Mang Den mountain forest market attracts tourists

Tourists learn about local agricultural products and medicinal herbs at Mang Den market - Photo: TAN LUC

At Mang Den market, the communal houses of the Xo Dang and Mo Nam people, along with bamboo stalls selling all kinds of local products, captivate visitors.

Marketing local products to tourists

As the afternoon falls, Mang Den market (Kon Plong district, Kon Tum) lights up shimmeringly under the pine forest canopy in the town park.

At the entrance, groups of tourists leisurely stroll in the cool highland air to enjoy a very different Mang Den at night.

On holiday nights, the market explodes with thousands of visitors jostling each other.

The local specialty stalls are crowded, bustling but gentle, without the hustle and bustle of other night markets.

There are no loud speakers, no haggling or challenging prices. Buyers and sellers are gentle and polite, convincing each other with the sincerity of the local people.

Among the more than 30 market stalls, the majority are stalls of indigenous people and people in Kon Plong district. Popular goods are agricultural products, typical foods such as vegetables, cold-climate fruits, medicinal herbs, handicrafts, and culinary stalls.

Joining the crowd of visitors exploring the market, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Trinh (25 years old, residing in Quang Ngai City) could not help but be surprised by the arrangement and professionalism of the stalls.

He said that the honest and straightforward sales attitude of the locals made him and everyone else feel good, and that was the most valuable "tourism specialty" he felt.

Cold-climate agricultural products and vegetables grown by local people are introduced to tourists - Photo: TAN LUC

Since the market was established, hotels have been relieved of the worry of entertainment for tourists. Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung - director of Mang Den Green Hotel - said that during the day, Mang Den has many places for guests to explore, but at night, there are almost no entertainment services.

Tourists often complain about this, which has been a pain for businesses for many years. Now that the market is open, everything is different. Every night when the lights come on, thousands of tourists flock to the market to shop, enjoy the cuisine, and dispel the quiet atmosphere of the cold highland nights.

Training Mang Den people to do tourism

At the booth of Dong Truong Son Clean Tea Cooperative, girl Y Ro (21 years old, Mo Nam ethnic group in Hieu commune) is always busy making drinks.

For the past 6 months, the market has been operating, helping Y Ro have a stable job with a monthly income of about 7 million VND. Making drinks and taking care of tea plants helps her support her parents and her younger sister who is in high school.

Tourists learn about processed foods from agricultural products of HP Farm in Mang Den - Photo: TAN LUC

Unlike her peers in the village, time spent interacting with tourists helped this girl become confident and quickly adapt to the tourism industry.

Y Ro said that the market helps her learn many things and feel herself changing for the better every day. That is something she will certainly never have if she sticks to the fields all day.

Not only Y Ro, this cooperative is providing stable jobs for about 60 Mo Nam people in Hieu commune through the profession of growing and caring for tea trees. From this source of raw materials, the cooperative buys and processes, delivers to tourists and distributes income to the people.

Nearby, the stall of a Tay girl named La Thanh Tu (20 years old) and her daughter is also bustling with customers. The girl's family, originally from Lang Son, has "wandered" many places in Gia Lai and Dak Lak before settling in the cold land of Mang Den.

Since the market opened, the mother and daughter have been collecting vegetables, food, and medicinal herbs from the Xo Dang people in Kon Chot village to sell. Thanks to this, life has improved day by day, and the family no longer has to worry about food and clothing.

Tay girl La Thanh Tu (20 years old) prepares a booth to serve tourists at the market - Photo: TAN LUC

Talking to Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Pham Van Thang - Vice Chairman of Kon Plong District People's Committee, the agency organizing the market - said that this is not a simple market like other places. Mang Den market has the mission of connecting the consumption of local agricultural products, improving the income of the people.

At the same time, it is a place to train people on how to do tourism, serve tourists, and bring people to participate in sharing benefits from Mang Den tourism industry.

5-day holiday in Mang Den welcomes 50,000 visitors

According to the People's Committee of Kon Plong district, during the 5-day holiday of April 30 and May 1, Mang Den town welcomed more than 50,000 visitors. Tuoi Tre Online 's records show that during the holidays, hotels in this area are always fully booked due to the large number of visitors coming to escape the heat.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cho-phien-dam-chat-nui-rung-mang-den-hap-dan-du-khach-20240501155901981.htm