"Falling in love" with Nam Nghep

After many missed opportunities, I finally had the chance to meet Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Nghep Cooperative, in Nam Nghep village, Ngoc Chien commune, Muong La district, right during the season of hawthorn blossoms. The journey of over 80 km from Son La city to Nam Nghep village was much smoother this time. Nearly 10 km of the road in Nam Pam commune and the road from Phay village to Nam Nghep village were paved with concrete. Therefore, it only took us a little over two hours to reach the center of the village.

A corner of Nam Nghep village during the season of hawthorn blossoms.

Mr. Cuong's Cafe, The Lover, sits on a hillside, offering a breezy and spacious atmosphere. From here, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Nam Nghep village and the majestic mountains and forests. Tall and imposing, Mr. Cuong skillfully instructs his baristas.

Mr. Cuong began telling us about his journey to Nam Nghep: "My connection with leaving the city for the mountains began with my travels to the Northwest mountainous regions in 2013. After developing Lo Lo Chai village in Lung Cu commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang province into one of the top community tourism villages in the highlands, I wanted to challenge myself in another area. In 2018, I stumbled upon the pristine Nam Nghep village. There, I experienced bathing in the Ngoc Chien hot springs and conquered Ta Chi Nhu mountain at an altitude of 2,979 meters."

Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong is a familiar name in the Vietnamese press and media industry. He is known for his roles as former production director of the foreign affairs television channel VTC10; former Deputy Director of the VTVcab Program Cooperation and Production Center, and later as former Director of CSM Global Co., Ltd.

The launching ceremony of the Nam Nghep Cooperative.

As a communications expert, he conducts in-depth research and implements consulting and training activities on digital transformation in the field of journalism and media, meeting the national digital transformation requirements. He is also a pioneer in supporting media organizations in building digital management systems, exploiting and optimizing all newsroom operations across multiple platforms through a converged management tool.

Offering his guest a drink, Mr. Cuong continued: "Because of my passion for traveling to the highlands, I had to leave my current job to explore and experience them. Currently, I am a visiting lecturer at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, majoring in journalism; and a part-time lecturer at the Vietnam Journalists Association."

Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (seated in the middle) shares his experience in developing community tourism.

Then, Mr. Cuong shared: "Located at an altitude of over 2,000 meters above sea level, Nam Nghep is the highest-altitude village in Vietnam. The village has about 135 households, and the people there face many difficulties. The village has great tourism potential, with the highlight being its pristine hawthorn forests and magnificent primeval forests. If we want to improve the lives of the people, we must promote tourism and build infrastructure to welcome tourists. To do that, we need people to guide and show the villagers how, so I decided to stay in the village and develop tourism. A coffee shop was built, and this is where we discuss with the people of Nam Nghep village to develop and launch many attractive tourism products."

Community-based tourism

In this highland region, where nature and the people are in harmony, Nguyen Cao Cuong is energized to develop new ideas and apply the experience gained from running a homestay business in Lo Lo Chai to community tourism in Nam Nghep.

The booth displaying products from the Nam Nghep Cooperative at the Hawthorn Flower Festival.

Mr. Cuong shared that development requires collaboration, so he organized many meetings to discuss the establishment of the cooperative. Meetings were held with local Party committees and authorities to receive guidance. In October 2024, the Nam Nghep Cooperative was established with the goal of supporting the Mong ethnic minority in economic development, while simultaneously preserving and promoting their unique cultural values.

To date, the cooperative has developed and introduced 18 unique local tourism products and services; designed brochures to introduce the cooperative and tourist routes exploring Nam Nghep, such as mountain climbing, cloud hunting, and viewing hawthorn flowers... with all the necessary information for tourists to learn about and choose options that suit their budget, health conditions, and time.

Prior to the 2025 Hawthorn Flower Festival, Mr. Cuong advised and supported the cooperative in its communication efforts; established a motorbike taxi group, a poster group, and a homestay group to support each other; brought some villagers to Hanoi for tour guide training; and provided cooking training. He also mobilized and persuaded friends to contribute funds to help people build roads in the village and repair suspension bridges over streams; guided families in leveling land to create rest areas and campsites, and provided basic services to meet customer needs.

Mr. Thào A Vạng, Director of Nậm Nghẹp Cooperative and owner of A Vạng homestay – one of the pioneering households in the village – said: "My family has two homestays, accommodating 30 guests per day. Mr. Cường and I have received advice, guidance, and valuable experience in developing community tourism; he has also effectively supported us in introducing and promoting tourism in the village."

