Climbing the ladder to escape poverty.

“Will you come to Mu Cang Chai, my hometown? Let's admire the golden rice fields together. You'll see my homeland like a silken ribbon, a golden terraced field reaching up to the nine layers of clouds…” Beyond simply inviting tourists with the majestic beauty of a special National Scenic Area, the terraced rice fields of Mu Cang Chai (Lao Cai) today are also a symbol of the aspirations of the highland people. Through creative tourism thinking combined with compassionate capital from the Social Policy Bank (NHCSXH), this land is weaving a vibrant socio-economic tapestry. This is the result of the interplay between the strong internal strength of the people and sound policy directions, transforming heritage into sustainable livelihoods to escape poverty.

The effectiveness of "money upfront"

Starting as a mountainous commune with over 81.1% of its population being Hmong, Mu Cang Chai faced many obstacles to development: poor transportation, subsistence farming, low income, and uneven levels of education. In this context, the question of "how to escape poverty" was always a concern for many people. Previously, Khang A Chua's family, a Hmong man, only knew how to make a living by farming, raising livestock, and harvesting a few wild apples and cardamom to get by. Troubled by the question of how to boost his family's economy , Chua searched on social media and realized that developing community tourism was the inevitable path to both create jobs, preserve culture, and promote his homeland.

Khang A Chua's family and the staff of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies at Big View Homestay.

Drawing inspiration from his family's stunning terraced rice fields, the desire to "transform heritage into assets" motivated him to build "Big View Homestay," consisting of four bungalows and one stilt house. However, to bring this property to fruition, Mr. Chua admitted that an idea alone wasn't enough; he needed "money first." Since 2023, he borrowed 100 million VND from two loan packages offered by the Social Policy Bank of Mu Cang Chai to invest in infrastructure and support his business. Step by step, from the initial stilt house, the accommodation gradually improved. During the rice harvest season (September-October), the homestay welcomes around 300 to 400 guests. During peak times, he and his wife have to call on family members for extra help. Interestingly, Western tourists visit year-round because they appreciate the tranquility and enjoy walking and exploring the area. With self-taught English skills sufficient for listening, writing, communication, and advising, Mr. Chua confidently guides guests on walking tours from the homestay to tourist attractions. For Vietnamese guests, the establishment focuses on providing experiences right at the homestay so they can fully appreciate the local scenery.

However, Mr. Khang A Chua also shared that the highland nature presents many challenges. Storms often cause roof damage and landslides, preventing tourists from accessing the homestay and affecting income to some extent. Nevertheless, his family is striving to overcome these difficulties. Thanks to the enthusiastic advice of the Social Policy Bank's staff, Mr. Chua is currently borrowing another 100 million VND, which he plans to repay ahead of schedule and continue borrowing to expand by adding 2-3 more rooms in the flower garden area in the future. Mr. Khang A Chua hides this joy in the slogan "Smiles are sold here," placed in the center of the homestay to encourage him to strive every day.

Furthermore, when mentioning the highlands, one cannot overlook the local cuisine, most notably the black-boned chicken – a rare breed of chicken raised by the Hmong people. However, this breed was previously only considered a small-scale poultry farm. Since tourists have become aware of it and praised its quality, the local people have begun applying scientific and technical methods to raise this breed on farms.

Starting from nothing, the family of Mr. Vang A Cong in Mi Hang Tau village, Pung Luong commune, Lao Cai province, seized the opportunity presented by tourists' preferences to start their business. In 2019, he decided to seek a 50 million VND loan from the Social Policy Bank to build a farm with over 1,000 black chickens. In the very first batch, he earned 150 million VND, and after deducting expenses, he and his wife officially had their first 50 million VND of their own.

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According to Mr. Vang A Cong, the greater value lies not only in the initial "seed" capital but also in the close support throughout the production process. Raising breeding chickens inherently carries risks of disease outbreaks, but thanks to the regular attention of the Savings and Loan Group, along with the close and practical sharing from the Social Policy Bank's staff, he gained knowledge about the market, breeding techniques, and practical experience to proactively respond. As a result, his family's farm currently maintains a stable population of about 200 adult chickens and 700 chicks, mainly supplying the market in the district and neighboring provinces. Income from poultry farming not only improves living standards but also provides opportunities for his children to receive a full education, opening up a sustainable path for the family's economy in this highland region. Mr. Cong plans to expand his farm to meet market demand and is always willing to share his experience with anyone who wants to learn.

