Nestled among the green midland hills of Tan Yen district, Bac Giang province, Danh mountain ginseng is gradually asserting its position, not only as a precious medicinal plant but also as a symbol of sustainable development of the locality. With its precious medicinal value, associated with a long history and culture, and outstanding economic prospects, Danh mountain ginseng deserves to be called the "green gold" of Bac Giang land.
Danh mountain range is the second largest mountain range in Tan Yen district, Bac Giang province, after Dot mountain in Phuc Son commune. The highest peak is Chung Son, 117 m above sea level. With beautiful natural scenery, fresh air, over thousands of years, Danh mountain has preserved a rare medicinal herb: ginseng.
There is still a touching story among the people about the ginseng of Danh mountain that helped cure the illness of Queen Mother Tu Du, mother of King Tu Duc. Since then, “sam nam nui Danh mountain” has become a famous royal specialty in the North.
Because of its great economic value, Danh mountain ginseng gradually became scarce due to overexploitation while there was no conservation, propagation, or maintenance of the seed source. By the 70s of the last century, Danh mountain ginseng was almost exhausted. Even the image of this precious medicinal herb gradually faded in the subconscious of the people here. The anecdotes of this specialty are only known in oral stories, or from the remaining ancient documents.
It was thought that the Danh mountain ginseng would remain a legend forever, until 2010, when the legend of Danh mountain ginseng was mentioned again. Fortunately, the ginseng still exists thanks to an experienced local doctor who knows how to cherish and preserve the source of the plant for more than half a century. And since then, the ginseng has been planted and developed to become one of the typical and typical varieties of the locality, helping the local people have a sustainable source of income.
Danh Mountain ginseng, also known as Nam Sam. According to the book "Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi", Danh Mountain ginseng has been known since the Nguyen Dynasty with the name Cat Sam, and is considered a precious medicinal herb of Chung Son mountain (now Danh mountain, Tan Yen district, Bac Giang province).
Danh Mountain Ginseng has a slightly hard outer shell, a light yellow core, a mild aroma and a slightly sweet taste..., it has been scientifically researched and proven that "Danh Mountain Ginseng" contains the main group of substances such as saponin, flavonoid (precious anti-aging active ingredient) and organic acids, amino acids... which have especially good effects on human health.
According to the analysis results of the Institute of Medicinal Materials (Ministry of Health), saponin - a valuable active ingredient in Danh mountain ginseng, reaches 8.11%, almost equal to Ngoc Linh ginseng (10%) and nearly 3 times higher than Korean ginseng (3.5%). Thanks to the high saponin content, Danh mountain ginseng is considered to have special pharmacological value, supporting well in stabilizing blood sugar, improving health, and fighting oxidation.
By 2020, this medicinal herb was granted a geographical indication certificate by the Intellectual Property Office under the name "Danh Tan Yen mountain ginseng" as an affirmation of the meaning and importance of this ginseng variety in the local socio-economic development.
Danh Mountain Ginseng is considered a precious gift from nature, the crystallization of traditional medical knowledge and cultural values.
Not only does it have historical value, Danh Mountain ginseng is also a cultural symbol of Tan Yen land. This type of ginseng is the pride of the local people, having both medicinal value and a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted.
Recognizing the importance of this plant in local socio-economic development, Tan Yen district has developed the Project "Development of Danh mountain ginseng in the period of 2022-2027". Thanks to that, the whole district now has about 150 hectares, concentrated in Lien Chung, Viet Lap communes and Cao Thuong town. In 2024, nearly 20 hectares of Danh mountain ginseng will be harvested for tubers with a yield of 30 tons and more than 100 hectares will be harvested for flowers, with an average yield of about 1 ton of fresh flowers/ha.
In 2023, the People's Committee of Bac Giang province recognized the Danh mountain spiritual eco-tourism site in Hau village, Lien Chung commune, Tan Yen district. The Danh mountain spiritual eco-tourism site has been shaped and is increasingly attracting the attention of the community and people.
For Danh mountain ginseng to be known as it is today, it is impossible not to mention the dedicated people who are attached to the precious medicinal plants of Tay Yen land. One of them is the members of Danh Duc Hanh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative. They are the ones who have worked hard to research, grow and develop products from ginseng, with tireless efforts to preserve and promote, so that Danh mountain ginseng will forever be "the pride of Bac Giang homeland".
Established in 2021, Danh Duc Hanh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative has 7 members and is associated with dozens of households in the ginseng growing area. The facility focuses on growing and processing high-quality mountain ginseng to create products with the best value for users' health.
Danh Duc Hanh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative owns mountain ginseng gardens that are grown and cared for using natural and sustainable methods. The cooperative's members are experienced and knowledgeable in growing mountain ginseng, ensuring that the production process is carried out according to high quality standards.
Mr. Tran Van Khien, Director of the Danh Duc Hanh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative, said that the production, planting and processing of Danh mountain ginseng at the cooperative follows a high-tech agricultural process thanks to close cooperation with the Institute of Research, Training and Consulting on Science and Technology (ITC) Hanoi. Of which, there are more than 3 hectares of Danh mountain ginseng produced organically, using biological products, without using pesticides. The ginseng planted at the cooperative since the beginning of 2022 has a survival rate of seedlings, growth and development reaching over 90%; the flower crop is harvested in September and October every year. After 3 years, each ginseng root has reached more than 1 kg of yellow tubers with a characteristic aroma. In 2024, Duc Hanh Cooperative will harvest nearly 5 tons of fresh flowers.
