Reviving the wasteland by Lam River into a bamboo forest worth hundreds of millions of dong each season, both preserving the land and the village

From the desolate alluvial plain, surrounded by floods all year round, Mr. Cao Thai Thang in Dai Dong commune (formerly Thanh Chuong) has revived the land along the Lam river with a sweet bamboo shoot forest of more than 5 hectares. Not only does it bring in hundreds of millions of dong each season, the model of growing bamboo shoots on alluvial sandy soil also helps to preserve the soil, prevent erosion, contribute to protecting the dike and providing long-term production for people in the alluvial plain.

Clip: Thanh Phuc

From the alluvial land once covered with sedge and reeds, Mr. Cao Thai Thang (born in 1956) has built a cool green bamboo forest, covering more than 5 hectares along the Lam River. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Having lived on the alluvial land since the 1990s, Mr. Thang was the first person in this area to boldly introduce high-yield sweet bamboo shoots to replace acacia. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The plump, sweet bamboo shoots growing from fertile alluvial soil are the result of alluvial deposits and the diligent care of growers. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Bamboo shoot mounds are built into high mounds to prevent flooding when floods come. This creative method helps the bamboo shoot roots not to be damaged and still grow well. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The strong bamboo shoots growing from the alluvial soil are considered “brown gold”. Photo: Thanh Phuc

When harvesting, workers must use a shovel to dig deep down to get the whole root, the secret to keeping the bamboo shoots from being bitter and preserving them longer. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Thanks to being grown on sandy soil along the river with high humidity, the bamboo shoots here are especially large, soft, and sweeter than bamboo shoots grown in the mountains. Photo: Thanh Phuc

On peak days, when orders reach hundreds of tons of bamboo shoots per day, Mr. Thang has to hire more workers to keep up with the market demand. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Large, healthy bamboo shoots will be kept as seeds for the next crop, helping to maintain and increase productivity in a sustainable way. Photo: Thanh Phuc

After the harvest season, Mr. Thang proactively trims old bamboo trees, both to sell as raw materials and to create space for new seedlings to grow. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Traders come to the fields to buy at a price of 13,000 - 20,000 VND/kg (including the shell); if the shell is peeled, the price is even higher. In each bamboo shoot season, in addition to selling commercial bamboo shoots, he also supplies about 3,000 bamboo shoot cuttings to the market. The total income that Mr. Thang's family earns from the bamboo shoot forest is about 500 million VND/year. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Every day, Mr. Thang devotes all his time to his bamboo forest, which is now not only his livelihood, but also a “green asset” he dedicates to his homeland. Photo: Thanh Phuc

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/hoi-sinh-bai-hoang-ben-song-lam-thanh-rung-mang-hang-tram-trieu-dong-moi-mua-vua-giu-dat-vua-giu-lang-10302598.html