Phia Dau shines amidst the vast mountains

Phia Dau Hamlet (Ngoc Duong Commune) is gradually taking on a new look, with concrete roads extending across the village, spacious houses rising, and Shan tuyet tea covering the hillsides. These changes are breathing new life into the Dao community deep in the mountains.

Hamlet officials in Phia Dau disseminate information to households about the new rural development program.

From a remote forested area without electricity or roads, where seven Dao households migrated to reclaim land in 1972, the hamlet has expanded to 30 households with 165 residents, all belonging to the Dao ao dai ethnic group.

The most visible changes come from improved infrastructure and living conditions: more than 70% of village roads and internal field paths have been concreted; the arrival of the national power grid in 2019 marked a major turning point, helping residents improve daily life, education and production. Since 2021, eight households have received support to build new homes, raising the proportion of permanent houses to 100%.

Agriculture and forestry form the backbone of Phia Dau’s economic transformation. Across 45 hectares of Shan tuyet tea hills, 41.5 hectares are already in harvest, producing around 3 tons of dried tea annually, worth over VND600 million. The hamlet has nearly 60 cattle, about 300 native black pigs, dozens of goats, 9.5 hectares of rice fields and 300 hectares of forest, including 100 hectares of planted keo. Thanks to diversified income sources, per capita income has reached VND28 million per year, and poverty has rapidly declined.

Many households have escaped poverty and become economically stable. The family of Ly Thi Po earns nearly VND150 million per year from raising 20 pigs, 17 goats, 50 chickens, growing winter vegetables, managing forest land and cultivating 1 hectare of Shan tuyet tea. Similarly, Dang Van Manh, one of the households recently supported with new housing, earns over VND100 million annually from livestock and 3 hectares of tea.

In 2024, the hamlet established a clean tea cooperative group with 10 members managing 15 hectares of tea. Thanks to clean processing methods, each household earns an additional VND 30 million per year, opening a path to high-value development for Shan Tuyet tea. According to Party Cell Secretary Phan Van Chan, tea cultivation, along with raising buffaloes, black pigs, and goats, will continue to be the village’s key economic pillars.

Local people in Phia Dau Hamlet actively plant winter crops.

Beyond economic development, Phia Dau also focuses on preserving Dao cultural identity, including the cap sac ceremony, forest worship rituals, traditional attire, and the Dao language taught to younger generations. At the same time, villagers have boldly eliminated outdated customs, simplifying ceremonies to suit modern life. Homes and village surroundings are kept clean and orderly, contributing to a vibrant cultural community.

Community-based tourism is opening new directions for the village. Thac Phia Dau, the Shan tea hills, traditional Dao stilt houses and drifting white clouds over the mountains are attracting more visitors. Villagers are learning to welcome guests, present their culture and sell local agricultural products, creating sustainable livelihoods.

Nowadays, Phia Dau is shining brightly amid the mountains, driven by determination and an unwavering aspiration for change.

Dieu Ke