With rich knowledge of medicinal materials in nature, Dao ethnic minority people in Tu Son commune of Kim Boi district have practiced traditional medicine for generations and brought their long-standing therapies into play in the current life.
Phung Thi Hien (first, right), a resident in Thung Dao
Bac hamlet of Tu Son commune (Kim Boi district), introduces precious medicinal
plants of the Dao ethnic minority group.
Phung Thi Hien was born to a family having four
generations practicing traditional medicine in Thung Dao Bac hamlet of Tu Son
commune. After graduating from high school, she enrolled on the Tue Tinh
traditional medicine school with the hope of preserving traditional remedies
and adding new knowledge to her ethnic group’s remedies.
After nearly 20 years of working and gaining
experience, now she has wide knowledge of over 120 medicinal materials and a
number of remedies for bone, joint, stomach, liver, and kidney illnesses, among
others.
Hien said she had learnt those remedies from her
mother. Each remedy contains tens or even hundreds of herbal ingredients.
Patience, prudence, and wholeheartedness are needed to practice traditional
medicine. Sometimes, it takes even months in forest to seek enough ingredients
for a remedy.
To develop medicinal plants for use in the Dao
people’s traditional remedies and also create jobs and improve the life quality
in Thung Dao Bac, Hien established Phung Gia (Phung Family) traditional
medicine cooperative with seven members in 2019. Since the cooperative’s
inception, local residents have replaced traditional crops with medicinal
plants as natural resources are limited and they also want to preserve the
precious genetic sources in the face of overexploitation.
The cooperative sold its products mainly in the
northern region, especially Hanoi, Hung Yen, and Vinh Phuc, earning more than 3
billion VND (119,500 USD) in total revenue in 2023.
To scale up production, in April 2024, the Phung
Gia traditional medicine cooperative was dissolved to establish the Thien Nam
Green Herbs Co. Ltd., based in Ve hamlet of Dong Bac commune, Kim Boi district.
The company is applying high technology to improve product quality, promoting
activities under production chain, and aligning medicinal plant cultivation
with market demand, thus working towards the sustainable development of traditional
medicine.
Bui Van Lam, Vice Chairman of the People’s
Committee of Tu Son commune, said to preserve the traditional medicine of the
Dao people and build a brand, the local Party Committee and administration will
conduct a survey of medicinal plants in forest and step up communications to
encourage local residents to join hands in preserving and developing the
valuable plants.
Aside from curing illnesses, traditional
medicine also helps the Dao people improve their income and quality of life.
However, authorities and the community still need to give more attention and
support so as to sustainably develop medicinal plants and generate better
economic benefits for local residents, he added.
After being instructed by her grandmother and mother, Ho Y Du in Hang Kia hamlet, Hang Kia commune in Mai Chau district could embroider difficult and elaborate patterns on her first brocade dress that she made herself. According to the customs of the H’Mong ethnic group in the district, any girl must make a beautiful brocade dress for herself when she turns 10 to mark her maturity as well as to demonstrate the ingenuity and diligence of H’Mong girls.
In recent years, the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage values of ethnic groups in Thai Binh ward in Hoa Binh city has achieved important results, with tangible and intangible cultural values given attention.
Quang Tien commune in Hoa Binh city, home to over 1,300 Muong ethnic minority people, has worked to preserve and promote the traditional cultural traits of the group.
Lac Son district, home to an array of tangible and intangible cultural heritage items of the Muong ethnic group, has paid due attention preserving and promoting the values of their unique culture.
Da Bac district is home to five ethnic groups who make up nearly 90% of its population. Among them, the Dao ethnic group accounts for over 14%. In recent years, focus has been placed on preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Dao people, serving as a foundation for boosting community-based tourism in this mountainous district.
