As we climbed the mountain in the biting cold of late year, the trucks, laden with goods, silently made their way down the slope. And up there, we encountered not only chickens, pigs, sticky rice, and banana leaves… but also peach blossoms, carried down from the mountains, bringing with them a touch of the borderland's fragrance. These days, the people of Sin Chai village, Trung Chai commune, Sa Pa town, Lao Cai province are busy preparing to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year. The joy of the villagers was doubled when Sin Chai village was connected to the national power grid. On the morning of January 8th, at the Government Headquarters, General Secretary To Lam attended and directed the nationwide online conference summarizing the work of 2024 and implementing the tasks of 2025 of the Government and local authorities organized by the Government. Implementing a high-intensity campaign to combat crime and ensure security and order before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025, Quang Ninh province has been mobilizing maximum forces and simultaneously launching a crackdown on all types of crime. In particular, it is focusing on decisively implementing solutions to prevent and combat illegal activities related to firecrackers during Tet. Phuoc Chien is a safe zone (ATK) commune in Thuan Bac district, Ninh Thuan province. Over the years, local Party committees and authorities have mobilized various resources, especially from National Target Programs, to support the construction of new rural areas and improve the lives of ethnic minority communities. The Ministry of Health requested early detection and monitoring of disease outbreaks at border crossings, ensuring medical examination and treatment, strengthening food safety inspections, and preventing drug shortages and price gouging during the 2025 Lunar New Year. The Krong Ana District Police in Dak Lak province reported that in a short period, they detected and prevented several groups of students from illegally manufacturing firecrackers, seizing 8,285 kg of chemicals and many items used to make firecrackers. Information from the Lang Chanh District Party Committee's Organization Department in Thanh Hoa province indicates that, to date, Lang Chanh district has had one Standing Committee member, three District Party Committee members, and many other officials voluntarily retire early to implement the Party's ongoing streamlining of the apparatus. (Summary of the Ethnic Minorities and Development Newspaper.) This afternoon's news bulletin, January 7th, 2025, includes the following noteworthy information: Lion, dragon, and unicorn dances become a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Visiting the highland market. The guardian of the San Diu ethnic group's cultural soul. Along with other current events in the ethnic minority and mountainous regions. Regarding the serious labor accident that killed 5 people at the Dak Mi 1 Hydropower Plant, Dak Choong commune, Dak Glei district (Kon Tum), on January 6th, the Ministry of Construction sent document No. 77/BXD-GĐ to the People's Committee of Kon Tum province regarding the investigation of the cause of the construction accident. Adding magnesium-rich foods to your diet in winter helps prevent and combat conditions related to cold weather… On January 8th, the Ho Chi Minh City Trade Promotion Center - US-Vietnam Business Council - Vietnam Institute of Innovation organized a seminar on the new US policy and its trade and investment impacts. The workshop attracted the direct and online participation of many domestic businesses, manufacturers, and exporters. On January 8th, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Thanh Trung, Commander of the My Quy Tay Border Gate Border Guard Station, Long An Border Guard Command, stated: Implementing the peak plan to combat crime, drug trafficking, smuggling, commercial fraud, and counterfeit goods, and to ensure security and order in the border area before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025, the unit coordinated with functional forces to detect and arrest an individual illegally transporting drugs from Cambodia across the border into Vietnam. The coming-of-age ceremony is an important ritual marking a milestone in the life of a young Cham Muslim girl of the Bani faith. This is the time when the girls are officially recognized by the community as followers of the Bani religion. The coming-of-age ceremony for young women, called Karơh, is performed by the head priest and religious officials of the Bà Ni mosque in Lương Tri village.
"Forest bounty" comes to the city.
Around the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, when heavy drizzles bring a biting cold, it's also the time when people in the highlands gather to pick forest produce. These are banana leaves, bamboo strips... used to wrap cakes; naturally harvested from the forest; to add a touch of color and flavor to the New Year celebrations for everyone.
Although harvested only once a year, it is still providing a significant source of income. The price traders pay for banana leaves varies from year to year. This year, traders are buying them from farmers for 300-400 VND per leaf. Each person can earn 300,000-400,000 VND per day from harvesting banana leaves. As for bamboo tubes, the selling price is 1,000 VND per tube. Each person can collect 250-300 bamboo tubes per day, earning 250,000-300,000 VND.
Then there are the peach blossoms; vast peach-growing regions like Que Phong and Ky Son are also busy pruning branches and digging up roots to transport them down to the lowlands. In the border region of Nghe An province, peach orchards have begun to paint the villages with vibrant colors, adding warmth to the spring scenery of Tet. For many years now, peach blossoms from Ky Son and Que Phong have been an indispensable item for Tet decorations in many lowland families, even though the prices are not exactly affordable.