Since the start of the hawthorn blossom season, homestays in the village have been fully booked, with my family hosting 20-30 guests per day. Families have been charging tourists for entering the gardens to experience the hawthorn blossoms and for renting the gardens for camping and relaxation, bringing in a high income for the villagers. The people are delighted and grateful to the local Party committee, government, and Mr. Cuong.

The motorbike taxi team of Nam Nghep Cooperative.

As for Khang A Lenh, a son of Nam Nghep village, he has been quick to adapt and embrace new things. Lenh says that thanks to Mr. Cuong's guidance, the villagers understand how to do community tourism. Lenh is currently the team leader of the transportation group that takes tourists to visit the village and climb Ta Chi Nhu mountain. The team consists of 30 young men from the village, strong legs and skilled drivers who can navigate the rugged, steep road into Nam Nghep. Lenh's family already has a homestay and is building more. The whole village, each household contributing, is working together to build a community tourism village.

"The most beautiful and rich Hmong village in Vietnam"

Sharing his vision for the future, Mr. Cuong stated: The Nam Nghep Cooperative aims to expand its operations, collaborate with major brands, and participate in trade promotion programs. Simultaneously, the cooperative will continue to train its members in business and management skills to ensure comprehensive and sustainable development.

Nam Nghep village has only been known to tourists for about 3 years, but the rate of returning visitors is very high. Mr. Cuong affirmed: "In over 10 years of working in tourism, I rarely see any place with such a high rate of returning tourists. This means that the natural conditions, climate, and cultural identity of the people here are always attractive and hold hidden values ​​for new discoveries."

Experimental cultivation of Lai Chau ginseng is being conducted in Nam Nghep.

Nam Nghep has the largest concentrated area of ​​hawthorn trees in the country. Mr. Cuong has experimented and collaborated with several cooperatives capable of producing hawthorn chili sauce, hawthorn vinegar, hawthorn flower tea, etc., all of which are products that bring high income to the local people, and the cooperatives are currently building brands for these products.

Mr. Cuong spoke about the idea that had begun to take shape: "I will mobilize the villagers to organize a thanksgiving ceremony at the end of the hawthorn blossom season. During the ceremony, we will introduce four local products: hawthorn apple tea, Nam Nghiep forest honey, hawthorn apple wine, and hawthorn apple flower wine; and encourage the villagers to become members of the Nam Nghiep Cooperative, expanding homestays and services for tourists."

The ideal natural conditions, at an altitude of over 2,000m, offer enormous potential for cultivating, harvesting, and processing medicinal herbs. Mr. Cuong connected with and received sponsorship from Fansipan Herbal Medicine Joint Stock Company in Hanoi to plant 10,000 Lai Chau ginseng seeds under the forest canopy. After two months of planting, the germination rate was very high, and the ginseng plants are growing and developing well, opening up further prospects for a plant with high economic value.

Furthermore, Nam Nghep village boasts hundreds of hectares of ancient tea forests, a unique feature in Vietnam that has never been showcased before; its ecosystem and medicinal plant resources are excellent, providing raw materials for high-quality teas such as black tea, white tea, and dragon's claw tea. Particularly noteworthy is the thriving native ginseng varieties here, such as *Thất Diệp Nhất Chi Hoa* and *Đẳng Sâm*, all purebreds with significant economic value.

Mr. Lo Van Thoa, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ngoc Chien commune, shared: Mr. Cuong is an "expert on Nam Nghep," possessing thorough knowledge of this area, from its geographical location, climate, and soil to its people. He also constantly develops ideas to transform this area into an art destination. He plans to continue seeking sponsorships to maintain the annual painting workshop and an art summer camp for students in Nam Nghep, which he is also planning.

Realizing their aspirations, with the plans and projects already outlined by the Nam Nghep Cooperative, and with the collective efforts and unity of the local people, Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, with his passion, dedication, and experience, will continue to accompany, advise, and guide the people of Nam Nghep village in building and developing community tourism.

The new day in Nam Nghep is full of energy, and the creative ideas of expert Nguyen Cao Cuong have been contributing to "illuminating" Nam Nghep. From a little-known area, Nam Nghep is now associated with the hawthorn blossom season in March, the fruit season in September, and the upcoming Rhododendron Festival in early April.

The continuous efforts of the local Party committee, government, and people of Nam Nghep village, along with expert Nguyen Cao Cuong, will transform Nam Nghep into the richest and most beautiful Mong ethnic community tourism village in Vietnam.

Minh Thu