Muong people of Phu Tho in the Central Highlands

In the late 50s of the last century, hundreds of Muong households in Phu Tho province left their "native land" to new lands. In the early 90s, Muong people in the Da River reservoir area had another "mass migration" to make way for the Hoa Binh hydroelectric project. The destination of the Phu Tho Muong community was Dak Lak and Lam Dong provinces in the Central Highlands. In particular, Tan Lap ward (Dak Lak) is an area where many Muong people came to reclaim land, settle down, and build a new economic zone.

Lesson 1 - Generations that contributed to changing the face of the land

Up to now, the Muong people of Phu Tho have settled and lived in the Central Highlands for 3-4 generations. Those who followed their families here when they were very young have now become grandparents. The next generations born and raised in the new land still remember their roots and carry within them the pure Muong spirit.

Witness on the red basalt land

At the age of over 80, Mr. Quach Tat Dung, village 2B Hoa Thang, Tan Lap ward ( Dak Lak ) has seen his health decline compared to a few years ago - when he was still enthusiastically taking the bus to visit his relatives in Lac Luong commune. When we expressed our intention to visit, Mr. Dung was overjoyed. He said he had not been able to return to his hometown for a long time, so he only hoped for meetings like this to chat and ask about the situation of his relatives there to ease his longing.

In the story told by Mr. Dung about several decades ago, the life of the Muong people in Phu Tho when they first arrived here was still full of confusion because of the strangeness of the water and the strangeness of the surroundings, surrounded by only reeds and wild grass. With the desire for long-term stability, the people united, supported each other and joined hands with other ethnic groups in the Central Highlands to build their second homeland.

Apart from a part of the population working as workers for farms and factories, most of the Muong people migrated here to work in agriculture . Besides maintaining the area of ​​rice fields to ensure local food security, the residents here actively reclaim and expand the area of ​​coffee, pepper and durian cultivation.

In the fertile Central Highlands, the Muong people of Phu Tho have diverse sources of income thanks to actively intercropping valuable crops.

Building a career in a new homeland

The end of the subsidy period and the transition to a period of innovation associated with the development of a market economy is an opportunity for generations of Muong Phu Tho people in the Central Highlands to realize their aspirations of getting rich with increasingly progressive awareness, thinking, and ways of doing things. Every household takes advantage of the reclaimed land area, many households buy more land in more distant farming areas to expand the area of ​​industrial crops and fruit trees.

Mr. Quach Tat Dung in village 2B Hoa Thang is also a rare witness to the changes of the Muong Phu Tho community living on this red land. His voice is firm: With human strength and land, the Muong people in the Central Highlands are no longer miserable. Everyone lives in solidly built houses, and their children and grandchildren are educated properly. Most families have a good life, and their economy is improving day by day.

Currently, in Tan Lap ward, there are about 2,200 Muong Phu Tho people living, concentrated in 4 residential areas. Most households get rich from land. Notably, on the agricultural land they own, people intercrop 2-3 types of trees, such as: Coffee, pepper, durian, passion fruit, taro... to increase productivity, bring in diversified income, optimize land use and create a sustainable agricultural ecosystem.

Mr. Quach Vy, 68 years old, originally from Quyet Thang commune, also living in Tan Lap ward, shared: In their second homeland with fertile land conditions, the Muong Phu Tho community has a stable economic life. In addition to the main crops of coffee and pepper with high economic value, the people here are relatively favorable in finding seasonal jobs, with additional income from agriculture, such as working as laborers for nurseries, growing areca nuts...

Living in Tan Lap ward (Dak Lak) with the main occupation of farming, the Phu Tho Muong people have a high average income per capita compared to other localities in the region. For example, in 2025, village 2B Hoa Thang, Tan Lap ward had an average income of 200 million VND/person. All 4/4 villages with Muong communities have completed the work of eliminating poor and near-poor households since 2023.

Comrade Vu Van Hung, Secretary of Tan Lap Ward Party Committee affirmed: In the picture of diverse ethnic groups in Dak Lak, the Muong people of Phu Tho with their spirit of overcoming difficulties, aspirations to rise up and efforts in transforming the agricultural economic structure have made important contributions to changing the face of the Central Highlands in all areas of social life.

(To be continued)

Bui Minh

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nguoi-muong-phu-tho-o-tay-nguyen-242650.htm