The scent of the earth

QTO - The coffee shop perched precariously on the hillside is our usual stop whenever we visit Khe Sanh. No matter the season—spring, summer, autumn, or winter—the place is always shrouded in mist and wind, offering visitors a sense of serene tranquility. The breeze whispers softly, like a wordless melody. It's as if the wind has wandered over the hills and slopes, carrying a sweet fragrance. The pure coffee always provides a moment of calm after a long, busy, and anxious day. Below the hillside lies the Van Kieu village—where a small stream meanders through—and in the morning sun, delicate white streaks of light add a touch of vibrancy to the peaceful landscape.

I've traveled to many places, but to find a scent so familiar that I can recognize my destination just by the wind, perhaps only in this mountain town.

As soon as you set foot on Khe Sanh soil, you'll catch a faint scent carried on the wind. The fragrance of wildflowers growing on the mountain slopes, along the villages. The scent of ancient, mysterious forests carried downstream by the wind. The intoxicating aroma of coffee, aged in the soil for centuries. And the scent of hard work by the people who have clung to this land and village through countless seasons, leaving behind a cherished memory that lingers on.

Jo inspects the final stage of making stylized lanterns by artisans in the former A Xing commune before shipping them out - Photo: HN

Jo, an interior designer from Sweden, was "enchanted" by this scent. Once, while accompanying Jo on a trip through the villages of Huong Phung, I listened as she enthusiastically explained her fascination. Simply put, this land brought her a sense of peace and tranquility.

Those were moments of escape from the work grind, letting her soul wander with the mountain breeze and clouds in a place thousands of kilometers away from her home country as the crow flies. Jo is addicted to coffee, even though the bitterness of the coffee in this country initially made her feel dizzy. So, every time she returns to Vietnam, especially to Quang Tri , Jo always stops by Khe Sanh, sipping coffee on the precarious mountainside, inhaling the familiar aroma and meeting the simple, rustic locals—people whose optimism also captivated her.

The radiant happiness on Jo's face is hard to describe when she talks about this: "It's something I rarely felt when I was in Sweden—where busyness took up almost all of young people's time." It's no coincidence that Jo came to and fell in love with the remote villages in western Quang Tri. This young designer once implemented a weaving project in A Xing commune, Huong Hoa district (now Lia commune). Thanks to Jo's dedication, familiar items of the Van Kieu people were stylized into interior decorations for export to Sweden.

Naturally, for this product to gain a foothold in Sweden—a country with sophisticated tastes—Jo poured a great deal of heart and soul into it. With the eye of a professional designer and a special affection for this land, Jo breathed life into the woven items of the Van Kieu people by stylizing the designs and ensuring the durability of the products.

Thanks to this, for a time, products such as bedside lamp holders, bicycle decorations, and stylized lanterns "made in" Huong Hoa were displayed in many places throughout Sweden. Later, for various reasons, Jo's project did not continue, but this land remains a familiar place to return to whenever she comes to Vietnam.

Many young foreigners who visit this region share the same feeling as Jo. Kristiina, a girl from the Netherlands, spent almost all of her internship in Huong Phung, in a charming little bungalow nestled in the mountains. “Every morning, I wake up early, breathe in the fresh, pristine mountain air before enjoying a cup of coffee made from beans grown on the very land where I’m sitting. It’s so different from the bustling traffic where I live,” Kristiina shared when talking about the place she visited.

While researching coffee farming practices and the socio -economic conditions of farming communities in Huong Phung commune, she interacted with many local people. Using her knowledge, Kristiina directed their attention further towards planting more shade trees to improve their income, food sources, and provide shade for the coffee plants.

She always explains to the locals the importance of shade trees in improving ecosystem services, contributing to the longevity of coffee plants and mitigating risks from climate change. Kristiina firmly believes that when she returns to this land, she will still encounter the same atmosphere, the same people, and walk among the vast coffee plantations, feeling that coffee will thrive sustainably on this land, carrying with it the aspirations for a better life of the ethnic minority people.

Kristiina poses for a photo with the Van Kieu girls - Photo: HN

As for Harro Boekhold, a tourism expert at PUM (the International Development Assistance Organization of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs ), he came up with the idea for a Khe Sanh coffee tour based on the unique characteristics of this region. He shared that Khe Sanh is not only marked by fierce warfare as in the past, but has now transformed thanks to its coffee plantations.

Therefore, "Make coffee, not war," a slogan born from his idea, is now being used to promote and market agricultural tourism in this region. Experiencing a day as a real farmer on coffee plantations, working as an expert in the processing, roasting, and grinding stages, and tasting the rich flavor of Khe Sanh coffee through this tour is gradually attracting visitors.

There are many coffee shops in Khe Sanh, catering to the local people's enjoyment and promoting the famous local product to friends from all over. The Huong Hoa region was chosen by the French to cultivate coffee, a practice that has continued for over 100 years.

Over time, coffee plants have gone through many ups and downs; not all coffee growers have become wealthy from this crop. But the value that coffee brings is considered sustainable, and the aroma of coffee is becoming increasingly rich.

Behind the lush coffee plantations of Huong Hoa lies the image of farmers with sun-tanned skin and calloused hands, weathered by years of toiling on the land. Their sweat has seeped into the soil, into each coffee bean, nourishing bountiful harvests. These drops of sweat crystallize into a salty taste, a fragrant aroma, and a symbol of the resilience, patience, and deep love the people have for this land.

It's not just Jo or Kristina who, upon leaving the hustle and bustle behind, realize that the place they've been to is the most peaceful. Along the journey here, everyone will experience a moment of quiet reflection in their own unique way.

Because busyness and worries, noise and stress always surround us, no matter where we are. So, take a trip to Khe Sanh once, to sip a cup of coffee with the aroma of the mountains and forests, to wander through the villages, listen to the wind, hear the trees tell stories, and feel the profound cultural currents of this land...

Phan Hoai Huong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202602/huong-cua-dat-1e73a9f/