The Hmong people have many 'lacks'.

From a border village mired in poverty, drug addiction, and backwardness, Sin Suoi Ho village (Sin Suoi Ho commune, Lai Chau province) has risen to become a model for community tourism.

But what is even more valuable is how the Hmong people here have "rewritten their destiny" with a special commitment: No drugs, no child marriage, no strange religions, no littering… and many other “no’s.” Few people know that those who built this model were once illiterate, once lived as sons-in-law to pay off dowry debts, and were once addicted to opium. Now, they are homestay owners, symbols of self-reliance and the protection of the border from the heart.

A commitment with many "no's"

Located about 30 km from Lai Chau provincial capital along winding mountain roads, Sin Suoi Ho village emerges like a musical note amidst the vast forests of Northwest Vietnam. But surprisingly, this Hmong village was once a dark, isolated area: without electricity, literacy, doctors, or any hope for the future.

The author and village headman Vàng A Chỉnh next to their house in Sin Suối Hồ village.

However, today, Sin Suoi Ho is a shining example of community tourism , honored at the 3rd ASEAN Tourism Forum, with tourism revenue in 2024 reaching over 3 billion VND and more than 30,000 visitors.

Out of 148 households in the village, 100% are involved in tourism. There are 400 guest beds, one restaurant, four cafes, a handicraft exhibition area, and a Hmong cultural experience zone. Ten percent of the village's children attend university or college – something that seemed impossible in a village where 80% of the population were once drug addicts.

And what makes the difference: the entire community unanimously implements the "Community Commitment" - which includes many voluntary "no's" such as: no littering, no letting livestock roam freely, no drug addiction, no alcohol abuse, no theft, no domestic violence, no child marriage, no having a third child, no following unconventional religions, no superstition...

The initiator of this revival was Hang A Xa, born in 1975. Hang A Xa only completed the 5th grade. His father and a few other men in the village were previously considered "opium tycoons," but he, along with village officials, was determined to lead the villagers out of the dangers of drugs. They destroyed their opium pipes and implemented collective rehabilitation programs. After 10 years of perseverance, Sin Suoi Ho village is now completely free of opium and drug addicts.

Mr. Xà also encouraged the villagers to grow orchids and cardamom, build clean roads, raise livestock, and construct homestays. His family was one of the first households to develop tourism in a systematic way.

Another example is Vang A Lai (born 1984) - who was once so poor that he had to live with his wife's family and work for three years to pay off the dowry. Although he didn't receive formal education, through carpentry, bricklaying, livestock farming, and hard work, in 2023, A Lai built Hoa Lan Sin Suoi Ho Bungalow – a Hmong-style eco-resort that attracts tourists from all over. The miraculous thing is that he taught himself Mandarin using... an old smartphone, word by word, sentence by sentence, by looking up words in a dictionary and watching YouTube…

His two sons, Vang A Sung and Vang A Chinh, were sent by their father to study tourism at a college in Hanoi . Vang A Sung graduated and returned to his village to work in tourism with his parents. "I didn't get to go to school in the past. Now I want my children to achieve what I once dreamed of," A Lai said proudly.

Behind this transformation in the Mong village of Sin Suoi Ho lies the contribution of the women here. They silently keep the warmth of their homes and their villages alive.

In July, despite the sweltering heat in the lowlands, the weather in the highlands of Sin Suoi Ho felt like the beginning of winter, with a cool, crisp chill. Occasional wisps of mist drifted into the kitchen. Sitting by the fire with the village chief, Vang A Chinh, and his wife, we shared heartwarming stories that seemed to go on forever...

Ms. Sung Thi Ke, wife of village headman Vang A Chinh, and her daughter-in-law, Giang Thi Xe, who learned to cook in the lowlands, have transformed their traditional rammed-earth house into a welcoming place for tourists. They prepare flavorful Hmong meals featuring boiled black chicken, stir-fried bamboo shoots with local pork, grilled stream fish, and stir-fried noodles served with wild pepper leaves – a rare delicacy.

