The Soil Beneath
The story of Vietnamese ginseng begins with the ground. Farmers collect humus from deep forest floors - soft, dark, and rich with nutrients. Mixed with local earth and a touch of organic compost, it forms the fertile bed where ginseng can take root. This soil is the first gift, and it sets the rhythm for everything that follows.
From Root to Life
From this bed of earth, each ginseng seedling begins its journey. Slowly, season after season, it grows. In winter the stems and leaves retreat into the root, storing quiet strength. By spring, new shoots rise again, repeating a cycle as old as the mountains themselves. After four years, the plants bear fruit, their seeds saved to begin again. Even the leaves are gathered for ginseng tea, ensuring that every part of the plant continues to nourish.
The Hands That Guide
But soil and seed alone are not enough. Here, care comes from people. Among the rows, you’ll often find Mr. Lam, director of the farm, crouched beside a young plant, brushing soil gently from its stem. Around him, farmers move in a steady rhythm - misting, trimming, adding fresh humus. They pause to laugh, share a sip of tea, then return to their rows. Each small act may seem ordinary, yet together they shape the life of every root.
The Gift of the Highlands
Even with devotion, ginseng needs the land’s embrace. At 1,700 meters above sea level, Sìn Hồ offers cool air, fertile soil, and rare even ground for such altitude. The climate is stable, the mornings fresh, the afternoons mild. It is as if the mountains themselves have prepared a home where ginseng can thrive.
Inside the greenhouses, this natural balance is carefully supported. Humidity is monitored and maintained, with misting systems activated during hot, dry spells. Every detail - from the double mesh shading to the fine droplets of water in the air - helps recreate the forest-like environment where ginseng feels most at home.
More Than Farming
Soil, seed, hands, and sky - together they make this farm more than a place of cultivation. It is an ecosystem that preserves a national treasure, sustains highland families, and brings safe, authentic ginseng to more people. For Mr. Lam and the farmers of Lai Chau, tending ginseng is not just agriculture. It is devotion, a circle of life that flows from earth to root, from people to sky, and finally - to those who receive its gift.
This is also Tonkina’s mission: to honor nature, uplift the people who make it possible, and deliver skincare that is safe, effective, and deeply human.