Growing vitality across the stone plateaus of Ta Phin

The highland area of Ta Phin commune, Tua Chua district, Vietnam's northwestern province of Dien Bien is an inhospitable area, with more than 70% of the land comprised of cat-ear shaped rocky mountains.

The region has few rivers and streams, limited arable land and at first seems to be nothing more than a harsh and difficult natural environment.

Despite these challenging conditions, the people of Ta Phin commune have found ways to develop their land, working on the stone plateaus to carve out livings through their hard work and ingenuity.

Agricultural production is extremely difficult due to the rocky terrain, but the ethnic residents have persevered.

The commune has over 700 ha of food crops, with 470 ha of corn planted on the rocky mountainsides.

When the rainy season arrives, the farmers carry soil into rock crevices, arrange stones around the crops to prevent soil erosion and expand the cultivated areas bit by bit with each successive harvest.

This persistent effort has resulted in the green corn fields covering the cat-ear shaped rocky landscape, symbolizing the resilience and vitality of the local people.

In addition to increasing agricultural production and expanding cultivation in the inhospitable terrain, Ta Phin commune has also begun to capitalize on its natural scenery, history and traditional ethnic minority culture to attract tourists.

Homestay accommodations, motorbike rentals and restaurants have arrived, to gradually cater for those visitors.

By harnessing the unique climate and soil of the arid rocky plateau through creative solutions, the people of Ta Phin have been able to drive socio-economic development and maintain a strong, vibrant presence on the grey landscape.