Coming from a distant country and having spent more than one year in this place, Katsuhiro Ando has practically memorized each and everyone of the concrete roads winding through lines of poinsettia flowers in Mon Son. The roads are flanked by picturesque, green rice paddies on one side and by the imposing forest on the other. When the time comes to harvest the crops, Katsuhiro Ando will wear a conical hat and get himself a sickle to join the local people during their harvest.

Only in Vietnam does Katsuhiro see water buffalos drawing wooden ploughs, ethnic Thai girls in their colorful dresses during rice transplantation festivals, and Dan Lai children immerse themselves in the waters of the Giang River trying to catch the famous “mat” fish. The scenery of Con Cuong is astonishingly beautiful and pristine as Katsuhiro travels on a boat upstream the Giang river. The green river reflects the forest and at sunset, as the boat stands still on the river, he feels heaven is just where he stands. “The feeling that appeared is hard to describe as I stepped onto the boat to start the cruise, ”Katsuhiro Ando said. “The river is like a silk ribbon crossing the mountains and its stream notonly endows local people with food but also gives them a means of reaching the external world.

The feeling followed me all through out the long journey, especially when in the upper most part of the river where I found a village of the ethnic Dan Lai people to whom the concept of time did not existent. No traces of a modern life could be found there. The Giang River is extremely rare to me as it is so pristine

Travelling extensively to support tourism development for many communities, Katsuhiro Ando thinks the scenery of Con Cuong is unique, with its mountains surrounding villages-though occasional disruptions can be found. Alook at the map shows all the river sand streams stem from Pu Mat Mountain. As the river plays a central role in local people’s lives, any project that is to succeed must take this into account. “This represents a strong bond between humans andnature. This is a very good ecosystem, ”Katsuhiro Ando said. “I’ve been to Mai Chau of Hoa Binh province, which is well known for houses on stilts among immense forests and lush mountains. But the scenery in Con Cuong is even more fascinating because in addition to stilt houses it also has charming landscapes such as Khe Kem waterfall and Pu Mat primary forest. If local people can capitalize on these resources, tourism will be a very good business. Foreigners, for example, love to see objects made from bamboo and rattan, especially those used for cooking and dining such as banana leaves to cover stickyrice, “epkhau” (sticky rice containers) and unhusked rice containers made from knitted bamboo. "Japanese experts have taught Nua villager show to use ‘natural’ tools to cook. Assistance has also been given to the restoration of traditional crafts. If local people understand the harmony between humans and nature and utilize that for tourism development, then it would be brilliant. My friends who came here all loved the experiences of a home-stay, sleeping in stilt houses, enjoying natural food, waking to the crow of roosters, hearing the sounds of a running stream and beholding the sun rising from the forest. Currently, the good thing is that local people are actively cooperating in the tourism business and travel companies have begun to bring in tourists, ”Katsuhiro Ando said with a smile.

Those feelings of Katsuhiro Ando are shared by many tourists who come from afar. All of them are eager to explore Khe Kem waterfall, cruise the Giang River and see Pha Lai dam floating in the clouds, and the pristine Pu Mat mountain with numerous big trees blooming in spring. Located in the center of the buffer zone of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve which was recognized by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve in 2007, Con Cuong has plenty of potential to attract tourists, especially foreign visitors. The area is also an ancient land with unexplored sites, friendly local people and well-preserved cultural customs. Con Cuong, which is about 328 from Hanoi, 132 kilometers from Vinh City and 120 km from Dong Du Eco Farmstay, respectively, issituated by the romantic Lam Giang River. Though a mountainous district, its terrain is level while the soil is fertile and the landscapes are charming. Travelers bound for Ky Son or Laos often make a stop over here to rest before resuming their journey. Con Cuong is therefore well known for the specialties of western Nghe An province, such as salted bamboo shoots, “mat”fish, “lang”(Hemibagrus) fish, river loach, young rattan shoot soup, “dun” vegetable and much more. Restaurants in Con Cuong are well established with many delicious dishes from the vibrant local cuisine. Con Cuong is craving for business projects. Approval has been granted for the district to become an ecological hub and an economic and cultural center of south-western Nghe An. In particular, during the 2021-2025 period, Con Cuong strives to emerge as an ecological center, a driving force of the south-western region with significant impacts on the province’s socio-economic development. It will also serve as a hub for trading and transit of goods and commercial services as well as the premier ecological tourist attraction of the south western region of Nghe An province, the largest one in Vietnam. Back to our friend Katsuhiro Ando; he and his colleagues will continue to work to make life better for the local people of Con Cuong. They will contribute to the creation of ecological parks which are economically beneficial and help local people produce tourist products such as orange wine, orange jam, orange soap, tumeric powders and other products. Secretary of Con Cuong District Party Committee said: “In addition to Pu Mat National Park and Pu Huong Natural Conservation Zone, Con Cuong will also work to attract investments into Pha Lai and Co Phat eco-toursites; Ta Bo, Thac Kem (Yen Khe). Intra-district tours and sites will be connected to others in the province with attention being paid to community tourism destinations and spiritual,cultural and historical sites. Historical relics such as Ma Nhai Stele and the site where the Vietnamese Communist Party was first established in Western Nghe An are to be preserved and renovated. We will strive to make Con Cuong one of the tourist hubs of Western Nghe An”. Dong Du Eco Farmstay is a very pleasant stay to relax, soak up and unwind during your green adveuture along HCM road in Western Nghe An from Tam Coc, Ninh Binh to Phong Nha - Ke Bang or vice versa