When Mong people keep the forest for tourism

In the middle of the Pa Co forest, where the mountains are covered with white clouds all year round, there are Mong people who quietly protect the forest as if it were their own lifeblood. They not only take care of each tree and blade of grass, but also do eco-tourism associated with forest protection for sustainable development.

"Owner" of the windy mountain pass

At the end of October, Pa Co begins to get cold. The cold of the wind and the dew seeping into the skin can easily make people numb. However, in the midst of that cold, it cannot be denied: Pa Co is truly beautiful! The beauty of the majestic mountains hidden among the clouds and sky, of the lush green tea hills and of the peach and apricot blossoms blooming in spite of the frost. Even more beautiful is the image of Mong girls in their colorful dresses, their cheeks flushed red in the cold mist like a warmth burning in the middle of the forest. On such a late October day, on the top of Dragon Pass - where the wind never stops blowing, the cold chills every fingertip, we were lucky to meet old man Kha A Lu and his wife, Mrs. Vang Y Mai. At the top of this pass, old man Lu and his wife have been persistently clinging to the forest, welcoming guests, lighting fires and keeping the place warm. They are affectionately called "owners of Dragon Pass" by the locals, and are also the ones who contributed to creating the majestic beauty of Pa Co today.

Old Kha A Lu, Pa Co commune, devoted their efforts to building trails through the forest to patrol the forest and develop eco- tourism .

Old Lu is over sixty this year, his skin is red from the sun and wind, he speaks Kinh with a broken accent but his voice is warm and slow. Perhaps that is why the longer we sit, the more we are drawn into his story. The story of a lifetime of making a living under the forest canopy, attached to every slope, tree bank, and blade of grass. Hidden in it is a miraculous journey of change in the consciousness of a Mong man who is familiar with the "Mr. Meo's reason" - born in the forest, clinging to the forest, and then from making a living thanks to the forest, he becomes a forest keeper, doing tourism from the green of his homeland's mountains and forests.

In a small hut leaning against the cliff, the kitchen smoke flickering in the thick fog, old man Lu said: My main house is in the village, but in 2014, when many forest areas in the upstream were severely destroyed, the primeval forest on the top of Dragon Mountain in Hang Kia - Pa Co Nature Reserve was also in a similar situation, the Party and the State implemented the policy of allocating land and forest to the people. With the propaganda of the cadres, he and his wife came here to build a hut, to look after and protect this forest.

The first days were not easy because there was almost no road into the forest, the trees were all over the place, making forest patrolling very difficult. Realizing that without a road, the forest would be lost, old Lu and his wife were determined to open a trail through the forest. With only a hoe, a shovel and their hands, a little each day, old Lu and his wife opened a path into the forest. After 3 years of effort, a trail of more than 1 km through the forest helped patrolling the forest more easily. From then on, the old man understood every tree root and blade of grass and gradually discovered the valuable potential of the forest. Among them, there is a group of 12 pine trees hundreds of years old that have been recognized as Vietnam heritage trees.

Now, that trail has become a trekking route to explore Dragon Mountain, attracting many tourists. The story began in 2019, when Pa Co started doing community tourism. Realizing an important direction to help many households improve the economic efficiency of the forest, the Management Board of the Conservation Area guided old Lu to do ecotourism associated with forest conservation. With the support of the commune to invest in a parking lot, make a welcome gate, and set up an introduction board, old Lu and his wife started doing tourism. Every morning, when the fog still covered the mountain, old Lu put on his coat, held a knife and followed the trail through the forest. Mrs. Mai lit the stove, prepared a pot of hot tea and sold many other specialties of Pa Co to welcome guests. They are familiar with groups of tourists who love trekking, those who want to find a pristine, pure Pa Co. Every time a group comes, the old couple enthusiastically guides and advises: do not break branches, do not pick flowers, this forest is like our home. After each trip, when the guests have left, the old man and his wife quietly go into the forest, pick up each piece of trash, and pile up the tree stumps. For them, protecting the forest is not only a responsibility but also a way of life.

The "reason" of change

Hang Kia – Pa Co Nature Reserve is over 5,300 hectares wide, preserving many of the most precious and rare primeval forests in the Northwest region. The entire Pa Co commune lies in the core area of ​​the reserve, where the Mong people have lived for generations, attached to and considered the forest as a part of their flesh and blood. Living under the forest canopy, the Mong people here understand that protecting the forest is also protecting their own lifeblood. The spirit of protecting the forest has become a common awareness of the community.

Leaders and staff of the Hang Kia - Pa Co Nature Reserve Management Board, along with elder Hang A Pao and members of the community forest protection group participated in the forest patrol.

According to comrade Sung A Vang, Deputy Head of the Hang Kia - Pa Co Nature Reserve Management Board, by 2021, more than 2,000 hectares of forest in the area had been allocated to 21 residential communities in the buffer zone of the reserve, most of which were Mong ethnic villages in Pa Co commune. Receiving the forest, people not only patrolled and protected it, but also planted more native trees, restored forest habitats and combined it with community tourism. The small roads through the forest are now not only patrol routes but also experience routes for nature-loving tourists. Talking about how to protect the forest and encourage people to protect the forest, elder Hang A Pao - a prestigious person in Pa Co hamlet shared: I told the Mong people that there is no reason to destroy the forest. In the past, to build a wooden house, we had to go into the forest to cut down trees to make pillars, but now we have bricks and cement to build houses, so there is no need to take wood anymore. In the past, we had to cut down forests for firewood. Now the government has brought electricity to the village and warm blankets, so people no longer need to cut firewood. The forest also brings tourists to the village, helping to develop the economy, so there is no reason for the Mong people to destroy the forest. The forest has been assigned to each household by the officials, so each household must be responsible for protecting their family forest. Protecting the forest means protecting the village's life.

Thanks to its majestic natural scenery and unique indigenous culture, Pa Co has become an attractive tourist destination for domestic and international visitors.

From that simple but profound "Mr. Meo's reason", by "slow and steady wins the race" and through effective models, seeing with their own eyes and hearing with their own ears, old Pao and old Lu have worked with the Party Committee and the government to propagate and mobilize people in the village to plant and protect forests. As the Deputy Head of the Sung A Vang Conservation Area Management Board said: That is the "reason" of the change in the consciousness of the Mong people today. It is thanks to that "reason" that each Mong person has become a true forest keeper. And the Pa Co Mong community is the "extended arm" of the forest rangers, contributing to keeping the Pa Co forest greener, and more than that, a stable life thanks to green and sustainable tourism.

Dinh Hoa

Source: https://baophutho.vn/khi-nguoi-mong-giu-rung-lam-du-lich-241879.htm