Developing the digital economy in Lam Binh

Beneath the ancient forests of Lam Binh, farmers, once accustomed to slash-and-burn agriculture, have transformed into digital content creators, owning YouTube and TikTok channels that attract millions of followers. The digital economy is being guided and encouraged to develop into a genuine profession, providing a decent and stable income for the people.

A corner of Khau Cau, the "YouTube village," with its new, spacious houses.

From rapid, spontaneous development

The digital economy began to emerge in Lam Binh in 2018 and 2019, developing strongly during the Covid-19 pandemic when many young workers returned to the area and shifted to YouTube. From 2021 to the present, this has been considered a "hot" profession, bringing in incomes ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of VND per month for many households. Many "YouTuber villages" have formed in Khau Cau, Phieng Mo, Lung Gieng, etc.

Khau Cau village is the most famous YouTube village in Lam Binh commune. The village currently has 129 households, but at one point, nearly 50% of the residents considered YouTube as a lucrative profession that helped improve their lives. Some YouTube channels attract millions of views and generate hundreds of millions of dong in income each month, such as the channel of Ms. Ly Thi Ca.

The head of Khau Ca village, Dang Ton Senh, shared: In 2020, there were about 50 households in the village that did YouTube. Since people started doing YouTube and earning a decent income, the appearance of the residential area in the village has changed significantly, with 6 households building new, spacious houses, 6 households buying personal cars, and 100% of households purchasing essential household appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and televisions. However, many channels developed spontaneously, with repetitive content and a lack of strategy, leading to a decline in viewership. Therefore, only about 15 households still maintain their channels.

The entire Lam Binh commune (after the merger) once had over 300 YouTube and TikTok channels. Currently, only 65 channels remain active, a decrease of about 70%. This filtering process accurately reflects market dynamics and the need for professionalization of digital content.

YouTube channels in Lam Binh are producing content about the lives and cultural identity of the local people.

Establishing management mechanisms and development orientations.

The content of YouTube channels in Lam Binh mainly revolves around daily life such as house building, cooking, livestock farming, and survival skills. When too many channels exploit the same theme, viewers lose interest, and it easily creates the feeling that the lives of people in the mountainous region are always impoverished, failing to fully reflect the changes in the locality.

Faced with the reality that some online content platforms do not accurately reflect the policies and lives of people in the highlands, Lam Binh commune is simultaneously encouraging development and strengthening management in accordance with the law. At the same time, it is campaigning for the establishment of a Digital Content Creation Association to support each other in building channels, guiding content appropriately, avoiding duplication and deviations from standards; and promoting the dissemination of positive cultural values.

Furthermore, the commune is researching mechanisms to support the development of the digital economy; encouraging livestream channel owners and video producers to promote local landscapes, cultural identity, and specialties to stimulate tourism, connect product consumption, and attract investment. It is also focusing on implementing the "Digital Literacy Movement" with the goal of improving information technology skills for the people, especially ethnic minorities; helping people utilize digital applications in daily life, production, and administrative procedures on the National Public Service Portal.

According to Truong Van Quang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lam Binh commune, the Party Committee and local government consider the development of the digital economy as an important direction to improve management efficiency, promote the image, and increase income for the people. The commune encourages the application of information technology in the production and consumption of agricultural products and the development of tourism. It guides union members, association members, and the people to develop YouTube channels, become content creators, and form groups and associations to share and support each other in building channels and producing content that is in line with trends and complies with the law. This creates more jobs, increases stable income for the people, and promotes local culture, cuisine , landscapes, and products.

Statistics from 2025 show that the digital economy generated over 50 billion VND in revenue, contributing over 1.2 billion VND to the commune's budget, accounting for more than 30% of total revenue. YouTubers and TikTokers also actively participate in social activities: building rural infrastructure, supporting students, poor households, and social welfare programs in the area.

The development of the digital economy in Lam Binh is shifting from spontaneous to systematic and sustainable. With proper guidance from the government and an increasingly professional content creation community, the digital economy is becoming a suitable direction, opening up opportunities to increase income and promote the local image. This is a new driving force for Lam Binh to continue developing in the digital transformation era.

Text and photos: Duy Tuan

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/kinh-te/thuong-mai-dich-vu/202601/phat-trien-kinh-te-so-o-lam-binh-d732ab1/