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| Officials from Tan Thuy neighborhood, Xuan Lap ward, discuss with farmer Sy Lam (far right) about switching to crops suitable for the rocky soil area near Mount Do. |
Therefore, the story of the plants taking root in the dark, rocky soil, linked to the settlement process of the Chinese community here, further enriches the picture of life.
Simple and unassuming like a mountain rock.
We temporarily set aside the mysterious, pristine beauty of Red Mountain (also known as Bat Cave Mountain) because of the allure of the concrete road encircling the mountain, lined with well-built houses adorned with lanterns, red lettering, and durian trees laden with fruit. Especially captivating was the offer from the Tan Thuy neighborhood officials to guide us in exploring the lives of the Hoa ethnic minority people living near this ancient volcano.
Tan Thuy neighborhood has 4 residential groups, with 269 households and approximately 420 hectares of agricultural land. Of these, the Hoa ethnic minority makes up the majority of the population with 225 households. Mr. Chi Vinh Song, Secretary of the Party Branch and Head of the Front Committee of Tan Thuy neighborhood, said: The agricultural land around Red Mountain belongs to groups 1, 2, and part of group 3. Previously, this area was mainly used for growing vegetables, bananas, and tobacco; now, the Hoa ethnic minority and Kinh households have switched to growing durian. Traditional crops such as rambutan, mangosteen, pomelo, coffee, pepper, and bananas are no longer as abundant as before.
It's commendable that young people are coming to the Red Mountain area in Tan Thuy neighborhood to explore Bat Cave and introduce experiential tourism destinations. Those who come here to learn about the farming life, the process of land reclamation and settlement of the Chinese community will gain a deeper understanding of this land and its people.
Mr. CHI VINH SONG, Party Branch Secretary, Head of the Working Committee
Frontline of Tan Thuy neighborhood, Xuan Lap ward.
A respected figure, Mr. Su Tac Phi, Chairman of the Farmers' Association in Tan Thuy neighborhood, shared: "In the years 1960-1962, the Hoa ethnic people were present in this area to reclaim land around Mount Do, planting crops, bananas, and tobacco. During that period, even though agricultural tools were still rudimentary, such as machetes, hoes, sickles, and hand saws, the Hoa people still transformed rocky, overgrown areas into lush green fields of corn, beans, tobacco, and bananas; at the same time, they applied many folk experiences to drive away birds and animals from the surrounding mountains and forests that would destroy their crops."
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Young people must learn to solve practical problems.On the morning of June 28th, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union organized the "Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space" Forum with the theme "Learning to do, cultivating virtue and talent, elevating young people's knowledge, and promoting Ho Chi Minh City to become a symbol of dynamic development in Vietnam in the 21st century". 
Bringing resolutions to the people through the language of everyday life.During community gatherings in the Gằn area (Văn Miếu commune), residents are familiar with the sight of Party Branch Secretary Nguyễn Hà Phương standing before the people with a microphone in hand, sometimes leading cultural performances, other times enthusiastically recounting stories about President Ho Chi Minh, the responsibilities of Party members, and the new policies of the Party and State. With his approachable, simple, and easy-to-understand style, he vividly conveys seemingly dry content from resolutions, making them easy to remember and accept. This is also how the young Party Branch Secretary studies and follows the thoughts, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh through concrete and practical actions. 
Creating livelihoods for people in mountainous areas through raising specialty animals.Once closely associated with bamboo groves, rice paddies, and a life dependent on nature, the people of the mountainous region of Thanh Hoa have undergone significant changes in recent years. These changes stem from the raising of animals familiar to the mountains and forests, such as porcupines, spotted deer, native ducks, grass-fed pigs, and free-range chickens. From small-scale initial models, many households have found suitable paths, gradually escaping poverty and rising to prosperity right on their homeland. Due to the predominantly self-sufficient economy and the fact that most access to the outside world was via footpaths, life was difficult. However, the earlier Chinese families never complained about hardship; instead, they were always ready to help later families build houses, lend chickens and pigs, or provide food when needed. Therefore, despite having different surnames such as Su (To), Sy (Tu), Chi (Chau/Chu), Ho (Ha), Vong (Hoang/Huynh)..., the Chinese people around the Red Mountain area still consider each other as one family. In the fields, everyone diligently worked until late at night before returning home.
“During the process of clearing land for farming, households with many strong laborers who could pile stones into fences or large mounds on the fields would have more land for production. Those wanting to open fields towards the Red Mountain needed a path, and those below were always willing to let them use it. Because the Hoa people always strive to build a larger, happier, more prosperous, and united community, they always know how to support and help each other in life,” Mr. Su Tac Phi confided.
Pressing ice to make it "bloom like a flower"
The soil near the Red Mountains has a distinctive dark black color, mixed with a little brick-red from ancient volcanoes. This type of soil helps plants take root firmly, withstand storms and erosion, and adapt to crop conversion processes.
Mr. Ho Xam Hoi, Head of Tan Thuy neighborhood, said: In agricultural production, the Hoa ethnic minority people often look at the effectiveness of each crop to collectively green the land at the foot of Mount Do. In the early years of land reclamation, at the beginning of the rainy season (April, May), the whole area was covered in green corn, various types of beans and bananas; in the dry season (November, December), it was ablaze with the yellow color of tobacco. From 1990 to 2009, the area at the foot of Mount Do was covered with coffee, pepper and fruit trees. From 2010 to the present, durian trees have gradually covered the rocky fields here.
According to Mr. Ho Xam Hoi, the Hoa people have a habit of observing each other's work. When they see a crop that yields high economic returns, they plant it together and accept the risks. Therefore, when crops are abundant and prices are good, the entire community prospers. When crops lose value or are no longer suitable for the market, everyone switches to new crops together. This sense of community has been deeply ingrained in many generations of Hoa people in Tan Thuy neighborhood. They are not greedy, but they also don't want their own fields to be inferior to those of their neighbors, so it's easy for production movements to form.
Durian trees have long been desired by farmers in the rocky soil area of Tan Thuy neighborhood for large-scale cultivation. However, due to a lack of capital and experience, the conversion has been slow. Only when many households could no longer survive the prolonged crop failures and price drops in coffee and pepper did the Hoa ethnic minority people discuss and boldly decide to switch. Experiences accumulated from friends and relatives far away, or from agricultural extension training courses, were shared among them. Those with less capital planted durian trees in the empty spaces of their existing orchards. Those with more resources converted their entire land to durian cultivation for easier care and management.
Mr. Sy Lam (from Group 2, Tan Thuy neighborhood) said: "Whatever crops the older generation of Chinese people planted, my family followed suit. When they realized that a particular crop was no longer profitable or didn't bring in wealth, I continued to learn and switch to that crop. Thanks to this, even though we only own 1 hectare of durian trees given to us by our parents when we moved out on our own, our family now earns about 500 million VND per year."
Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment in high technology.On the morning of June 26th, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Mr. Jeff Place, Supply Chain Director of Coherent Group (USA). During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment, especially in high-tech, innovation, and semiconductor industries. The older generation of Chinese people consider the younger generation, like Mr. Sy Lam, to be quick-witted, capable, and adept at adapting to new things. However, according to Mr. Sy Lam, the experience, wisdom, and resilience of the older generation are the most valuable lessons that the younger generation should learn. Just looking at the lush gardens and spacious houses at the foot of Mount Do today is enough to feel that.
Doan Phu
Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202606/phu-xanh-vung-dat-ven-chan-nui-o-6f704ce/
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