Bachelor of Law turns heritage into livelihood in 'village in the clouds'

Exploring the "treasure" of the homeland

Born and raised among the hundreds of years old Shan Tuyet tea hills of Phinh Ho (formerly Tram Tau district, Yen Bai , now Lao Cai province), Sung A Tua deeply understood the hardships of his family and villagers. After graduating with a Law degree in Hanoi, he decided to return.

In the young man’s eyes, Phinh Ho is not only a place of hardship but also contains majestic beauty, an undiscovered “treasure”. That treasure is not far away but lies in the houses, the brocade costumes, the soulful sound of the panpipes and the tea buds covered with morning dew.

Mr. Sung A Tua returned to his hometown to start a business from the potential and strengths of his hometown. Photo: NVCC

“I think my hometown is very beautiful, it can develop tourism like many other places,” Tua was determined and started his entrepreneurial journey from the simplest things: the village must be clean and beautiful. He persistently “knocked on the door” of each house, propagandizing and encouraging people to change their cattle grazing habits, build solid barns and move cattle away from their homes.

"At first it was very difficult, people did not understand the long-term benefits, did not understand what community tourism was, so they were hesitant and did not dare to do it," Mr. Tua recalled. The rejections and timid looks did not discourage him, but made him more determined, persistently campaigning and directly achieving good results so that people would trust and follow.

Ancient tea trees "speak up" on digital platforms

The heart of Phinh Ho is the ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees, covered in clouds all year round. Those tea buds are a gift from nature, but for many years, their value was not widely known, and their output was uncertain. Mr. Tua saw a golden opportunity there.

He initiated the establishment of the "Ho Shan Tra" Cooperative, not only to produce with the people, but also to build a brand. He directly went to each household, guided the standard harvesting process of "1 shrimp 2 leaves", and controlled the quality so that each product made was a source of pride.

Mr. Tua contributes to promoting and increasing the economic value of perennial tea trees in his hometown. Photo: NVCC

In particular, he has "given wings" to ancient tea buds using technology . The smartphone has become a powerful tool. He built the TikTok channel "A Tua Phinh Ho", personally filming rustic videos about the life of the Mong people, about the scenery of the "village in the clouds", and especially the story of the Shan Tuyet tea tree.

His livestream sales sessions are not just a place for transactions. They are where he tells stories, where customers can "taste" the flavors of the Northwest mountains and forests through each story, and see with their own eyes the manual tea-drying process by the firewood stove of elderly artisans. Since then, Phinh Ho Shan Tuyet tea has become more famous throughout the country and contributed to bringing a stable "output" and high economic value to the people.

With the TikTok channel "A Tua Phinh Ho", Tua himself films simple videos about daily life: scenes of people picking tea in the fields, Mong children in colorful dresses playing, the sea of clouds rolling in every morning on Lau Camping... Those genuine films touch the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people. Many clips reach millions of views, turning Phinh Ho from an unfamiliar name into a "cloud hunting" spot that young people long to visit.

Change on difficult ground

Sung A Tua’s success is not just his story. It is a spreading fire, inspiring the whole community. From being hesitant, many households have now boldly opened homestays, welcoming guests with their own warmth and sincerity.

Mr. Sung A Tua (born in 1991, Mong ethnic group) was Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Phinh Ho commune from 2019 to June 2025.

Currently, Mr. Tua is a member of the Presidium of the Vietnam Youth Union of Lao Cai province.

Mr. Tua and his fellow villagers created unique experiential tourism products: tourists can play the role of Mong people, pick and dry tea by hand by the firewood stove; trek to conquer the "four great dead lands" of Hang Te Cho waterfall; immerse themselves in restored festivals with the Khen dance, love songs...

He also connected and established a motorbike taxi team of 30 young people in the village, who not only pick up and drop off passengers but also act as enthusiastic "tourism ambassadors". Nearly 400 households in the commune have been connected to the service supply chain, from selling clean vegetables and black chickens to providing accommodation and tour guiding services. Sustainable livelihoods are formed from the homeland.

With his tireless efforts, Mr. Tua has contributed to building his hometown. Photo: NVCC

Up to now, Sung A Tua has received many certificates of merit from the commune to the central level. But perhaps the greatest reward for Sung A Tua is seeing the bright smiles of the people, seeing the village change day by day, and seeing the Mong cultural identity not being lost but shining, becoming the pride and "fishing rod" of the whole community.

Sung A Tua's journey has proven that with a great enough love for his homeland and an innovative and creative mindset, young people can absolutely write magical stories, turning seemingly quiet cultural heritages into powerful resources for economic development and poverty reduction.

With a successful start-up model and contributions to local socio-economic development, Mr. Sung A Tua received many awards. Including a Certificate of Merit from the People's Committee of Tram Tau district for his outstanding achievements in responding to patriotic emulation movements, socio-economic development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, new rural construction, consolidating and promoting the great solidarity bloc of ethnic minority areas in the period 2019-2024; Yen Bai Provincial Youth Union awarded the title of Advanced Youth Following Uncle Ho's Teachings in 2025...

Mr. Sung A Tua is also one of the examples awarded the "Youth Living Beautifully 2025" Award organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union in coordination with TCP Vietnam Company. The honoring ceremony will take place in October 2025 in Hanoi.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/cu-nhan-luat-bien-di-san-thanh-sinh-ke-o-ban-lang-tren-may-post1784777.tpo