In the middle of the majestic Truong Son mountain range, there is a species of ginseng that is known as a “national treasure” not only because of its special medicinal value, but also because of its arduous journey of existence. In Nam Tra My – the place known as the capital of Ngoc Linh Ginseng, where clouds never stop flying over the top of Ngoc Linh mountain.
From the rugged mountain slopes, Ngoc Linh ginseng steps out into the world not only as a rare medicinal herb, but also as a symbol of identity, of the aspiration to rise from a land of many hardships.
Coming to Nam Tra My – A journey not for the hasty
Coming to Nam Tra My is not like the predictable vacations. People do not find rustic home stay signs of all kinds of fonts, nor bright night markets or urbanized adventure games. Here, there are only clouds, forests, rocks and roads with endless slopes, the elements that make others wary are the invitation of Tra My. And for those who are curious about the two words Ngoc Linh Ginseng, there is no better way than… stepping into the capital of Ngoc Linh ginseng
And for those who are curious about the two words Ngoc Linh Ginseng, there is no better way than… visiting the capital of Ngoc Linh ginseng.
Ginseng is not in a glass cabinet
You can find Korean ginseng or Chinese ginseng in large shopping malls, carefully packaged, placed under LED lights like a treasure. But Ngoc Linh ginseng is different. It is not in a glass cabinet. It lives in the clouds, under the humid forest canopy, among moss-covered tree trunks, next to nameless streams. You have to go – not just a few steps – but a long journey if you want to touch what the locals consider the “spirit of the great forest”.
From the road to the story
The Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival takes place in Nam Tra My, which is known as the capital of this rare ginseng. Coming to the festival, visitors are eager to see with their own eyes the Ngoc Linh ginseng that they thought was only in legends, to admire the flowers, leaves, roots… so close that they dare not touch “it”, to hear stories about ginseng growers, ginseng buyers, ginseng sellers… Stories that are not glossy but very real and captivate the listeners
Ngoc Linh ginseng is not only a precious medicinal herb, it is also a spiritual asset, a passion, and an expectation of generations of people who depend on the forest for their livelihood.
One festival, many layers of experience
The Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival is not just for buyers, it is for those who want to understand. Here, you can meet scientists who have spent decades studying this ginseng. You can talk to farmers who are not very articulate, but are willing to point at each ginseng root and name the diseases their ancestors used it to treat. You can see with your own eyes the fresh ginseng roots on sale and realize that no two are alike.
Real experiences, with real people, are what make this festival different. Not to check in, but to feel.
When Vietnamese people find their own treasure
The biggest surprise for many tourists is: Ngoc Linh ginseng was discovered in 1973, recognized as a rare ginseng species only found in Vietnam, but for decades later, most Vietnamese people still do not know about it. Meanwhile, many foreign markets have sought after and researched the value of this ginseng very early.
Only in recent years, when the economic, medicinal and cultural value of Ngoc Linh Ginseng was clearly confirmed by the media and scientists, did the Vietnamese people begin to… look back. And since then, festivals like the one in Tu Mo Rong have been organized, as a way to connect: between growers and buyers, between mountainous areas and urban areas, between the present and the potential.
Goodbye to the wilderness but the story is not over yet
Leaving the festival, you may not have bought ginseng, or you may have only had time to buy a few brocade gifts, some fermented ginseng wine, or some wild ginseng roots. But what you bring back is probably much more than that: an untold story, a surprise about the national treasure hidden deep in the soil, and a piece of Vietnamese identity still waiting to be awakened.
The Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival is not for entertainment. It is a rendezvous with nature, with people, and with the pride of the nation.
