Startup dreams from the clouds

Giang A La plays the Mong trumpet on the "sea" of clouds.

Dreams from the clouds

Born in the middle of the high mountains covered in fog all year round, A La was accustomed to poverty and deprivation since childhood. But in the eyes of the boy that day always shone the desire to do something to help his family escape poverty . "My homeland is so beautiful, the culture is so unique, why are my people still poor, why do young people still have to leave their homeland to make a living?" That question kept haunting the mind of the Mong boy .

After graduating from the Northwest College of Culture and Arts , A La did many jobs to make a living, such as singing at small events in Son La city, working for hire... but none of them brought him success and created a sustainable future for himself. Finally, he chose to return to his hometown to awaken the potential of community tourism .

“Hang Kia – Pa Co not only has a charming “ cloud hunting paradise ” landscape , but also contains a precious cultural treasure of the Mong people that has not yet been awakened. We must take advantage of this to build the future,” A La shared.

Starting the entrepreneurial journey, A La and some enthusiastic friends established the Hang Kia Tourism - Agriculture Cooperative . This was the first step, but also full of thorns. Little capital, almost no experience, having to worry about all kinds of paperwork, regulations on tax, accounting, policies... all of which made the young startup group falter many times.

“The biggest difficulty was not capital, but mindset,” A La recalled. The villagers were used to working independently and on a small scale. When put into the cooperative framework, everyone felt alienated and hesitant. Lacking understanding and consensus, the young cooperative quickly had to dissolve.

That first failure made A La feel troubled. But instead of giving up, he considered it a valuable lesson. A La decided to restart his business with a more compact and flexible model. Not just a place to stay, his homestay was built as a center for experiencing authentic Mong culture.

A La leads guests to experience the beautiful scenery of Pa Co.

“I realized that if I want to go far, I have to start with what is closest to the community and suitable to local reality, so I decided to build a homestay and organize tours to take tourists to see the beautiful scenery of my hometown,” said A La.

Here, visitors can immerse themselves in local life, hand-paint beeswax patterns on linen, pound sticky rice cakes with the locals to the rhythmic sound of pestles, or wake up early to hunt clouds, pick plums and peaches in the hilly gardens. Each activity is carefully planned by A La to both preserve traditional features and create an engaging experience for visitors.

A La guides tourists to play the Mong trumpet.

Thanks to his sincerity and meticulousness, his homestay quickly became a favorite destination for domestic and foreign tourists. Each month, his establishment welcomes about 20-30 guests, bringing in revenue of 30-40 million VND.

“But what is more valuable is not only the economic model, but also the way to preserve the Mong soul in modern life, together with the community to build a better future,” A La confided.

Therefore, A La always tries to share the benefits. He hires local workers at 250,000 VND/day - a significant amount compared to the average in the highlands. He also creates a wide network of collaborators in the village. People participate in performing arts, guiding tourists in the forest, providing agricultural products, brocades... Income not only comes to A La's family, but is spread to many households.

A La believes that keeping people and the profession is keeping the national cultural identity . Even though tourism is seasonal and there are times when there are few customers, he still maintains paying salaries so that people can feel secure in their commitment.

A La grows flower gardens for visitors to experience.

Lighting up hope to stay in the homeland

Not only doing business, Giang A La is also an active Youth Union member, always linking tourism activities with social responsibility. He regularly organizes charity programs, calls on tourists to plant forests, give gifts to poor children, contribute to protecting the environment and preserving the local landscape.

Starting from nothing, Giang A La has turned a corner of the wild mountain forest into an attractive destination, contributing to changing the face of his homeland. His model not only brings a stable income to Pa Khom village but also sows the belief and desire to get rich legitimately in the hearts of the young generation of Mong people.

Mr. Ha Van Ken - Secretary of the Pa Co Commune Youth Union said, looking at the international delegations eagerly learning how to dye indigo, the city children passionately tasting the sweetness of freshly picked plums, or the smiles of the people when they have extra income, we can see the full value that Giang A La brings.

“His story is proof of a generation of young people in the highlands who are awakening – they no longer feel self-conscious or inferior, but know how to appreciate and exploit traditional cultural values to rise up,” said Ha Van Ken.

After a period of doing business and having initial successes, A La revealed: “Be willing to do things you have never done before to have things you have never had before. Success does not come to those who give up halfway – but only to those who dare to change and are persistent enough to go all the way.”

Looking to the future, Giang A La aims to expand, professionalize and replicate his community tourism model. He plans to complete a series of seasonal tour products such as cloud hunting, peach and plum blossom viewing, fruit picking, market exploration, etc. to bring unique experiences to tourists all year round.

At the same time, Giang A La focuses on building digital brands through platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook... to tell local stories, spread cultural values and environmental protection awareness.

A La leads tourists to hunt clouds.

He also aims for inter-regional cooperation to expand tourist routes, connecting tourists to many famous destinations in the Northwest region such as Hang Kia - Pa Co, Van Ho, Moc Chau and Mai Chau, contributing to the development of sustainable tourism associated with the preservation of local culture.

Mr. Ha Van Ken - Secretary of the Pa Co Commune Youth Union shared, “Giang A La is an outstanding young man with innovative thinking, daring to think and act. Despite many difficulties, he still persevered in finding his own way and constantly connecting with the community. A La's model is a bright spot in developing community tourism in the locality, helping his family escape poverty, inspiring ethnic minority youth in the commune to start businesses to develop the economy in their homeland.”

Source: https://tienphong.vn/giac-mo-khoi-nghiep-tu-nhung-ang-may-post1788142.tpo