At the corner of the village market, 81-year-old Giang Thi Mo, mother-in-law of village head Vang A Chinh, still regularly sits selling wild vegetables every morning. Despite her advanced age, she remains very sharp-minded, going up the mountain every day to gather bamboo shoots, ferns, and wild pepper leaves… Although she doesn't speak Vietnamese, she communicates with everyone with friendly eyes and a benevolent smile, making it hard for visitors from afar to leave without taking a beautiful photo with her.

And in every house, on every woven garment, the hands of the Hmong people—especially the women—still embroider the beauty of fidelity and the rich cultural identity of the mountains and forests. As the village chief, A Chinh, said with a smile, "My wife embroidered this shirt. These embroidered designs are 'love charms.' When I wear it, I have to be faithful!" Perhaps these customs contribute to the absence of domestic violence, divorce, and child marriage among couples in this Hmong village. Women in the village enjoy greater equality. Together with the hardworking men, they build a more civilized and prosperous life for the village.

A place where the bond between soldiers and civilians is strong.

Sin Suoi Ho Border Guard Station is assigned the task of managing and protecting a 9.272km long border section with 4 border markers: 83/2, 84, 85(1) and 85(2); opposite is Ma Ngan Ty commune, Kim Binh district, Yunnan province, China. The unit manages the area of ​​2 border communes, Sin Suoi Ho and Khong Lao, Lai Chau province, with a natural area of ​​444.03 km2 and a population of 33,262 people living in 67 villages.

The "Borderland Bookcase" model implemented by the Youth Union of Sin Suoi Ho Border Guard Station has attracted local people to read books daily.

The unit has thoroughly implemented directives and resolutions from higher levels regarding military, national defense, and border security tasks. It has effectively managed and protected the border, ensuring combat readiness, disaster prevention, and search and rescue operations. Border guards and commune police have promptly addressed issues related to the border, rural security, ethnic groups, and religion in border areas; and coordinated with Party committees and local authorities in border communes to launch the movement "All citizens participate in the fight against crime; maintaining political security and social order in border areas." Simultaneously, they have proactively monitored the situation, intensified propaganda and mobilization efforts, and raised awareness among the people in border areas about the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws on national borders.

The Border Guard Post has effectively fulfilled its responsibilities, improving the advisory role of 11 Party members participating in activities at the Party branches in 11 villages and 27 Party members in charge of 176 households in the border area; sponsoring 4 students in the "Helping Children Go to School" program, providing each child with 500,000 VND per month; implementing the project "Army Officers and Soldiers Helping Children Go to School," the unit has supported 30 children with 7,400,000 VND each school year; and many meaningful programs such as "Spring Border Guard: Warming the Hearts of Villagers," "Accompanying Women in Border Areas," "Border Guard Haircutting" (free haircuts for villagers), "Bookcases in Border Areas," "The Second Life of Tires," "National Border Markers," etc. For the officers and soldiers of the Border Guard Post, Sin Suoi Ho village is not only a cultural and tourism highlight, but also a solid "barrier" in the border region.

“Initially, the locals were hesitant, thinking that the constant inspections by the soldiers would scare tourists away. Now, the villagers appreciate them very much. The Border Guard helps the people learn to read and write, maintains security, provides medical care, and even detects and prevents those who impersonate charity workers or invest in fraudulent projects to deceive the villagers…” - shared Mr. Vang A Lai, owner of the Hoa Lan Sin Suoi Ho Bungalow eco-resort.

Even though this was my second visit to Sin Suoi Ho, I still felt a longing to explore all the interesting things this place had to offer. I still owed a promise to Major Nguyen Huu Tho about a visit to the Border Guard Post and a trip to conquer the majestic Bac Moc Luong Tu peak, shrouded in clouds, with village chief Vang A Chinh and my new friends…

Sin Suoi Ho may not be the wealthiest village, but it is certainly one of the most self-respecting. No dogma, no slogans; every "no" here is a voluntary choice: no littering, no violence, no third child, no gambling, no superstition... And from these "no's," the Hmong people of Sin Suoi Ho have gained so much: culture, tourism, economy, peace, faith, aspirations, and a future they have built themselves.

Sin Suoi Ho today is not just a tourist destination, but a living testament to a sustainable development model rooted in the people's spirit, demonstrating that change doesn't come from projects, but from the community's will and the kindness of each individual.

antgct.cand.com.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/ban-mong-nhieu-khong-post879759.html