Born and raised in Hua Chien village, Muong La commune, Giang A Nu, a Mong ethnic minority, quickly realized that relying solely on farming would not lift him out of poverty. Unwilling to accept this fate, in 2010 he taught himself carpentry, taking on projects building wooden houses, furniture, and other household items for the villagers.

In the following years, his carpentry work alone brought his family an income of over 40 million VND per year. Combined with diligently cultivating over 1 hectare of rice and corn fields and 500 square meters of cardamom under the forest canopy, this year his family has earned a total income of nearly 100 million VND.

From his carpentry work, Giàng A Nủ earns an additional 40 million VND per year.

Excited about a prosperous Tet holiday, Mr. Giang A Nu shared: "For Tet, I prepare clothes for my wife and children, one set for each of them, buy extra shoes for the children, and for the pork, I'll buy the smallest pig weighing around 70-80kg, and invite my friends and relatives to join us for the Tet meal."

Also in Hua Chien village, Mr. Cu A Trang is a prime example of a successful entrepreneur. With 1.5 hectares of rice and corn fields and a herd of over 10 cows, his family earns nearly 100 million VND annually; this year, with a good harvest and favorable prices, he is even more determined to innovate his business methods.

Mr. Trang said that in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), his family had been busy preparing the fields, weeding, and getting ready to plant an additional 5,000 square meters of cardamom after Tet and conduct a trial planting of 5,000 square meters of coffee. “This year, for Tet, we will prepare new clothes, slaughter a pig on the night of the 30th of Tet, make banh chung and banh giay (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) to celebrate, and have a more joyful Tet than in previous years. After Tet, we will encourage the family to focus on production and economic development,” Mr. Trang happily said.

The spacious and solidly built house of Mr. Cứ A Tráng in Bản Hua Chiến village, Mường La commune.

Hua Chien village currently has 56 households and over 330 inhabitants, all of whom are ethnic Mong people. Thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, along with the villagers' determination to improve their lives, the number of poor households in the village has decreased significantly, now standing at only 19. Giang A Say, Party Secretary and Head of Hua Chien village, said that the changes in Hua Chien are not only due to the efforts of each household but also to the unity of the entire community. The villagers' way of life has existed for a very long time, and with the upcoming development of a tourist destination, the villagers will work together to promote their traditional products.

The Mong ethnic people of Hua Chien village are sewing colorful dresses and blouses in preparation for Tet (Lunar New Year).

According to Mr. Tran Hai Son, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong La commune, the commune has 11 Mong ethnic minority villages, most of which are far from the center. Besides preserving their traditional cultural identity, such as slaughtering pigs for Tet (Lunar New Year), making sticky rice cakes, singing and dancing, and playing folk games like stick pushing, tug-of-war, pao throwing, and tug-of-war, the people are also actively embracing progressive cultural values ​​and building a civilized lifestyle in line with the general development trend. A new feature is that Tet activities are now organized concisely, minimizing waste and allowing people to enjoy the spring festivities while quickly returning to work and production.

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom on the hillsides.

“In the context of current development and integration, in the era of national progress, Muong La commune has been focusing on doing a good job of disseminating information and mobilizing the Mong people through the grassroots political system, village elders, village heads, and influential people to focus on preserving the spoken language, written script, costumes, and good customs and traditions of the Mong ethnic group, in conjunction with building a new cultural life in residential areas; thereby, the Mong people are increasingly confident in the renewal and sustainable development of the Mong ethnic group in the new era,” Mr. Tran Hai Son added.

Hua Chien village, Muong La commune, is bustling with the atmosphere of early spring.

Spring is arriving on the slopes of Muong La. From the warm, smoke-filled wooden houses to the green fields of hope, the new vitality of the Mong ethnic minority in Hua Chien is spreading, heralding a path of sustained development and a confident entry into a new era.