A group of men neatly wrapped themselves in three layers of clothing in the middle of a summer night in July, quietly chatting. They each had a cup of hot tea.

Though it has a diverse medicinal ecosystem, Vietnam still finds it difficult developing its medicinal herb treasury.

Eight years ago, Tra Linh Commune suffered extreme poverty, with many locals unable to buy or build decent homes.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoians and foreign tourists have been learning how Ngoc Linh ginseng grows at an exhibition that opened on Sunday in Hanoi.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A replica of a forest where Ngoc Linh ginseng grows will be set up at an exhibition showcasing the heritage of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

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Tu Mo Rong district in Kon Tum province is famous for ginseng, or hong dang sam, and Codonopsis pilosula, a medicinal herb called "the ginseng of the poor", as it is cheap and effective in disease treatment.

Iranian saffron, Vietnamese Ngoc Linh ginseng and Tibetan cordyceps are among the most popular items favored by wealthy Vietnamese for lunar new year presents. 

Nguyen Thi Hong Thuong, 33, runs a large ginseng garden with more than 600 plants and many other traditional herbal medicine plants in Tra Cang Commune in Nam Tra My District in the central province of Quang Nam.

VietNamNet Bridge - Among Vietnam’s rare and precious herbs, Ngoc Linh ginseng and agarwood are in the top positions in terms of preciousness and selling prices. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam is one of 15 countries on the world’s medicinal herb map. However, the priceless treasure has not been exploited in an effective and sustainable way.

VietNamNet Bridge - Xe Dang and Ca Dong ethnic minorities who live on Ngoc Linh mountain call a wild ripe fruit ‘hat lua’ or ‘fire grain’, the seed of a medicinal plant called K5 ginseng, or Ngoc Linh ginseng.

The early onset of the monsoon has prompted ethnic minority residents of Ngoc Lay Commune in the Central Highlands to look for faster ways to cultivate duong quy.

In traditional markets in Nam Tra My District, prized and valuable Ngoc Linh ginseng abounds. What eager customers don’t know is that the herb they buy might not be the real thing.

VietNamNet Bridge - The owner of a bamboo forest near Da Nang, Monk Thich The Tuong, 51, began cherishing a special passion for the plant in his childhood.

 VietNamNet Bridge –  Ngoc Linh ginseng, grown both in Nam Tra My District in Quang Nam Province and the central highlands Kon Tum, has been named a National Brand.

VietNamNet Bridge - Few Vietnamese know about the man who discovered a precious medicinal herb – giao co lam (Gynostemma pentaphyllum): Pham Thanh Ky, rector of the Hanoi Pharmacy University. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The centuries-old cinnamon gardens on Ngoc Linh Mount are a treasure which has been preserved for generations. Cadong people consider the ancient cinnamon trees as gifts from God.

VietNamNet Bridge - Bui Do Minh Quan and Do Phuong Mai from the Tran Phu High School for the Gifted have synthesized a new derivative that has the potential to treat cancer.

The scientists from the HCM Biotechnology Center have succeeded in using Agrobacterium rhizogenes bacteria to create hairy roots of Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv) which contains active saponin.