In addition to selling products from Danh mountain ginseng, the cooperative also actively expands in the direction of combining the development of ginseng flower season tourism and the Danh temple festival in the first lunar month.
During the harvesting process, Danh mountain ginseng is selected by members of Duc Hanh Cooperative at appropriate stages to ensure the roots, stems, and leaves of the plant are of optimal quality. After that, the mountain ginseng is carefully processed to create high-quality mountain ginseng products such as: capsules, ginseng powder, extracts, or other processed products.
Members of the Danh Duc Hanh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative not only strive to preserve the local precious ginseng variety but also apply science and technology to improve productivity and quality.
In fact, caring for this precious ginseng plant requires patience, meticulousness and love for the land and nature. Thanks to the tireless efforts, up to now, the cooperative has successfully planted more than 3 hectares of ginseng, and at the same time created many unique products such as: Ginseng flower tea, ginseng wine, lychee honey - Danh mountain ginseng, meeting the needs of domestic and international markets.
The main products of Duc Hanh Cooperative are now quite diverse such as: soluble Danh mountain ginseng, dried ginseng root, ginseng flower tea, energy drinks, ginseng extract, ginseng tea, various types of ginseng wine, lychee honey - Danh mountain ginseng... supplied to the market nationwide.
With the leading use of being a product that is good for health, along with outstanding quality and beautiful designs, herbal products from Danh mountain ginseng of Duc Hanh Cooperative are increasingly favored by many customers.
Ms. Nguyen Phuong Loan, an officer of Duc Hanh Cooperative, shared that during the Lunar New Year of At Ty this year, the consumption of Danh mountain ginseng products increased sharply compared to previous years. Products from Danh Duc Hanh mountain ginseng have become the top choice in the high-end gift category for many individuals. This is a testament to the trust and love of customers for a typical brand of Bac Giang. Each product from Danh mountain ginseng is not only good for the health of the user, but also conveys the message of living green, healthy and in harmony with nature from the land of Danh mountain.
It can be seen that after many years of persistently pursuing the goal of "Product quality for consumer health is the top priority", the efforts of the members of the Danh Duc Hanh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative have gradually been recognized.
In April 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a Decision approving the list of pilot models under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program for the period 2021-2025 (phase 2). In the list of 18 approved models, there is a model for developing OCOP products associated with services, spiritual eco-tourism in Nui Danh and eco-tourism along the Thuong River in Lien Chung commune, Tan Yen district, Bac Giang province.
In August 2024, Tan Yen District People's Committee recognized two products of Danh mountain ginseng wine and ginseng flower tea of Duc Hanh Cooperative as achieving 3-star OCOP status. Another special product, Danh mountain ginseng lychee honey, is also in the process of preparing documents to be granted OCOP certification in the near future.
Recently, the tourism brand Danh Trek & Chill also opened an experiential tour at Danh Mountain. The ginseng garden of Duc Hanh Cooperative was also chosen as one of the interesting check-in destinations in this experiential tour. Thereby, it promises to bring visitors unforgettable experiences with famous local specialties such as: grilled spring rolls, hill chicken, enjoying Danh Mountain ginseng wine...
Danh Duc Hanh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative is a typical model for the combination of conservation and economic development. With more than 3 years of growing ginseng on Danh mountain, the cooperative has not only preserved precious genetic resources, but also optimally exploited the economic value of this medicinal herb.
Thanks to this potential, Danh mountain ginseng has helped local people earn a significant income. The selling price of ginseng products such as fresh roots, ginseng flower tea, and ginseng wine is not only higher than that of conventional crops but also has stable consumption, bringing sustainable profits to ginseng growers.
The development prospects of Danh mountain ginseng do not stop at economic value. This is also an opportunity for Bac Giang to affirm its brand on the map of Vietnamese and international medicinal herbs.
The latest research has opened the door for Danh Mountain ginseng to be used in the production of functional foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Not stopping there, Bac Giang province has also promoted the development of an agricultural tourism model, combining visits to ginseng growing areas with cultural and spiritual exploration at Danh Mountain.
This direction not only helps increase economic value, but also contributes to promoting the image of Bac Giang as a friendly destination with rich identity. With the support of local authorities and the efforts of cooperatives and the community, Danh mountain ginseng can completely become a national brand, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's leading medicinal herbs.
Danh Mountain ginseng, the "green gold" plant of Tan Yen land, is not only a symbol of natural wealth, but also a testament to the hard-working and creative spirit of Bac Giang people.
Danh Mountain ginseng, the "green gold" plant of Tan Yen land, is not only a symbol of natural wealth, but also a testament to the hard-working and creative spirit of Bac Giang people. From its rare medicinal value, along with its historical and cultural value, to its economic efficiency and development prospects, Danh Mountain ginseng is gradually affirming its position on the journey to reach further, to domestic and international markets.
Therefore, preserving and developing this precious medicinal herb is not only the responsibility of the people of Bac Giang, but also requires the joint efforts and attention of the whole community, so that the Danh mountain ginseng always shines as a "green gold" treasure of the country.
TB (according to Nhan Dan Newspaper)