Rice paddies celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

In the final days of the year, the Mong people of Dong Ruong village, Quy Mong commune, are busy cleaning their houses and preparing food, groceries, and new clothes to celebrate the traditional Tet holiday in 2026.

In their newly built, spacious house, Giàng A Thào and his wife are cleaning and decorating the living room. Outside, bundles of dry firewood have been neatly stacked to keep the fire burning throughout Tet; the children excitedly show off their new clothes, their eyes filled with anticipation for the holiday. In the kitchen, slabs of salted pork are neatly hung, the smoke from the stove mingling with the aroma of freshly cooked meat filling the air.

Giàng A Thào's newly built, spacious house.

Mr. and Mrs. Thào are cleaning their house in preparation for Tet (Lunar New Year).

Thào proudly shared: “I built this house at the end of 2024, with a total cost of 1.2 billion VND. At that time, my family borrowed over 500 million VND, and now we still owe 330 million VND. Our success today is thanks to selling bamboo shoots and cinnamon.”

Many years ago, Thào's family was still classified as a poor household in the village. Back then, in their dilapidated wooden house, Thào relied solely on a few acres of corn and rice paddies for their livelihood, leaving them perpetually trapped in poverty.

The turning point came when he boldly switched to cultivating Bat Do bamboo shoots and cinnamon. From the once barren hills, they are now covered in lush green bamboo groves and straight rows of cinnamon trees. Currently, his family owns over 3 hectares of Bat Do bamboo shoots and 2 hectares of cinnamon. Last season, the bamboo shoots yielded a good harvest, and they secured a stable purchase contract with Van Dat Co., Ltd. (at 5,500 VND/kg). Adding the income from the third-year cinnamon pruning, the family's total income reached over 200 million VND. Mr. Thao plans to use most of this money to pay off debts, and the rest to prepare for Tet (Lunar New Year) for his family. On the 25th day of the 12th lunar month, he will slaughter a pig to invite relatives and neighbors to celebrate together.

Not far away, Mr. Giàng A Giống was also busy preparing for a prosperous Tet holiday in his newly built house. He had set aside a room as a rice storage area, and currently, nearly 500 kilograms of golden rice were neatly stacked there.

Mr. Giàng A Giống shared with the commune officials about the results of his family's production over the past year.

Mr. Giống shared: “Since coming down from the mountains to this place, the villagers have been guided by officials to cultivate wet rice instead of dry rice, and now they can grow two crops a year. This not only provides enough food but also rice to feed pigs and chickens. We also know how to grow bamboo shoots and don't destroy the forest like before, so our lives have improved significantly. We have money to repair our houses, send our children to school, and have a more decent Tet celebration.”

The atmosphere of Tet preparations has spread throughout Dong Ruong village: men are busy clearing old trees and weeds in preparation for the new bamboo shoot crop; women are preparing food and cleaning the house; children are eagerly following their mothers to the market to choose new clothes and sweets… Tet in the highlands is not only a time for family reunion, but also an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of a year of diligent work.

Locals are clearing away old trees and weeds in preparation for the new bamboo shoot crop.

Few would have imagined that this once impoverished land would now become the "capital" of Bat Do bamboo shoots for the entire region. Each year, Dong Ruong earns over 8 billion VND from bamboo shoots. During the harvest season, which lasts from June to the end of October, the entire village bustles with activity like a festival. Motorbikes line up carrying bamboo shoots from the hills to the collection point in the village, and then trucks continue to transport them to the processing plant.

According to the commune's statistics, in 2025, Dong Ruong village had 56 households with 278 inhabitants, the area of ​​Bat Do bamboo shoot cultivation reached 150 hectares, with an average yield of about 10 tons/ha. The average per capita income reached 65 million VND/year. The entire village currently has only 1 poor household and 1 near-poor household.

During harvest season, trucks line up to transport bamboo shoots from the village to the processing plant.

Mr. Giàng A Sáu – Head of Đồng Ruộng village, said: “Since 2010, people have started investing in the development of Bát Độ bamboo shoots. At that time, local officials lived, ate, and worked alongside the villagers, guiding them from digging holes and determining planting density to harvesting seed tubers for propagation, saving on seed purchase costs. The commune also collaborated with businesses such as Vạn Đạt Co., Ltd. and Yên Thành Co., Ltd. to guarantee product sales. Thanks to this, harvested bamboo shoots have a stable market, people are confident in their production, and their lives are becoming increasingly prosperous.”

With economic development, the construction of a model new rural area in Dong Ruong has become more favorable. Of the total cost of 1.4 billion VND, the people contributed up to 63%, helping the village to be recognized as a model new rural area in 2024.

Well-built houses are becoming increasingly common in Dong Ruong village.

To date, 100% of the village roads have been concreted; 100% of households use the national power grid; the rate of culturally exemplary families is over 90%; 96% of households have solid or semi-solid houses, many of which are worth billions of dong. Children attend school at the appropriate age, and the people are committed to avoiding child marriage, consanguineous marriage, and illegal emigration, uniting to build a civilized and progressive life.

With the achievements of the past year, the people of Dong Ruong will have another prosperous and fulfilling Tet holiday. In the eyes and smiles of the Mong people here, the belief in a brighter tomorrow is more evident than ever.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/dong-ruong-don-tet-post892262.html