Childhood spent on mother's back

“I was born and raised in Sa Phin (Dong Van district, Ha Giang province - now Sa Phin commune, Tuyen Quang province). My mother was a teacher at an ethnic boarding school. My father passed away early, when I was still in my mother's womb!” – Sung Manh Hung, the young man who is currently “making waves” on the global travel community, began his story with a somber tone.

It's hard to imagine how difficult life must have been for a Hmong mother raising two young children alone in the 1990s. But that mother was resilient and determined not to let her children drop out of school. "To give my brother and me a better life, my mother took us to Dong Van town to find work, so we could have the opportunity to get a higher education, not following the traditions of our elders," the young man's eyes lit up with pride as he spoke of his mother.

A Hmong woman, whose husband died young and who faces countless hardships, yet is determined to give her children a high education – this is an unbelievable story on the jagged slopes of the Dong Van Karst Plateau.

Hung's childhood was like that of any other Hmong child, carried on his mother's back throughout the rocky plateau. Hung grew up surrounded by the sounds of the Hmong flute and mouth harp. Perhaps because of this, young Sung Manh Hung showed early musical talent, enjoying dancing and singing. Encouraged by his mother, Hung completed his college education and then continued his studies at university. In 2018, Hung graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Cultural Management from Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and immediately began working at the Dong Van District Cultural Center in Ha Giang province after graduation.

Sung Manh Hung (on the right) became a familiar collaborator of the Dong Van (formerly) District Cultural Center while still a student.

“It was a very fortunate coincidence!” – Hung admitted when we asked him why he was hired at the district's cultural center. “During my student years, I often returned home during my days off to work as a collaborator for the cultural center. Perhaps they saw a bit of talent in me and hired me. I am still grateful to them for giving me a job opportunity that suited my abilities and allowed me to work right in my hometown.”

A legal and policy awareness session in the remote villages of Sung Manh Hung.

And so, Sung Manh Hung became involved with the Dong Van District Cultural Center, starting his job as a propaganda officer. Before long, the people of Dong Van became familiar with the image of a bright-eyed young man with a warm smile, dressed in traditional Mong clothing, carrying a loudspeaker, and traveling to every village . “Back then, the roads were difficult to travel, and sometimes the vehicle broke down in the middle of the road, but I didn't find it hard because it was a long time before the people in the remote villages welcomed an official to visit. Everyone was very happy to see Hung speak Mong, sing, and dance with them. That affection from the people made Hung even more determined to overcome hardships and strive to do his job well.”

"Tourism Ambassador" on the digital platform

Seeing his compatriots still poor, seeing children still hungry and uneducated, Hung boldly came up with a unique idea - to help his hometown. "I studied culture and worked in the cultural sector. I thought that working in culture and tourism was the best way to help Dong Van develop," Hung shared.

Without hesitation, Sung Manh Hung embarked on a pilot project: a "Community Cultural Exchange Night," held every evening in Dong Van Old Town. Initially, the event was rudimentary, involving only a group of young people who loved dancing. Hung's team played lively songs and invited tourists to dance and sing along. Later, to make the festivities more vibrant, Hung personally choreographed and created folk dance moves, drawing inspiration from the daily activities of the Mong people and from his own childhood: shelling seeds, planting seeds, tilling the land, grinding corn, weeding, and catching fish and shrimp… All the movements were simple enough for tourists of all ages to participate. The cultural exchange night lasted two hours and has been held regularly every evening for the past two years.

Sung Manh Hung (sitting in the middle) and tourists at the "Community Cultural Exchange Night" in the Old Town of Dong Van.

But that's not all. Through short clips of 30 seconds to 1 minute, Hung shared the most memorable moments of the "Community Cultural Exchange Night" on social media platforms. Without elaborate staging, these images quickly spread, garnering millions of views and likes. The name "Hung Ha Giang" immediately became a trending search term. Hung's personal page gained nearly 500,000 followers on TikTok and 300,000 on Facebook. Dong Van thus became increasingly accessible to both domestic and international tourists. Showing us a breakdown of his TikTok activity, Hung excitedly shared that the videos about Dong Van he posted were followed by a significant number of viewers in India, Brazil, and European countries. They called Dong Van "dancing town" and expressed their appreciation for the community activities that Hung's group organized.

Tourists are printing Sung Manh Hung's photos on T-shirts and flocking to Dong Van to experience the tourism because of the videos he posts.