As can be seen, these two stories—two different approaches—both converge on one key point: timely support from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP), provided at the right time to prevent dreams from dying prematurely in their nascent stages.

Possessing economic value that ignites national aspirations.

Behind the rise of each individual lies a solid policy foundation. Mr. Giàng A Tạng, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Mù Cang Chải commune, stated that the commune was established and began operations on July 1, 2025, based on the merger of Chế Cu Nha, Mồ ​​Dề, Kim Nọi communes and Mù Cang Chải town, covering an area of ​​over 14,000 hectares and a population of over 14,000 people. Despite its agricultural origins, the locality is gradually flourishing thanks to community tourism as its core. Currently, the commune boasts 97 accommodation establishments, including 67 homestays, contributing to the preservation of culture and the exploitation of the terraced rice fields. In particular, policy credit from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies plays a crucial role in developing community tourism and restoring traditional crafts.

Mr. Bui Van Hoa, Director of the Social Policy Bank of Mu Cang Chai, and loan recipients chat at the transaction point.

This is a "demand-stimulating" resource that encourages people to invest boldly and shift their mindset from agricultural production to tourism services. Besides supporting tourism, policy capital also contributes to restoring and preserving traditional crafts of the ethnic minorities such as brocade weaving, making traditional flutes, basket weaving, and processing specialty agricultural products… These handicrafts are now becoming cultural highlights and unique gifts for tourists, possessing both economic value and evoking national pride, shared Mr. Giàng A Tạng.

Having been involved with the changes in Mu Cang Chai and the capital flow of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) for more than half his life, Mr. Bui Van Hoa, Director of VBSP Mu Cang Chai, expressed his pride in witnessing the capital reaching the people and gradually forming production and business models, homestays, etc., considering this one of the pillars in building new rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction. The unit has coordinated and advised the People's Committees of the communes, taking advantage of preferential credit capital from VBSP and local entrusted capital, considering this a resource to support the development of tourism in general and the production and business of restoring traditional crafts in particular. Annual growth in credit programs exceeds 12%. Policy credit capital not only supports tourism but also contributes to restoring and preserving traditional crafts of the people such as brocade weaving, making flutes, basket weaving, and processing specialty agricultural products…

Looking towards the future, the Party Secretary of Giang A Cau commune emphasized the strategic vision outlined in Resolution 20 NQ/DU on tourism development for the period 2025-2030. Adhering closely to Resolution 08 of the Politburo, Mu Cang Chai is determined to become a key tourism destination in Yen Bai province with the message "Identity - Safety - Friendliness". The aspirations of this region by 2030 have been quantified with compelling figures: Striving to welcome 500,000 visitors per year; generating revenue of approximately 500 billion VND; developing at least 5 distinctive products that meet OCOP standards or are exemplary tourism destinations; and establishing at least 2 cooperatives or businesses operating in the tourism sector.

The practical and insightful advice from the staff of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies helped Mr. Vang A Cong gain more knowledge about the market and livestock farming techniques.

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Closely adhering to the socio-economic development goals of the locality, the Director of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) in Mu Cang Chai stated that the unit will coordinate with the commune authorities, direct the entrusted organizations, village heads, and the Savings and Loan Group Management Boards to continue reviewing the capital needs of policy credit programs, especially the capital needs of households developing community tourism, homestays, and restoring traditional crafts in the locality; urge the recovery of overdue debts to ensure timely revolving loans to meet the capital needs for tourism development and the restoration of traditional crafts, preventing capital stagnation and waste. Focus on increasing outstanding loan balances for policy credit programs according to plan, paying attention to increasing loans to poor households, near-poor households, and other policy beneficiaries, especially those households developing community tourism, homestays, and restoring traditional crafts that meet the eligibility criteria to access preferential credit managed by the VBSP. Maintain and improve the quality of transactions, providing the best possible service to customers who come to transact at the transaction point.

With many specific, quantifiable solutions, in the coming time, "Mu Cang Chai commune will continue to propose expanding preferential credit packages for the development of green tourism, OCOP products, and creative startups in the field of community tourism, so that people have more conditions to invest and develop. I believe that, with the support of the Social Policy Bank and the efforts of the people, community tourism in Mu Cang Chai will continue to flourish, contributing to building a more prosperous, civilized, and culturally rich locality," Mr. Giang A Tang affirmed.

Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/buoc-len-nhung-nac-thang-thoat-ngheo-181438.html