New Year in Nhiu Cu San

In the villages of the former Sang Ma Sao commune (now Den Sang commune), Nhiu Cu San was once the most remote and isolated. Just three years ago, travel was extremely difficult. Returning today, we clearly feel the joy on the faces of the Mong people as the road into the village is being widened and paved. Especially, in the spring of 2026, dozens of households here will celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) in new, sturdy, and safe houses at the foot of the "buffalo horn" mountain.

The path to fulfilling your dreams.

Previously, when mentioning Nhiu Cu San village (formerly Sang Ma Sao commune), many people remembered a Hmong village nestled at the foot of the "buffalo horn" mountain, picturesque and resplendent with peach blossoms every spring, like a fairytale land in real life. However, reaching Nhiu Cu San is not an easy journey. The approximately 7km road from the commune center to the village is still a rough, rocky dirt road, making travel extremely difficult. On rainy days, the road becomes slippery, and locals are often forced to abandon their motorbikes and walk to get there.

In the spring of 2023, I decided to take a trip to Nhiu Cu San village. Even though I chose a sunny day, it took me almost an hour to navigate the rocky, unpaved road to reach the village entrance. Only when I returned safely to the commune center did I truly breathe a sigh of relief. However, my arms and shoulders ached from the constant jolting. After that trip, the image of those narrow, precarious roads winding along the mountainside haunted me – places where even a slight misstep could lead to an accident, fraught with danger.

The road leading to Nhiu Cu San village is currently being widened.

Returning to Nhiu Cu San today, Mr. Hang A Giong, a cultural officer of Den Sang commune, said that the road leading to Nhiu Cu San village, part of Provincial Road 158, is currently receiving over 35 billion VND in investment from the province for road widening and will be paved with asphalt in the near future. The local people were very excited to hear this news. However, because the road is still under construction, with many sections being leveled and widened, travel remains difficult. To save time, Mr. Giong drove us into the village in his pickup truck.

Indeed, compared to the narrow, rocky road before, the new road has been widened two to three times, connecting Khu Chu Phin village with Nhiu Cu San village. After a period of construction, the road is gradually taking shape. From a distance, the road winds along the stream and hillside, gradually ascending Nhiu Co San mountain like a silk ribbon. After the unpaved section, now covered with smooth gravel, a spacious and modern entrance to the village opens up, resembling a "mini-highway" in the highlands.

The road leading to Nhiu Cu San village is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, opening up a bright future for the people there.

Upon meeting us, village elder Giàng A Sình smiled kindly; the wrinkles on his weathered face seemed to smooth out, and his eyes shone with emotion. He shared: "I was born and raised in Nhìu Cù San, and now I am 84 years old. All my life, I haven't wished for much more than a beautiful, well-maintained road so that people can go to work and to Mường Hum market to trade more easily and with less hardship. I am truly happy that the Party and the State have shown concern and invested in this wide, beautiful road. With an asphalt road like in the city, people will no longer have to walk on rainy days; it will only take about 20 minutes by motorbike to reach the old commune center."

Mr. Giàng A Phừ, Secretary of the Party Branch of Nhìu Cù San village, also expressed his excitement: "The road leading into the village has been expanded since the end of 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, opening up prospects for development for the Mong people here. To date, some sections have had their roadbeds completed, helping people travel safely and allowing cars to transport building materials to the village for people to build houses. When the road is completed, the sale of agricultural products and welcoming tourists to explore the ancient Pavie stone road, Ong Chúa waterfall, and conquer Nhìu Cù San mountain will be more convenient. Even with gold and silver, the Mong people at the foot of the 'Buffalo Horn' mountain would not be as happy as being able to travel on this new road."

Beliefs beneath the "Buffalo Horn" mountain

The village of Nhiu Cu San is nestled beneath a majestic mountain range resembling a giant wall, with its two highest peaks being Nhiu Co San at 2,965m and Cu Nhu San at 2,662m above sea level. Over 100 Hmong households live here, concentrated in two hamlets: Cha Pha and Nhiu Cu San.

