Arriving in Viễn Sơn, Xuân Ái Commune, Lào Cai Province, visitors are greeted by vast cinnamon forests stretching from streamside valleys to the tops of rolling hills. As far as the eye can see, the landscape is blanketed in the deep green of cinnamon trees. In Khe Dứa Hamlet, we met Trần Văn Cháng, owner of a more than 20-hectare cinnamon forest and Director of the Cháng Quế Cooperative. The cooperative has 39 members.
Over a cup of green tea, Trần Văn Cháng recalled his childhood, when he followed his parents into the hills to plant cinnamon, clear weeds, and harvest bark. Those early years gave him strong legs from climbing steep slopes and calloused hands from handling a knife.
Born in 1969, Cháng joined the military at the age of 20. He was stationed at Ấp Bắc Military School (now Regiment 121 under the Lào Cai Provincial Military Command). His years of military service instilled discipline and strengthened his political commitment. During that time, he was honored to be admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam. He also found happiness when Nguyễn Thị Hậu, a military cook serving in the same unit, agreed to marry him after they completed their service.
After returning to his hometown, the couple worked diligently to reclaim barren hillsides and unused land. They gradually transformed them into lush cinnamon forests. Rather than spending the proceeds from harvesting mature cinnamon stands on a new house or a car, as many others did, Cháng invested the money in purchasing additional cinnamon-covered hills. Today, his family owns more than 20 hectares of cinnamon, including several hectares of trees that are over 20 years old.
In 2015, believing that cinnamon products needed a stable market instead of relying on traders who often drove prices down, Cháng became a local purchasing agent for Sơn Hà Spice Co., Ltd. The company specializes in the production, processing, and export of cinnamon products to the European Union and the United States.
To meet the stringent requirements for organic cinnamon, which demands strict control over seed selection, cultivation, and harvesting in accordance with European standards, Cháng established the Cháng Quế Cooperative. Initially, the cooperative consisted of seven founding members and 39 Dao ethnic minority households. Together, they managed 343 hectares of cinnamon forests. As organic cultivation expanded, the cooperative grew to 57 participating households, overseeing more than 475 hectares of certified organic cinnamon. This has created a sustainable raw material zone capable of producing high-quality cinnamon with essential oil content that meets export standards.
According to Đặng Tòn Nhị, Secretary of the Party Cell of Khe Dứa Hamlet, cinnamon was once planted on a small, spontaneous scale. Under a long-standing Dao tradition, newly married couples were often given a cinnamon-covered hill by their parents as part of their inheritance. In 1960, the former Viễn Sơn Commune had two cooperatives—Công Tâm and Cộng Lực—that specialized in cinnamon cultivation. They laid the foundation for the industry’s development in the mountainous region. In 1970, the commune launched the “Cinnamon Hills in Memory of President Hồ Chí Minh” campaign. The initiative honored the late leader while encouraging local people to expand cinnamon cultivation. Today, Xuân Ái Commune has more than 7,000 hectares of cinnamon, with many forests over 20 years old and valued at billions of Vietnamese đồng.
Managing 20 hectares of cinnamon trees ranging from 3 to 20 years old, Cháng’s family has long abandoned the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. He explained that the fertile local soil allows cinnamon to thrive naturally. Before planting, farmers simply clear the grass and burn the vegetation. After that, the cinnamon trees grow well with only two rounds of weeding each year.
After harvesting, the cinnamon bark must be dried on elevated racks or clean yards, away from areas exposed to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other contaminants. Producing safe, organic cinnamon ensures more stable prices. It typically commands prices one or two grades higher than conventionally produced cinnamon.
In 2024, the Cháng Quế Cooperative marketed nearly 400 metric tons of cinnamon bark at an average price of VND 52,000 per kilogram. This generated more than VND 20 billion in revenue and helped its members achieve more prosperous livelihoods.
According to Hoàng Xuân Hùng, Vice Chairman of the Xuân Ái Commune People’s Committee, Trần Văn Cháng is a model Party member who has demonstrated initiative, responsibility, and a commitment to legitimate wealth creation. He has encouraged cooperative members to adopt sustainable organic cinnamon production. As a result, their products have earned a strong reputation and stable market demand.
Local authorities consider the cooperative a model worthy of wider replication. At present, Xuân Ái has more than 2,000 hectares of organic cinnamon, with a target of expanding the area to 4,000 hectares by 2030. The goal is to attract investment, develop deep-processing facilities, and further enhance the export value of the region’s cinnamon industry.
Vietnamese source: https://nhandan.vn/nguoi-tien-phong-dua-cay-que-vien-son-vuon-xa-post907765.html
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