“Slow living” in Sung village: Where time stands still

There’s a place where time seems to stand still, where the hurried footsteps of the city cannot penetrate. It’s a place where people live in harmony with the mountains and forests, with the wind, and with simple, rustic smiles. That place is Sung Hamlet, nestled at the foot of Bieu Mountain in Cao Son Commune, Phu Tho Province.

In Sung Hamlet, the Dao ethnic group still preserves a centuries-old cultural tradition while developing community tourism.

The smile of the "forest people"

Visiting Sung Hamlet this season isn’t just about returning to the fragrant scent of ancient Shan Tuyet tea from the windy hillsides; it’s also about immersing oneself in a pristine space that retains a slow pace of life. It’s a place where even strangers are welcomed with a friendly smile. Our journey to Sung Hamlet was partly out of curiosity and partly due to the earnest message from Comrade Dinh Cong Bao, former Secretary of the Da Bac District Party Committee (formerly Hoa Binh province). He urged us, "Come back to Sung. That place still retains the cultural identity of the Dao ethnic group. There are many unique things! The whole village is nestled under the canopy of the primeval forest, where people and nature seem to blend as one..."

With a strange excitement, we arrived in Cao Son commune, now part of Phu Tho province after the merger. Comrade Luong Van Thi, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, welcomed us with an enthusiastic story: "Sung hamlet is a “gem” in the middle of the deep green forest. Here, the Dao ethnic group still preserves a hundred-year-old cultural tradition. This is the foundation for the commune to focus on developing community tourism.“Previously, the former Cao Son commune had a specialized resolution on”developing community tourism in Sung hamlet," which remains a breakthrough direction. Curious about the seemingly unusual name, the Party Secretary smiled and explained, "In the 1960s and 1970s, before the dam was built for the Hoa Binh Hydroelectric Plant, Sung hamlet was the highest inhabited point of the former Da Bac district. Because it was so high up, the roads were difficult; the only way to reach the hamlet was to walk along forest trails, climbing steep mountains until one’s knees swelled. Perhaps that’s why people named the hamlet Sung hamlet. The name both recalls hardship and encapsulates a unique feature found nowhere else."

That was the story of the past. Today, the hamlet is still at the foot of Bieu Mountain, covered in clouds year-round. Traveling to Sung is no longer a challenging trek through the forest. Instead, there’s a concrete road that cars can take directly to the center of the hamlet. Following that concrete road, we ascended Bieu Mountain to meet the Dao ethnic people living under the canopy of the primeval forest. Just as the previous visitors had described, Sung proved to be beautiful, preserving many unique cultural features passed down from ancient times. We were greeted by the radiant smile of Ly Sao Mai - the most beautiful girl in the village—and the firm handshakes of people we had never met but felt an instant connection with. So warm!

One of the special products in Sung hamlet is ancient Shan Tuyet tea picked from Bieu mountain.

Peaceful under the canopy of the old forest

Hamlet leader Ly Van Nghia stated, "The hamlet has 75 houses and 364 people. Now, some families are involved in community tourism and offer homestays to welcome guests, like the houses of Ly Van Thu, Dang Van Nhat, and Dang Van Xuan. But in fact, no one here is a stranger. As long as they come, they become familiar. Guests can go to any house and be welcomed like relatives. We are forest people; we are very happy when guests come!"

As instructed, we stayed at the house of Mr. Ly Hong Si, the most respected person in the village, considered a “living history” of the Dao community here. After a warm dinner, we sat by the crackling fire, pouring a cup of Shan Tuyet tea brewed from young shoots picked on the top of Bieu Mountain. He explained, "This type of tea is hundreds of years old, roasted and steeped using traditional methods passed down by ethnic minorities. It is not available everywhere.“Sitting next to him, Ly Sao Mai added,”Coming to Sung hamlet this season, in addition to Shan Tuyet tea flowers and Gio flowers blooming in pure white, there are also patches of bright yellow mustard flowers after the harvest; terraced fields in the pouring water season are as beautiful as paintings; and delicious dishes such as sour meat, hill chicken, deer wine, and rice on the fields. All are made by the people themselves, so they still retain the sweet taste of the mountains and forests."

Under the firelight, stories about life in the peaceful Dao village flowed like streams. Mr. Ly Van Hinh, one of the oldest people in the village, recounted tales of the “forest people” with profound respect and pride.

"Sơn sơn xuất đức nhân"

Like in many places, for the Dao ethnic group in Sung village, forests are not something to be cut down. Forests are the source of life. Since ancient times, their ancestors established customary laws to teach their children and grandchildren, considering forest protection a way of life. Therefore, the primeval forest around the village has been protected intact for hundreds of years, never encroached upon. This is evidenced by the century-old trees standing tall, protecting the houses. Not far away, right at the beginning of the village, there is a Chò tree that more than two people can hug. There are also Dinh and Muong Co trees that are equally massive, providing cool, green shade.

As a witness to and participant in many ups and downs in the small village, Mr. Ly Hong Si reflected, "For the Dao ethnic group, wherever the forest is lost, the original culture is also lost. Wherever the forest is still preserved, the cultural features passed down by our ancestors are still intact. It’s that simple! That’s why people in Sung live slowly. Not because they are backward, but because they know enough, know how to appreciate, and know how to live in harmony with nature." Life in Sung village is not noisy or competitive. Instead, there are nights gathering around the fire, glasses of wine filled with human affection, and affectionate looks for each other like brothers and sisters. Every month, hundreds of visitors, mostly foreigners, come to Sung village. They come to find the feeling of living and breathing in a cool and quiet green space. Here, the chirping of birds, the fog covering the path every morning, and the wild flowers blooming all four seasons - all of these make people slow down enough to see the things they often miss. Coming to Sung is to love life again.

We left Sung village while Bieu mountaintopwas still sleepy; in the middle of the ancient forest, the wind whispered through the leaves. A strangely peaceful feeling. Sung is a place that, once visited, will never be forgotten. There, people live slowly, live deeply, and live with the forest. There, silent hearts preserve the old forest as they preserve their own breath.

Manh Hung