Green Connection Journey: Pu Luong, Peaceful and Romantic

In this episode, two guests, MC Ngoc Thuy and chef Vu Van Son, explore the pristine beauty and indigenous culture of Pu Luong. A journey that is not only an experience but also an opportunity to connect with nature, people and traditional values ​​that are being preserved every day.

Pu Luong: Finding peace in the midst of majestic nature

Only about 130km northwest of Thanh Hoa city center, Pu Luong is like a watercolor painting, painted from the endless green of the mountains and white clouds. Pu Luong stretches across Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts of Thanh Hoa province, and is known as a "green paradise" because of its cool climate all year round and peaceful scenery. Amidst the terraced fields like silk ribbons embracing the mountainside, Muong and Thai villages appear faintly behind the bamboo groves. Pu Luong peak stands tall among the drifting clouds, as if guarding the peace. That scenery does not make us exclaim, but makes us want to be silent - to feel, to love, to remember.

Pho Doan Market – The cultural soul of the highlands

A must-see stop on your journey to Pu Luong is Pho Doan market - a place that preserves the unique trading culture of the highland people. In the mountains, the market is not just a place to buy and sell, but a place to exchange, meet and connect the community - where everyday stories are shared with baskets of agricultural products, brocade or hand-forged hoes. The bustling atmosphere, the echoing laughter amidst the colors of ethnic costumes create an unforgettable, vivid picture. The market usually takes place on Sunday and Thursday mornings every week. People bring with them a full range of mountain and forest products - from vegetables, forged items to meticulously woven fabrics. Visitors cannot miss the opportunity to capture cultural moments with unique photos, or simply sit down and enjoy a bowl of hot banh rang bua in the chilly weather of Pu Luong.

Pho Doan Market is bustling on market days.

The silent forest keepers

Not only beautiful, Pu Luong is also known as the green lung of the West of Thanh Hoa - a nature reserve of nearly 17,000 hectares with the most diverse ecosystem. This place not only has the task of preserving the landscape but also plays an important role in regulating the climate and protecting the water source of the Ma River. In the middle of that deep green forest, there are people who silently patrol day and night. They not only protect each tree and each rare animal species but also contribute to preserving the inherent wildness of Pu Luong, preserving a natural heritage for future generations.

Hieu Waterfall – Footprints of the source in the middle of the Pu Luong forest

Pu Luong preserves ancient stories, connecting the past and present with the soul of the mountains and forests. Legend has it that long ago, there was a young man from Leo village who crossed the mountains and forests to find his wife. On the way, he stopped by a gentle stream, and was fascinated by the wild scenery, so he and his wife returned to settle down and build a house by the stream. On the day they returned to their new home, a herd of wild deer suddenly came to drink water. Seeing this as fate, his father-in-law named it Deer Stream. Later, more and more people gathered to live there, forming Deer Village, which was then changed to Hieu Village or Hieu Waterfall as it is today.

Brocade Craft – National Soul in Every Thread

Traditional brocade weaving in the village

With more than half of her life devoted to the loom, Ms. Ha Thi Ly is not only a weaver but also a keeper of the village’s brocade weaving tradition. She said, “Ever since the age of five, every Thai girl has been taught by her grandmother or mother how to weave each stitch, how to spin the thread, and how to mix colors.” The vibrant patterns on the fabric are not only beautiful – they are memories, stories of the mountains and forests, and the soul of the entire community, conveyed by hands and hearts.

The “Green Connection Journey” in Pu Luong is a trip that takes you through the winding terraced fields along the mountainside, following the slow pace of life in the Muong and Thai villages. It is not only a journey through nature, but also a return to the original value – where culture, people and mountains blend together in the symphony of the great forest.

Ngoc Lan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/hanh-trinh-ket-noi-xanh-pu-luong-binh-yen-va-tho-mong-249074.htm