Climb to the summit of Ngoc Linh mountain to witness the harvest of the "million-dollar" seeds.

Ngoc Linh Peak, located at an altitude of over 2,600 meters above sea level, borders Quang Nam and Kon Tum provinces and is home to a rare and precious medicinal herb: Ngoc Linh ginseng, a national treasure of Vietnam. From a "secret medicine" of the Xe Dang ethnic group, Ngoc Linh ginseng has now helped hundreds of highland households transform their lives, with many becoming millionaires.

These days, employees of Viet Linh Ginseng Joint Stock Company (located in Hamlet 2, Tra Linh Commune, Nam Tra My District, Quang Nam Province) are busy harvesting ripe red ginseng seeds.

The harvested seeds are sorted, cataloged, and then germinated for the next crop. The ginseng seedlings are then used to expand cultivation areas on the highest peaks of the Truong Son mountain range.

Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds turn red when ripe.

Thanks to favorable weather conditions, the Ngoc Linh ginseng plants are thriving this year, producing high-quality fruit with few underdeveloped seeds.

Ripe Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds are red with a black dot at the tip. The number of seeds varies depending on the flower, usually ranging from 30 to 100 mature seeds per flower.

Besides the ginseng root, the seeds of Ngoc Linh ginseng also have very high economic value. Currently, the price of each seed ranges from 70,000 VND, sometimes reaching 150,000 VND. With a can containing approximately 1,000 seeds, the price would be close to 100 million VND per can.

Every year in April, ginseng plants begin to flower, with only one flower per plant. Harvesting of the seeds begins from September to October.

The Ngoc Linh ginseng plants must be grown under the forest canopy to avoid the harsh sun, relying on the undergrowth of fallen leaves for rooting; then, they depend on year-round drizzle, fresh air, and suitable temperature and humidity to thrive.

After harvesting, the flowers and leaves are cut off to allow the Ngoc Linh ginseng root to enter a dormant period.

Ngoc Linh ginseng is a rare and precious medicinal herb, both its flowers and leaves. Because of its unique growing conditions, Ngoc Linh ginseng has a high concentration of nutrients.

The ginseng seeds are coated with "plastic armor" to protect them from rats and birds.

Nam Tra My district has 1,500 hectares of Ngoc Linh ginseng, and more than 1,500 households in 7 communes are registering to plant an additional 2,500 hectares.

During this year's seed harvest season, Viet Linh Ginseng Joint Stock Company harvested approximately 35,000 seeds.

Currently, Viet Linh Ginseng Joint Stock Company is cultivating Ngoc Linh ginseng on an area of ​​nearly 6 hectares.

Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds are a favorite food of rats. Therefore, to protect the seed clusters from being gnawed by these animals, employees of Viet Linh Ginseng Joint Stock Company have to use perforated spherical plastic containers to cover the seeds throughout their development until harvest. Ngoc Linh ginseng plants begin producing seeds when they are 5-7 years old.

The staff meticulously harvest the seeds of Ngoc Linh ginseng.

Mr. Nguyen Mau Tam, Deputy Director of Viet Linh Ginseng Joint Stock Company, said that after harvesting, the collected seeds will be screened and sorted. Seeds of good quality will be sown immediately to ensure a high germination rate. “The quality of Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds is one of the important factors affecting the germination process and the rate of seedling formation. The process of caring for the ginseng plant to produce ripe red seeds is quite challenging. Ngoc Linh ginseng plants are highly dependent on weather and climate,” Mr. Tam said.

After the rainforest rain, the rare midday sunbeams pierced through the foliage, casting diagonal rays down onto the ginseng garden, which was in the process of producing seeds, making the clusters of ginseng seeds even more brilliantly beautiful.

The price of Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds has not been as high as in previous years. However, according to many ginseng farm owners, due to the increasing demand for seeds from consumers, the price is likely to rise again.

A single Ngoc Linh ginseng plant has nearly 200 seeds.

During the ginseng harvest season, the clusters of fruit are previously wrapped in perforated plastic boxes or mesh bags to protect them from harsh weather and damage by birds and rodents.

The harvesting of Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds is done manually, after which each seed is counted and sorted, divided into small bundles, each containing 800-1,000 seeds, and each bundle is marked to indicate the quality of the seeds.

Clusters of ginseng seeds swayed in the breeze, bathed in sunlight filtering through the forest canopy.

Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds typically grow clustered in the center of the foliage. After two months, they begin to change from green to dark green, then yellowish-green, and finally turn red when ripe.