Visiting the Mong Don Den village in early spring.

Amidst the swirling clouds across the mountainside, peach and plum blossoms burst into bloom along the winding concrete road around the Mong Don Den village (Ba Be). Set against this picturesque backdrop, the small village, with over 60 households and 311 inhabitants, all of whom are Mong ethnic people, celebrated a Tet holiday filled with warmth and human connection, despite the remaining challenges in their lives...

Giàng A Sì's family is renovating their chicken coop to prepare for raising the first batches of chickens in the new year.

This spring, joy fills the family of Mr. Giàng A Sì. After years of saving and accumulating, his family has finally built a new house to replace their old, dilapidated wooden home. The joy of Mr. Giàng A Sì's family is also the shared joy of the entire village.

Because in this place, every step forward taken by a family is valued by the entire community as their own achievement. Don Den is located high up, with little arable land, and production mainly depends on slash-and-burn agriculture. The market is about 13-14km from the village, and each trip involves climbing steep slopes and crossing mountain passes.

Of the more than 60 households, only Mr. Duong Van Pau's family is not classified as poor. But beyond the material hardships, what warms the heart when visiting Don Den is the never-ending spirit of mutual support and sharing.

In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), smoke from the kitchens of wooden and brick houses mingled with the mountain clouds. Children chattered and ran along the concrete road, holding colorful candies in their hands.

What's admirable about Don Den is that despite their poverty, the people are determined to ensure no family is left without a Tet celebration. Some families only manage to raise one pig all year, yet they are still willing to slaughter it to share with relatives and neighbors. Even the chickens in their coop are slaughtered so everyone can gather together for Tet.

"Tet is a time for shared joy. If a family is struggling, others should invite them. We must ensure no one is sad or deprived during Tet," said Mr. Hoang Van Tinh, an elderly resident of the village.

This Tet holiday, 10 families in the village are so impoverished that they couldn't organize a communal Tet celebration. But instead of feeling disadvantaged, they received care and encouragement from other families. Spring in the Mong Don Den village is beautiful in its own unique way.

The road leading to Don Den village has been paved with concrete, making travel more convenient than before.

The community cultural center, with a capacity of over 100 seats, is also bustling during the early days of spring. It's where community cultural and artistic programs are held, village meetings take place, and where young people practice their performances for the Ba Be Long Tong Festival, which will be held on the 9th and 10th of January.

Young people practice playing the khene (a traditional wind instrument) and singing love songs; women prepare their brightly colored traditional costumes. These lively footsteps carry hopes for a brighter new year.

When asked about his New Year's wishes, Mr. Duong Van Lanh, a villager, paused for a moment before saying: "I only hope that this year, one more household in the village will be removed from the near-poverty list, and one household will move from poverty to near-poverty."

Just taking things one step at a time like that is enough to make the people very happy. That simple wish may sound small, but it holds so much meaning. In a place where conditions are still lacking, every step of transformation requires a great deal of effort, both from the people themselves and support from all levels and sectors.

The Hmong people in Don Den live simple, honest lives, and their dreams are as simple as the plants in the forest: enough food and clothing; their children receiving an education; and a little better year after year. Leaving Don Den as evening fell, I suddenly thought: happiness sometimes doesn't lie in grand things, but in the sincere sharing between people of the same village.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202602/dau-xuan-len-ban-mong-don-den-b6e4150/