From Chà Phà hamlet, visitors can explore the old French-era rest stop, following the ancient Pavie stone road to Sàng Mào Phố village (Sin Suối Hồ commune, former Phong Thổ district, Lai Châu province). This stone road, winding through the Nhìu Cồ San mountain range, was built by the French from 1920 and completed in 1927, with a total length of approximately 100km.

From Nhiu Cu San hamlet, there's a path leading up to explore Ong Chua waterfall and conquer the majestic peaks of Nhiu Co San and Cu Nhu San. This area also boasts many ancient trees, red maple forests, and in winter, visitors can admire the stunning sea of ​​clouds on the mountaintops.

New houses for the Hmong people in Nhiu Cu San.

Returning to Nhiu Cu San this time, I was astonished to find that the village of Nhiu Cu San, with its old wooden houses nestled amidst picturesque peach orchards, was no more. Walking around the village, all that remained were scattered foundations of houses, bricks and tiles, many roofs dismantled, leaving only the wooden frames and crumbling brick walls. Explaining this, the Party Secretary, Giang A Phu, said: For hundreds of years, this area had never experienced landslides, flash floods, or mudslides affecting the lives of the people. However, after the storms of 2024, long cracks appeared on the mountainside, posing a high risk of landslides.

Faced with this situation, in 2025, the Party Committee and the government of the former Sang Ma Sao commune (now Den Sang commune) directed functional units to inspect and assess areas at risk of landslides, while simultaneously disseminating information and encouraging residents to relocate from potentially dangerous areas to new residences to ensure safety. Although they regretted losing their ancient peach orchards and houses built by their ancestors and cherished by generations, after being informed, all 61 households in the village agreed to move their homes to stabilize their lives as soon as possible.

The new Nhiu Cu San hamlet now has a more modern and attractive appearance.

Following the village road that is being widened, we climbed uphill for about 300 meters to reach the new resettlement area. Right at the foot of Cu Nhu San mountain, on a not-too-steep slope, new houses appeared, looking spacious and sturdy. In his newly built house, Mr. Giang Su shared: "Although moving our house was difficult, my family received 80 million VND in support from the government, so we had extra money to build a new, spacious, and solid house. This year, not only my family, but many households in the village are also celebrating Tet in their new homes, no longer worrying about landslides. Everyone is happy and very grateful to the Party and the State."

The Hmong people in Nhiu Cu San are enjoying increasingly prosperous lives.

Through investigation, it was found that 61 households in Nhiu Cu San village (Den Sang commune), located in an area at risk of landslides, received government assistance of 80 million VND each to relocate to new residences. In addition, 13 households received 30 million VND each under the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses, aiming to renovate and repair their homes. Thanks to effective communication, mobilization, and the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance within the community, most households have now completed their new, sturdy houses, ready to welcome the new spring.

With its advantage of beautiful scenery, including waterfalls and majestic mountains, Nhiu Cu San village has favorable conditions for developing community tourism. Recently, 10 households in the village have renovated their houses to serve as homestays for tourists, notably Mr. Giang A Tenh, Mr. Giang A Giong, Mr. Giang A Lau, Mr. Giang A Trai, Mr. Giang A Sinh, Mr. Giang A Sai, Mr. Giang A Ky, etc. In addition, dozens of people are involved in tourism development through jobs such as motorbike taxi driving, transporting goods, guiding tourists on mountain climbs, etc., contributing to increased income.

The beauty of spring on Nhiu Cu San mountain.

As we parted ways, Giang A Phu, the Party Secretary of Nhiu Cu San village, shared the joy of the Mong people living at the foot of the "Buffalo Horn" mountain as this year the village has new roads, new houses, and 18 more households have escaped poverty and near-poverty. The ancient peach trees have bloomed, the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 is just days away, and the villagers are busily preparing to slaughter pigs and welcome a warm spring. In a few years, when the new peach trees grow, Nhiu Cu San village will once again appear as beautiful as a fairytale land.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/xuan-moi-nhiu-cu-san-post892782.html