“Meeting in the middle of the forest” Not a vacation, nor an adventurous trekking trip, the journey to Nam Tra My in early August is a promise. Meeting in the middle of the forest – where the lush green canopy embraces the dream of the mountain, where each Ngoc Linh ginseng root emerges from the rocks and mist, where I find what is called a national treasure, not only with my eyes – but with my heart.
From Da Nang, going to Tra My, the road is winding and steep, there are sections where only one car can pass. But the amazing thing is, the higher you go, the lighter you feel. It is as if you leave the noisy city behind, to enter a fairy forest – where ginseng trees can tell stories.
Ngoc Linh Ginseng – a miracle that grows from simplicity
I once read somewhere that: Ngoc Linh Ginseng is the most precious ginseng in the world, only growing in Ngoc Linh mountain range – one of the most rugged mountainous areas of Vietnam. But only when I got there, seeing the people carefully handling each leaf, each root as if touching a living being – did I understand why the people here do not call it “growing ginseng” but “raising ginseng”.
Ginseng does not grow in ordinary soil. Ginseng only grows when there is forest, humidity, and the hands of the Xe Dang people diligently preserving each tree shade and each layer of rotten leaves. Ngoc Linh ginseng is precious not only because of its medicinal properties, but also because the journey of its birth is so arduous and kind.
Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival 2025 – where tourism connects with knowledge and pride
I made an appointment to come to Tra Mai on the occasion of the 7th Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival, taking place from August 1 to 3, 2025 – a place that is not just a festival. This is a confident introduction of the great forest to the rest of the country.
There are many activities that only take place during the 3 days of the Festival, including ginseng booths, medicinal herb exhibitions, seminars, xoang dance performances, the sound of gongs echoing in the early morning forest… All blend together in a very honest space – but also very proud.
I heard the locals tell stories about ginseng with sparkling eyes, saw the charming Xe Dang girls and realized that: we are not just traveling – but returning to the origin of a true Vietnamese value.
Meeting in the middle of the forest is meeting with yourself
In a world that is too fast and too convenient, sometimes a trip into the forest, to walk among the trees and grass, to listen to the story of the ginseng grower, to touch the ginseng with your own hands still covered with dirt, becomes a deep “detox” for the soul.
I left Nam Tra My with some fresh ginseng, a box of wild tea, and many stories. The story of a plant that takes 7 years to mature. The story of the people who protect ginseng like their children. The story of the aspiration to bring Ngoc Linh ginseng to the world – starting with the trust and love from the Vietnamese people.
You may have never heard of Tra My. But a meeting in the middle of the forest will be an unforgettable experience.
Come. Not to take virtual photos. But to listen to the mountain tell stories. To understand why there is a tree that makes the whole forest silent every time people harvest it.
The 7th Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival
- Time: from 01 – 03/08/2025
- Location: Festival Organization Center – Village 1, Tra Mai, Nam Tra My, Quang Nam
- Theme: “Ngoc Linh – The Era of Rising”
- Message from visitors: “See you in the middle of the forest” to see how wonderful Vietnam is.
