Unique flower village in the middle of Mang Den forest

Nestled in the vast Mang Den forest (Kon Plong district, Kon Tum province), there is a village named Vi Ro Ngheo in Dak Tang commune, surrounded by many pristine mountains and forests. The small village is home to 63 households with about 300 people, all of whom are Xo Dang people. This is considered the most peaceful and clean village in Kon Tum.

Show off with wild orchids

Photo caption — Mr. A Hien is introducing his family's orchids.

Vi Ro Ngheo village is simple but has its own beauty. The first impression for visitors is the house gate. All 63 households here have built gates with wooden bars salvaged from the forest. The wooden gate is very simple, consisting of two vertical pillars and one horizontal bar. The wooden bars are uneven, curved, or straight, under the hands of the Xo Dang people, they become very soft. The fence surrounding the houses is a series of orchid pots. The pots are made of salvaged wood, about 40cm high, hollowed out, with rice husks and fertilizer removed to grow orchids. "This is the result of the past 2 years of the people", Mr. A Hien, a young man in the village shared the story of the flower fences around each house. According to A Hien, 2 years ago, the villagers started going into the forest to collect orchids, mainly cymbidiums, to plant and nurture. Up to now, all 63 households in the village have orchid and orchid gardens. “I don’t know the specific name. Checking online, they say Tran Mong Cymbidium, Hong Sword Cymbidium,” said A Hien. Cymbidiums are grown by locals as hedges around their houses. In their gardens, each household has dozens of other Cymbidium pots being nurtured. This is the most distinctive feature of Vi Ro Ngheo compared to other villages in Kon Tum. A Hien said that Vi Ro Ngheo people grow about 1,000 pots and orchid plants. The flowers usually bloom from the end of the previous year, lasting until April - May of the following year. Therefore, in the historic April days, when entering Vi Ro Ngheo, the Cymbidium hedges bloom, competing in color throughout the village. Not only showing off their colors, the Cymbidium hedges become green spots and patches for each house. In addition to growing and nurturing Cymbidiums at home, Vi Ro Ngheo people are forming 5 flower hills around the village. Cymbidiums are collected by locals and brought back to grow naturally under the forest canopy, and flowers are planted along the path up the mountain. In addition to orchids, there are many other wild flowers blooming in the forests here, such as rhododendrons, mua flowers, sim flowers, etc., creating a diversity of flower colors. “These flower hills and flower forests are strictly protected by the people. No one is allowed to steal or sell flowers. Flowers grow naturally in the forest. Only orchids are planted by the people along the path. Later, they will grow naturally to form a whole flower area,” A Hien added. Opening the way for the flower village

During the historic April days, the joy of the people of Vi Ro Ngheo doubled when the village was recognized by the People's Committee of Kon Tum province as a community tourism village. This is a step forward and a challenge for the Xo Dang people here in their efforts to turn Vi Ro Ngheo into a bright spot in Kon Plong district - a key locality for tourism development in Kon Tum province.

To become a tourist village, to let Vi Ro Ngheo show off its beauty along with Mang Den on the path of development, the Xo Dang people here must continue to make constant efforts. In recent days, young men and boys in the village have taken advantage of the opportunity to go to the stream, picking up each stone to build a base, creating more highlights for the flower fence. The village has chosen 5 houses that meet the conditions to test welcoming tourists. The houses all have beautiful landscapes and views. The houses are designed in a traditional style, with windows opening to the fields, looking down at the fields. As a household chosen for tourism, Mr. A Vin said: "The wood for the house is available, I sold 4 buffaloes to build it. In addition, each villager contributed to have a house like today. To welcome guests, on weekends, my daughter who teaches in Dak Nen commune will come back to help". In order for tourists to feel the culture of the people, the Kon Plong district government has also accompanied the people to renovate their houses, restoring all the cultural values of the Xo Dang people. According to Mr. Pham Van Thang, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, the cultural features that are being lost are being restored by the district. The district supports the purchase of gongs, invites artisans to teach and develop indigenous cultural activities. "In the near future, we will put into regulations so that all local people here can do tourism and benefit from tourism. Vi Ro Ngheo people live, keeping the original cultural values and people to develop tourism." Mr. Pham Van Thang said that Kon Plong is encouraging people not to sell land, not to bring businesses in to take advantage of tourism here. For houses with corrugated iron roofs, in the near future, the district will cover the roofs with bamboo like traditional houses. The district connects tours to explore the lake and waterfalls around Vi Ro Ngheo village. With the help of the government and the efforts of the people, Vi Ro Ngheo village has formed xoang dance and gong playing teams, from children to the elderly can participate. Vi Ro Ngheo people also build groups of households to grow vegetables, raise chickens and pigs, and organize cooking for tourists. The dishes are local vegetables, tubers, fruits, and fish from streams near the lake...

Article and photos: Cao Nguyen (Vietnam News Agency)