Culture can connect people from different continents, speaking different languages, with different skin colors and hair. Hung has experienced this miracle. “A young Frenchman came to Dong Van for the first time and found me. He pointed to his chest and introduced himself: ‘I printed Hung’s picture on my shirt!’ It turned out he had seen the videos I posted, designed and printed the shirt himself, flew to Vietnam, went to Dong Van, and took a picture with me. I was truly moved, because the man in the black hat and black shirt, smiling on his shirt, was really me,” Hung told us, his eyes shining with happiness.

With his influence and reputation on social media, Hung also connects and organizes many charitable programs, helping many disadvantaged people in the area. Leveraging his media platform, Hung also supports local farmers in selling seasonal agricultural products such as ginseng, sweet potatoes, and honey. The combination of digital transformation and traditional culture has truly opened up a promising path for the rocky plateau region.

Sharing with us, Comrade Giàng Mí Say, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Đồng Văn commune, Tuyên Quang province, did not hide his pride in the young, multi-talented cultural officer Sùng Mạnh Hùng. “Born and raised in Đồng Văn, Comrade Sùng Mạnh Hùng has a deep understanding of local traditional culture. As an officer at the Đồng Văn Commune Public Service Center, he has creatively initiated cultural activities in Đồng Văn Old Town, contributing to promoting the image and developing tourism for the commune. With such impressive results, the Party Committee and People's Committee of the commune are researching and upgrading this activity into a cultural product bearing the Đồng Văn brand.”

To ensure that the culture of the rocky plateau is passed down through generations.

During our conversation, Hung repeatedly emphasized one point: "I am not alone." Today's achievements are the result of a collective effort by incredibly enthusiastic young people, whose love for their ethnic culture is no less than Hung's. "Most of them are very young, only 18 or 20 years old, all from ethnic minority groups, living and studying right here in Dong Van."

Hung's story surprised us, making us wonder how the group leader managed to find, select, and train these shy and reserved Hmong and Giay boys and girls to become confident entertainers, presenters, and dancers performing at the lively campfire night. Hung explained that he spent months searching for personnel at boarding schools in the commune, and then just as long training them to acquire the necessary skills and stage presence. "As long as they love traditional culture, I will wholeheartedly train them," Sung Manh Hung shared.

Ly Duc Duy (right) was helped and trained by Sung Manh Hung to become a presenter in Dong Van Old Town. Photo: DUC TINH

Becoming a member of Hung's team not only allows young people to participate in cultural activities, but also provides them with a small income to help cover some of their study and living expenses. Following a recommendation, we visited Ly Duc Duy, a 20-year-old Giay ethnic minority student currently studying English at the University of Science, Thai Nguyen University. His father passed away, and as the eldest son, Duy had considered dropping out of school to ease his mother's burden. However, seeing Duy's talent, Hung invited him to join the group as an evening presenter in the Old Quarter. From the gifts donated by tourists, Duy earns a small income, helping his mother raise his younger siblings and cover his study expenses. “If I can work with Mr. Hung long-term, I won't have to look for a job far from home, and I'll be able to stay close to my mother and younger brother. I love my current job in tourism. I may not have contributed much yet, but I've learned to tell stories about my hometown, and tourists enjoy listening to my stories!” Ly Duc Duy shared.

So, will this unique cultural model in the Dong Van karst plateau be maintained in the long term? Will Hung ever leave his homeland to try his hand at new jobs and positions? We know that successful content creators are not lacking in attractive collaboration offers. The young Hmong man laughed heartily at our question: “It’s true that some organizations and travel businesses have invited me to work for them, with salaries so high they were ‘shocking.’ But this is my home, my homeland, my wife and children are here. I am Hung – Ha Giang! If I leave Ha Giang, I will no longer be Hung!”

We bid farewell to Sung Manh Hung and the land of Dong Van, returning to the capital. Along the magnificent, sky-blue roads, I suddenly remembered a story from nearly 60 years ago, when the writer Nguyen Tuan stood where we were passing through and predicted: "One day, this place will become a tourist destination. Helicopters will fly passengers all over Ha Giang…"

The literati were right! Ha Giang (now Tuyen Quang) has become a famous destination, not only because of its stunning natural scenery, but also because of its people who know how to preserve and spread traditional cultural values, like Sung Manh Hung!

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-17/hung-ha-giang-va-thi-tran-khieu-vu-1042034