment, so they are always conscious of preserving pristine forests, protecting water sources, and the surrounding ecosystem. As a result, many forest areas are better cared for and managed, contributing to maintaining the biodiversity of the Ngoc Linh mountain region.
The children who once followed their parents to the forest are now grown up and have become the force continuing that journey. They learn how to care for ginseng plants, how to protect the forest, and continue to develop the gardens that their families have painstakingly built. This continuity helps maintain ginseng cultivation through many generations, while also contributing to preserving the cultural values, production practices, and the spirit of attachment to nature that have long been formed in the Trà Leng region.
Photo: Collected
Preserving Ginseng Plants is Preserving the Future of Trà Leng
Under the pristine forests of Trà Leng, Ngoc Linh Ginseng plants continue to grow silently with the years. Each new leaf, each growing season marks the plant's development and also reflects the changing journey of this land.
For the people of Trà Leng, the journey of growing up with ginseng plants is a story about a precious medicinal herb, about attachment to their homeland, to the mountains and forests, and to values passed down through many generations.
Today, along with the development of ginseng cultivation, many young people in the locality have chosen to stay connected with their homeland, continuing to learn techniques for caring for and preserving the precious genetic resources of Ngoc Linh Ginseng. The continuity between generations is contributing to a solid foundation for the long-term development of the Trà Leng ginseng region.
Besides economic value, ginseng gardens under the forest canopy also become a symbol of the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Preserving the forest and protecting the ginseng plant's habitat is also how people protect their livelihoods and the distinctive values of their homeland.
As ginseng plants continue to be cared for under the pristine forest canopy, stories of perseverance, hope, and the aspiration to rise up among the highland people will also continue to be written. This is the journey of growing up with Ngoc Linh ginseng plants and also the journey of Trà Leng's development today and in the future.
