Da Nang to expand market for ‘national treasure’

Telling the story of the land and its culture

Traveling nearly 200 kilometers from Luong Giang hamlet in Tra Linh commune to central Da Nang to take part in the program promoting Ngoc Linh ginseng and medicinal herbs, Nguyen Van Luong, known to many as the "ginseng king" of Ngoc Linh mountain, barely left his booth, patiently talking with visitors and answering their questions.

For Luong, bringing ginseng roots down from the high mountains to the city is not simply a sales trip. It is a chance for growers to meet consumers directly and to tell the story of the land, the origins of the ginseng plant, its growth beneath the forest canopy, and the cultural values that the Xo Dang ethnic community has preserved across generations. These encounters also help build trust in a high-value product that has long remained relatively unfamiliar to much of the public.

The story he tells usually begins at Ngoc Linh mountain, where the ginseng plant grows under special climate and soil conditions. Since ancient times, the Xo Dang people have called ginseng "the hidden medicine," because only those living deep within the forest areas where ginseng grows naturally knew how to find, preserve, and use it. This folk knowledge about the plant's properties was passed down through generations before later being studied and confirmed by scientists.

Ngoc Linh ginseng grows beneath natural forest canopy at elevations of roughly 1,300 meters or higher, in cool, humid conditions with a thick layer of leaf litter. The plant draws its nutrients from decomposed forest leaves, so growers tend it in harmony with nature, minimizing its environmental impact and patiently waiting for years for the plant to accumulate its medicinal compounds.

According to Luong, the authenticity of Ngoc Linh ginseng stems from its native genetic source, the region's natural conditions, and the cultivation practices passed down through local communities. Areas lacking similar elevation, humidity, and forest cover struggle to produce roots with the same saponin content and distinctive medicinal flavor as ginseng grown in the Ngoc Linh mountain region.

His family's ginseng garden is propagated entirely from native stock. He has also worked with a genetic research unit to verify the plant's genetic origin and compile documentation confirming provenance, helping protect the value and brand of Ngoc Linh ginseng amid counterfeit or unverified products on the market.

His family currently supplies fresh ginseng, whole dried roots, and ginseng steeped in honey or liquor. Even so, finding buyers remains difficult, as most customers purchase only small quantities, and few large businesses have gotten involved in bulk purchasing, deep processing, or building a stable market. He hopes that promotional programs held in the city center will open opportunities to connect with businesses and investors, gradually helping to establish growing areas, processing facilities, and pathways toward export.

Also bringing ginseng down from the mountains to the city for the first time, Nguyen Thi Xuong of the Loi Mo household business in Tra Linh commune said the ginseng at her booth was purchased directly from local households, without intermediaries. Many of the roots are seven to eight years old and have rarely been brought to the city center for wider introduction.

According to Xuong, promotion in the mountainous region reaches only a limited number of customers. Bringing the product to the city center helps consumers better understand authentic ginseng, while also giving them access to products of verified origin at a time when counterfeit and substandard ginseng still appear on the market. Bringing ginseng closer to consumers, she said, is also a way for Viet Nam's "national treasure" to tell its own story.

Building trust, expanding the market

For many people, Ngoc Linh ginseng is a familiar name in the press, on television, or in processed products. Yet behind the title of Viet Nam's "national treasure" lies much that few people have actually seen firsthand, from the shape of the fresh root and the nodes running along its rhizome to the many years of growth beneath old-growth forest.

As fresh ginseng roots were brought by the Xo Dang community from the Ngoc Linh mountains down to central Da Nang, the distance between growing region and consumer seemed to shrink as well. Visitors had the chance to speak directly with growers, learning about the roots' age, the growing region, distinguishing characteristics, and cultivation methods.

Tran Van Truc, a visitor to the event, said he had previously known Ngoc Linh ginseng only as a valuable medicinal herb but had never seen a fresh root in person. After observing the roots and listening to growers explain the process, he came to understand that producing a quality root requires a lengthy process that demands human patience and specific natural conditions.

Beyond the product displays, the program also gave consumers the chance to observe fresh ginseng, hear about the production process, check traceability information, and receive guidance on distinguishing genuine ginseng from counterfeits. Trust in the product is thus built on clear information about the growing region, the producing unit, cultivation methods, and quality standards, rather than relying solely on the name or marketing claims.

These experiences took place at the program introducing and promoting Ngoc Linh ginseng and medicinal herbs, held for the first time in the city center on an area of roughly 600 square meters, bringing together 50 booths run by businesses, cooperatives, producer households, and trading establishments. The space included a display area for fresh ginseng and processed products, medicinal herbs, hands-on activities, and information on tours and travel routes connected to ginseng-growing regions.

The event also featured trade-connection activities, digital promotion, and information on quality standards, production processes, and traceability, giving consumers a more visual and transparent way to engage with the product.

One notable feature of the program was the presence of a verification team made up of Xo Dang households with many years of experience growing ginseng. Team members helped visitors identify genuine Ngoc Linh ginseng, distinguish it from similar-looking products, and answered questions about origin and root age. Having people with long-standing ties to ginseng cultivation provide direct guidance both protected consumer interests and strengthened the credibility of the promotional event.

Huynh Xuan Son, deputy director of the Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade, said the program is expected to be held regularly on Saturday and Sunday evenings of the second week of each month. The initiative aims to promote the value of Ngoc Linh ginseng and other Vietnamese medicinal herbs, create a space connecting businesses, residents, and visitors, and drive trade promotion, market expansion, and the integration of medicinal herb products with local tourism and cultural development.

Holding the program regularly is also helping establish a stable trade-promotion venue, giving businesses and growers more opportunities to introduce their products on an ongoing basis, rather than appearing only at trade fairs or short-term events. Through this, the city hopes to expand the market while also strengthening consumer trust in products with clear origins and controlled quality.

Ngoc Linh ginseng, scientific name Panax vietnamensis, is a rare medicinal plant native to Viet Nam, notable for its high natural saponin content and numerous valuable bioactive compounds. The species is currently conserved and cultivated mainly in the Ngoc Linh mountain region, including the communes of Tra Linh, Tra Tap, Tra Van, Tra Leng, and several other localities within Da Nang. Given its special value as a medicinal, economic, and branded product, Ngoc Linh ginseng has been identified by Da Nang as one of its key products in the development strategy for the medicinal herb industry, helping to leverage the advantages of mountainous areas and raise the value of local products.