Ngọc Ling Ginseng (Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng) products on display in Đà Nẵng. The city will host the first Ngọc Linh Ginseng and Medicinal Herbs International Festival on August 1-3. — VNS Photo Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — Đà Nẵng will host the first Ngọc Linh Ginseng and Medicinal Herbs International Festival, entitled Ngọc Linh Ginseng, the Essence of Global Herbal Medicine, at the city’s APEC Park and seven ginseng growing villages in the mountains from August 1 to 3.

The festival will mark the first ever combined exhibition, scientific conference, sport and art performance event related to Ngọc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng).

Vice chairman of the city’s people’s committee Hồ Quang Bửu said the festival will be a chance for businesses around the world to display their goods and exchange experience in planting and processing ginseng varieties, including the Vietnamese Ngọc Linh ginseng as well as Korean, Chinese, Canadian and Russian ginseng along with other local and international medicinal herbs.

A member of the Ngọc Linh Ginseng and Medicinal Herbs International Festival introduces the main programme at the festival, which will be held in Đà Nẵng on August 1-3. — VNS Photo Công Thành

He said a series of exhibitions, fairs and trips will be held at the same time in the communes of Trà Linh, Nam Trà My, Trà Vân, Bến Hiên, Trà Leng and Trà Tập, where precious ginseng varieties are farmed on terrain from 1,200m to 1,400m above sea level.

Bửu said the monthly Ngọc Linh ginseng fair is held in downtown Đà Nẵng in the second week every month to promote the area's valuable ginseng products among local farmers and businesses.

Deputy director of the city’s Science and Technology department Lê Thị Thục said 50 international and Vietnamese experts will display 24 presentations at a scientific conference on ginseng and medicinal herbs during the festival.

Trương Duy Hòa, deputy head of the festival organising committee, said an auction will be organised to raise money for ginseng conservation efforts, community development activities and scholarships for disadvantaged ethnic children.

Chairman of the city’s Ngọc Linh Ginseng Association Nguyễn Đức Lực said that locally grown ginseng products from Trà Linh have been building links with Swiss partners to expand to global markets.

A check-in site at the first Ngọc Linh Ginseng and Medicinal Herbs International Festival. — VNS Photo Công Thành

Festivalgoers can enjoy foods made from ginseng and other herbs along with traditional ethnic cuisines, and can try ginseng products including supplements, cosmetics and medicines at the event, Bửu said.

Last year, an e-commerce platform for Trà My's Ngọc Linh ginseng, medicinal herbs and farm produce was launched to promote the national brand and its booming online commercial services.

According to the city’s trade and industry department, local farmers and traders have been using social network platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Zalo to sell their products nationwide.

Ngọc Linh ginseng, recognised as national intangible cultural heritage, is an endemic Vietnamese plant known for its medicinal properties.

The province's Sâm Sâm company is the first business to develop a modern Ngọc Linh ginseng production plant, a high-tech processing facility combined with a seed and research centre that has created a consistent source of high-quality ginseng seeds and saplings.

The root of a Ngọc Linh ginseng plant is collected at a farm in the mountains of Đà Nẵng. The mountain communes of Trà Linh, Nam Trà My, Trà Vân, Bến Hiên, Trà Leng and Trà Tập are major Ngọc Linh ginseng farming areas in the city. — Photo courtesy of Thọ Nguyễn

The company’s sustainable ginseng farm was listed as one of the top 20 and one of eight Asian projects jointly assessed and financially supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development.

Ngọc Linh ginseng is typically processed into finished capsules, functional foods, essential oils, cosmetics, drinks and tea to create high value nutritional products that benefit the ethnic communities of Xơ Đăng, Ca Dong and Mơ Nông. It also helps promote primary forest conservation. — VNS