Mr. Xong Ba Lau, from Buoc Mu village, Na Ngoi commune, Ky Son district ( Nghe An province ), proudly said: "My family has nearly 1,000 peach trees, and every year we earn hundreds of millions of dong selling branches during Tet. That's why poverty is gradually fading away."
The peach trees belonging to Mr. Lau and many other households in Ky Son are planted on the hillsides, around their stilt houses, nestled among the people in the bustling life of this remote border region. Besides the weathered, moss-covered branches of peach trees, carefully secured on trucks heading south, there are also sacks of sticky rice, ginger, turmeric, dried bamboo shoots, and even gourds and pumpkins… all rushing across the mountains and forests to reach the city.
These products are the result of the hard work and dedication of elderly farmers in the mountainous regions. Then, at the end of the year, traders from many localities in the lowlands and up to the mountainous districts of Que Phong, Quy Chau, Con Cuong, Ky Son... come to buy these "forest bounty" to supply the Tet market.
Having years of experience transporting goods back and forth between Con Cuong and the lowland districts, truck owner Hung Huong recounted: "During Tet (Lunar New Year), we are very busy, with goods constantly going back and forth throughout the day. Mainly, we transport essential goods for the local people to sell in the lowlands. Prices are usually higher than usual, so the people also earn extra income."
Homemade "products"
Pigs, cows, buffaloes... raised by ethnic minorities in mountainous regions are popular items during the Lunar New Year season. To meet this demand from people in the lowlands, residents of the highland districts have processed these animals into products that reflect the unique cultural identity of their region.
From the beginning of December in the lunar calendar, villages in western Nghe An province are busy day and night preparing specialties to supply the market for the Lunar New Year. Traditional dishes such as dried beef, dried buffalo meat, sausages, rice wine, and herbal wine have now become specialties favored by people in the lowlands.
These dishes have also become a unique gift during Tet (Lunar New Year), so this is also the time when these specialties are most in demand, with many establishments unable to supply enough to meet customer demand.
Among them, smoked beef and smoked buffalo meat (a type of meat smoked over a fire) from Ky Son and Tuong Duong districts are highly regarded by connoisseurs. The preparation of this product is very elaborate, requiring the selection of firm, long-grained, fresh, and delicious meat, which only local buffalo and beef can fully meet.
After cutting the meat into strips and marinating it with spices such as ginger, galangal, dried chili peppers, mắc khén (a type of spice), and salt, the villagers will hang the meat over a wood-fired stove to dry it using charcoal and smoke.
Made from the finest cuts of meat through multiple processing steps, dried beef and dried buffalo meat have a rich flavor and are favored by many. Currently, the price of 1kg of dried beef ranges from 1 to 1.2 million VND. In addition, with the advantages of convenience, ease of storage and transportation, it is becoming a popular specialty gift choice during Tet (Lunar New Year).
In addition, sausage is a traditional dish often prepared during local festivals, especially during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year). Local pigs are slaughtered, the lean meat with a layer of fat is selected, washed, diced, and marinated with traditional spices.
After marinating, the meat is stuffed into cleaned and dried pig intestines, forming the outer casing. It is then sun-dried and smoked over a wood fire to create its distinctive aroma. This is also a popular dish, frequently ordered by people in the lowlands during Tet (Lunar New Year).
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, owner of a sausage and dried beef production facility in Thach Giam town, Tuong Duong district, said: "Every Lunar New Year, our facility produces about 1 ton of sausages and about the same amount of dried beef… but they usually sell out very quickly because the raw materials are very carefully selected."
A rich and flavorful drink from the highlands… is gradually becoming indispensable for people in the lowlands during holidays and festivals. That is rice wine, or rice wine fermented with leaves. The wine-producing regions in Con Cuong… are the source of this famous rice wine.
Making rice wine with herbal yeast is a traditional occupation passed down through generations of the Thai ethnic group in Xieng village, Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district. Currently, there are 3 wine-making groups in Xieng village with 41 participating households. The wine is mainly purchased by traders and supplied to restaurants and regular customers in Vinh City and Hanoi .
In recent years, the traditional rice wine making craft in Xieng village has flourished, and the market has expanded. With an average production capacity of 200-300 liters of wine per day, and an average of 6-7 thousand liters per month, it has brought in an income of over 28 million VND per year for the households in the craft village, with an average income of 18 million VND per worker per year.
Tet is fast approaching. The trucks heading south are therefore busier and more hectic. The flavors and aromas of the border region are becoming distinctive products, adding a touch of sweetness to the Tet holiday. But the greatest sweetness of all is contributing to alleviating poverty and hardship for the people in the mountainous areas...
Source: https://baodantoc.vn/huong-sac-bien-cuong-1736335879123.htm
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