Western guests participated in planting more than 5,000 trees in Ha Giang

Mr. Phuong Son, representative of Jasmine Tours, said that the tree-planting activity for tourists has been prepared and organized by the unit since April. Each month, the company welcomes about 2,000 guests and each guest is given a tree to plant. To date, more than 5,000 sa moc and fat trees have been planted by tourists, mainly foreigners, during their trip to Ha Giang.

The idea came from many tourists and drivers noticing that along the “Ha Giang loop” there were faded hillsides and bare land. Erosion also often occurs during the rainy season.

“We hope the project will contribute to restoring cultivated land areas, increasing forest cover, and limiting erosion,” said a company representative.

According to Mr. Son, the trees are planted in two areas that have been planned and are under the management of the people, before Ha Cho village, Lung Phin commune and Ban Pho village, Minh Tan commune. The choice of tree type is based on the wishes of the landowner and the soil and climate conditions of the area. Many landowners want to plant acacia because this is a species suitable for the natural conditions of Ha Giang, has the ability to grow well, contributes to soil protection and brings economic value in the future.

Vuong Duc Tai, a landowner in Minh Tan commune, said that a group of foreign guests planted nearly 2,000 fat and sa moc trees on his family’s abandoned land. The Mong people in Ha Giang mainly cultivate corn on sloping terrain, where the soil is easily washed away. After many years, the productivity of growing corn was poor, so he wanted to switch to growing industrial crops and logging wood.

“This is a meaningful activity for people in the highlands,” he said, adding that some neighbors also offered to help plant trees for free. Currently, nearly 2,000 young trees are being cared for by Mr. Tai’s family and are expected to take 10 years to harvest.

Georgia and Olivia, two Australian tourists, participated in planting sa moc on July 2, expressing their joy at being able to contribute a small part to nature. “In Australia, we are taught a lot about protecting the environment,” Olivia said.

A representative of the Socio-Cultural Department of Lung Phin commune said that the tree-planting activities of tourists “create a positive impact on environmental protection activities”.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Don, Head of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark Management Board, for the past hundred years, the lives of people in the karst plateau have been associated with sandstone. Sa Carpentry is suitable for agricultural cultivation. The tree has a small canopy and grows straight so it does not take up much space or block light, thus not affecting the crops grown below. At the same time, sandalwood has the ability to hold soil and water well.

Local authorities have long encouraged people to plant acacia trees to make fences, cover fields, and plant forests for protection. When the tree reaches about 20 years old, its roots and trunk are intertwined, forming a strong protective wall.

The representative of Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark noted that planting requires control and close coordination with authorities.

Recently, tourism units in Ha Giang have created more community-connected experiences for foreign tourists, such as letting tourists work at the lake or harvest rice. Although most experiences are spontaneous, many international visitors enjoy immersing themselves in the lives of local people.