The Medicine Is At Home
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"We should harvest fresh herbs early in the morning or late in the evening, when they are at home. Like humans, their spirits go out during the day", said Hang Thi Xa, my host at Sapa, North Vietnam. At the age of 10, her mother taught her how to use the medicinal herbs in the home garden to cure her family and villagers of conditions ranging from the common cold and burns to digestive disorder and crush injuries. This is the story shared by Giang A Cua, Ma A Nu and thousands of other H'Mong people who preserve and pass down their form of healing from previous generations.
Regarded by Tue Tinh, founding father of Vietnamese medicine, as the "Southern medicine for Southern people", these home grown plants are a unique gift from the Vietnamese environment. They are collected and used by the H'Mong, an ethnic group that has lived in the forests and mountains for centuries, guided by their philosophy of self-reliance and harmony with the natural world. At the heart of this medicinal practice is the belief that everything, including the herbs, has a soul. Today, the H’Mong world is under threat from unfettered urbanisation and tourism. The conundrum of natural / cultural preservation in Sapa has yet to be resolved.
Regarded by Tue Tinh, founding father of Vietnamese medicine, as the "Southern medicine for Southern people", these home grown plants are a unique gift from the Vietnamese environment. They are collected and used by the H'Mong, an ethnic group that has lived in the forests and mountains for centuries, guided by their philosophy of self-reliance and harmony with the natural world. At the heart of this medicinal practice is the belief that everything, including the herbs, has a soul. Today, the H’Mong world is under threat from unfettered urbanisation and tourism. The conundrum of natural / cultural preservation in Sapa has yet to be resolved.