Hung Yen (VNS/VNA) - Deputy Director of the Department ofCulture, Sports and Tourism of northern Hung Yen province Pham Van Hieurecently led a trip to some of the province's budding tourism destinations.

The first location the group stopped at wasNghia Trai medicinal herb village, which is located next to Highway 5 about20km from Hanoi.

As a so-called good-natured and idyllic village,Nghia Trai is like a country girl hiding from the vanity fair. It has long beenknown for plain simple herbs like perilla, and marjoram, as well as preciousfloral medicine such as chamomile, gold money herb and hedgenettle.

Arriving at the village, the aromatic smell ofthe herbs hits you at once.

Sitting next with a balmy cup of chamomile tea,Tran Tat Thi, the village chief, told reporters: “Planting, processing andpractising medical treatment is a lifelong tradition. All the households heregrow medical plants to sell or for family use. Over 70 percent of the village'sland is used to grow herbs.”

And he wasn't exaggerating. The village iscovered in plants, which the chief told us all have their own specialuses. 

“Chamomile can treat headaches and visionimpairments, while perilla and marjoram can ease swelling. We use the leaves,flowers or roots, and in some cases, all three, depending on the herb."

"Farmers here have grown herbs fromgeneration to generation. It is part of life here. The great thing about themis they don't need pesticide because they can look after themselves.”

Farmer Nguyen Tran Trung said although growingmedical herbs did not earn him very much, the career had been handed down tohim by his father, so he wanted to carry on.

“Big farms can earn decent money, while smallerones can earn enough to make end meets. From each 360 square metre plot we canearn 7-10 million VND (300-430 USD). Each tonne of herbs fetches 5-10 millionVND (215-430 USD).”

It is not difficult to grow the plants, but itrequires meticulous care and certain techniques to guarantee their quality.After harvesting, the plants are chopped into small pieces then dried under thesunlight or a heater.

Small- and medium-sized households produce 30 to50 tonnes per year, while larger ones churn out hundreds of tonnes. 

The village’s major customers are pharmaceuticalagencies in big cities like Traphaco and Bao Long, while some of the produce isexported to China. The village is also known far and wide as a reliabledestination for traditional medical treatment.

Nguyen Ngoc Nga, a frequent visitor from Hanoi,said she often orders chamomile from Nghia Trai village.

“Whenever my children or I develop symptoms suchas eyes fatigue after long hours working in front of the computer, I order apackage of chamomile. It has become our favourite drink,” she said.

The most obvious proof of the history of thevillage can be found on a stone stele dating back to the reign of Emperor LyThanh Tong (1023-1072), which records the legend of three generals of the LyDynasty. After defeating their enemies, they left the army and returned to theland of Nghia Trai to teach farmers how to plant herbs and self-medicate.

Many herbs available on the market are damagedby the sulphur some producers use in the drying process. However, according todirector of the Hoa Thien Phu collective Do Thi Hoa, the process in the villageis strictly and hygienically implemented.

“The plants are dried naturally or baked in theoven then carefully packaged. With our traditional experience, households havetaken good care of drying and preserving the plants for many years without theaid of preservatives,” said Hoa.

Herbalist Do Van Oanh, head of the traditionalmedicine agency Nghia Hanh, said the plants are helpful for many patients thanWestern medicine, especially for arthritis and sciatica. 

“More and more people are turning to traditionalmedicine. We believe in what we do, and we have successfully preserved thistradition for generations,” Oanh said.

“At the moment, there are 900 people who plant, tradeand produce herbal medicine here, accounting for 85 percent of the population,”Thi added.

The land of temples and pagodas 

The next destination was Nom village, also knownas Dai Dong, which is known for its bronze casting industry, The village isidyllic, quaint and tranquil, and the architecture feels as if it holds thesouls of days gone by.

The village is known for its nine-step stonebridge, the quiet Nom Pagoda and its ancient statues, and a market full ofspecialties.

The village is home to the 200-year-old TamGiang communal house, nestling under an old tree, with a well covered in mossand a red brick road meandering by ancient houses, creating a calm andpicturesque scene.

Nguyen Ngoc Chan, head of the village, said thistemple was built towards the end of the Le Dynasty. 

“The communal house is a gathering place forpeople when we hold weddings or funerals.” 

Thai Lac Pagoda is also a highlight to explore.It is located in Lac Hong commune, Van Lam district. Besides Buddhism, the pagodaalso worships the God of Van (Clouds), so it is also known as Phap Van Pagoda.

Being built during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400),the pagoda has undergone many restorations. It bears the typical Tran Dynastyarchitecture, with wooden pillars carved with images of fairies riding aphoenix or playing flutes, and human shaped statues.

Visitor Do Hien Anh said Hung Yen was one of thecradles of national legends and souls. "It is such a tranquil and magicalland!"

This trip enlightened me to the many featuresand unique characteristics of this sacred place. They are still well preservedby the locals and in good condition despite the many years that have passed.More than that, the ancient pagoda with its distinctive style is truly atreasure here. If you have chance, take a trip to see how the spirit of thenation was made.

In 1964, the pagoda was named a specialarchitectural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information. 

Hung Yen is also celebrated for its eco-tourism,with the most well-known being the Ecopark Township. Tourists can experience afresh, green and multi-architectural space. To serve travellers, Ecopark hasset up nine free bus routes to transport tourists from the centre of thecapital.

Looking to improve

Deputy Director of the provincial Department ofCulture, Sports and Tourism Pham Van Hieu said the province still had manysites where tourism could be developed, like Hoa Phong handicraft village, LacDao rice wine village and Cao Thon incense making village.

“Over the years, many travel agencies as well asHanoi’s Tourism Department and nearby provincial local travel agencies haveco-operated with Hung Yen's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism toorganise tours. On these journeys, tourists can feel the fresh countryside air andexperience community life and traditional products of the province,” Hieusaid. 

Boosting connections

Although there is huge tourism potential, HungYen has failed to make a breakthrough in recent years. According to thedirector of Sao Mai Tourism Limited Company, Hoang Phuong Mai, the province wasonly focusing on spiritual tourism, which mainly attracted visitors in spring.Meanwhile, many tourists have a huge interest in simply exploring.

“The province has many advantages which need tobe explored. There must be a connection between the local government andtourism agencies to create more exciting tours,” Mai said.  

Vice Chairman of the provincial People'sCommittee Nguyen Duy Hung said the province would focus on co-operating withregional provinces that were home to big tourism hubs like Hai Phong, QuangNinh, Ninh Binh and especially Hanoi. 

“We need to promote and mobilise investment topropel the province's potential for tourism development.” 

“At present, the province is making every effortto boost tourism at the Hien Street National Tourism site by focusing on thecultural values of historical sites such as Hung Yen Street. We are alsodeveloping eco-tourism through farming and rural communities along the RedRiver,” Hung said./.