Stories about Mong youth working in tourism

From misty Y Ty, through the white plateau of Bac Ha to the terraced rice fields paradise of Mu Cang Chai, a generation of Mong youth is rewriting the story of development in their homeland. They did not leave their homeland to seek opportunities in the city but chose to return, bringing with them knowledge, skills and aspirations to turn the nation's cultural heritage into sustainable economic assets.

 

In the "foggy land" of Y Ty, where poverty has haunted people for generations, Sung A Ho's story is proof of the will to overcome fate.

Born into a poor family of 8 children, illiterate, his life revolved around corn and rice fields. Everything changed when a tourist planted in his head the idea of doing tourism to take advantage of the wild beauty of his hometown.

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A corner of A Ho homestay.

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Sung A Ho takes souvenir photos with tourists on the journey to explore Y Ty.

Overcoming the biggest obstacle, Sung A Ho turned the smartphone into a sharp business tool.

Unable to write, he uses pictures to tell stories, posting beautiful moments of Y Ty on Facebook, Zalo with his phone number. This simple yet effective way has helped him reach a huge number of customers.

According to Mr. Ho: "Each tourist posting a photo and tagging me on their Facebook is a way to introduce A Ho homestay to more people."

Up to now, after more than ten years of being involved in tourism, A Ho homestay has become a familiar destination for tourists from near and far, and Mr. Ho himself has become an inspiration for the entire Y Ty community to do tourism together.

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Tourists explore the cultural identity of the Mong ethnic group at Hello Mu Cang Chai.

In Mu Cang Chai, Giang A De made a decision that many people considered "crazy": giving up his stable job at Viettel with a salary of more than 20 million VND/month to return to his hometown to start a business.

His motivation came from a restless night when he saw foreign tourists having to sleep temporarily by the stream in the middle of the jungle rain.

“At that time, I just thought, if the flood comes at night, I don’t know what will happen. From that night on, I kept thinking about how to build a safe place for visitors to my hometown.”

From that concern, "Hello Mu Cang Chai" was born and developed into a comprehensive tourism ecosystem, creating jobs for dozens of local workers and forming a closed value chain when purchasing agricultural products from local people to serve tourists.

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Mr. Giang A De and tourists conquer Ta Chi Nhu peak.

Also in Mu Cang Chai, A Su Homestay conquers visitors in a different way. The strength of A Su Homestay lies not in its scale, but in its authentic family cultural experience. International visitors' reviews constantly mention the cozy dinners, where they feel "like a family because they eat with the host". Sincere hospitality, combined with professionally invested facilities, has become A Su's uncopyable competitive advantage.

In Bac Ha, the 9x guy Vang Seo Cho is also a typical example. Instead of pursuing "hot" industries, he soon determined his passion and studied tourism. Now, he is not only a tour guide, but also positions himself as a responsible citizen who preserves and promotes indigenous culture. He selects and interprets the most unique values of his homeland, from Ban Pho corn wine to the sophistication of silver carving, to create a profound experience for visitors.

The success of these young people does not come from luck, but from a common strategy: "keeping the local soul". They prioritize traditional architecture but combine modern amenities, create interactive activities so that visitors can "live" in the local culture, but most importantly, their story and sincerity become an inseparable part of the product.

The stories of Sung A Ho, Giang A De, Vang Seo Cho and A Su have proven that economic development and cultural preservation can go hand in hand, creating a path of sustainable and proud development. Although there are still many challenges ahead, the future of highland tourism is certainly being shaped by the children of the mountains and forests.

https://baolaocai.vn/chuyen-ve-nhung-thanh-nien-nguoi-mong-lam-du-lich-post883965.html

Source: Hung Cuong (Lao Cai Electronic Newspaper), Thursday, October 9, 2025 - 07:30 (GMT+7)

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