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The "Land of Medicinal Plants" and the memory of an ancient herbal village.
Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district (Ninh Binh province) is not only known as the northern gateway to the Trang An - Bai Dinh scenic complex, but also as a land with a special history of traditional medicine and medicinal plants. According to folklore and local records, since the Ly Dynasty, this area has been famous for its many valuable medicinal plants growing naturally on limestone slopes and semi-mountainous regions.
Legend has it that Zen Master and renowned physician Nguyen Minh Khong, while searching for medicinal herbs to cure King Ly Than Tong, stopped here. Noticing the abundant medicinal plants, he named this area "Sinh Duoc" (meaning "Birth of Medicinal Plants") – a place where medicinal plants thrive and nourish people.
Sinh Duoc village is located at the foot of Bai Dinh mountain.
This place has many precious medicinal plants naturally grown here, which Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong named "Sinh Duoc" (meaning "Birth-Generating Herbs").
During his time practicing Buddhism here, he founded Bai Dinh Pagoda and passed on to the villagers his experience in using medicinal herbs in daily life and for healing. Over time, the name Sinh Duoc became the name of the village and hamlet, deeply ingrained in the community's memory as an affirmation of the fundamental occupation of the local residents.
Over the centuries, Gia Sinh did not form a formal herbal medicine village in the administrative sense, but knowledge about medicinal plants was quietly passed down among the people: from identifying herbs and harvesting them seasonally, to drying, soaking, boiling, and decocting. This indigenous knowledge became a persistent undercurrent, and when socio-economic conditions changed, it had the opportunity to be reorganized and enter a new stage of development.
Today, Sinh Duoc village has developed into the Sinh Duoc Cooperative model.
Preserving indigenous knowledge and developing medicinal products in modern life.
Amidst the growing prevalence of Western medicine, many families in Sinh Duoc village still maintain the tradition of using herbs found around their homes as a gentle method of preventing and treating illnesses. These folk remedies, passed down through generations, not only meet daily healthcare needs but also reflect a lifestyle closely connected to nature and the local environment.
From that foundation, the Sinh Duoc Cooperative was established, gradually reorganizing the traditional craft in a more systematic and modern way. Instead of small-scale, spontaneous production, the cooperative aims to build a closed-loop medicinal herb value chain, from raw materials to finished products. The products are developed to serve daily life with natural ingredients, free from harmful chemicals, and environmentally friendly, such as soap, bath salts, soaking salts, bath oils, and laundry detergent.
The products are made from medicinal herbs and produced by the cooperative itself.
Alongside its production activities, the Sinh Duoc Cooperative also aims to develop an eco-tourism space combining folk art performances and traditional health care services. Therefore, medicinal herbs are not only present in consumer products but also become part of the cultural experience, contributing to telling the story of the land and people of Gia Sinh.
The ingredients used in Sinh Duoc's products are primarily sourced from nature. Some are certified organic according to international standards, while others are grown and processed locally, combined with necessary industrial ingredients to ensure usability. Thanks to a focus on process and quality, the cooperative's products have achieved OCOP 4-star certification, establishing a firm foothold in the market.
Traditional craft of making paintings from Bodhi leaves.
Besides medicinal products, Sinh Duoc Cooperative also develops the craft of making paintings from Bodhi leaves – a unique approach connecting handicrafts with the spiritual and cultural values of Buddhism. The raw material consists of mature Bodhi leaves, harvested when the leaf veins are thick and strong enough to maintain their shape after processing.
The exhibition area displays artworks made from Bodhi leaves at the Sinh Duoc Cooperative.
After harvesting, the leaves are washed and soaked in lime water for several weeks to allow the fleshy part of the leaf to decompose, leaving only the delicate yet most valuable "leaf skeleton." Once this process is complete, the craftsman uses a soft brush to clean each leaf skeleton before letting them dry naturally. Depending on the artistic vision, the leaf skeletons can be kept in their original ivory white color or dyed to create visual depth.
The leaves are cleaned, dyed, and then dried.
Laminating to make souvenirs.
The shaping process is the most technically demanding and aesthetically sensitive step. The leaf veins are assembled, arranged, or hand-embroidered to form the complete composition of the painting, ranging from Buddhist motifs and lotus flowers to landscapes and traditional cultural symbols. With such delicate materials, each finished work is the culmination of time, patience, and craftsmanship, while also opening up a new approach to herbs and leaves in contemporary creative design.
Bodhi leaves are arranged into diverse images, ranging from Buddhist themes and landscapes to cultural symbols.
Alternatively, they can be embroidered into display pieces that sell for between 800,000 and 1,600,000 VND.
Connecting tradition with a sustainable future.
The remarkable aspect of Sinh Duoc Cooperative lies not only in its economic efficiency but also in how it positions itself in sustainable development: exploiting medicinal plants while preserving them, producing with environmental responsibility, and conducting business for the benefit of the community.
In recent years, the cooperative has begun combining production with sightseeing and experiential activities, introducing the herbal medicine production process to tourists. With the advantage of being located near key tourist routes in Ninh Binh, Gia Sinh has the conditions to ensure that medicinal herbs are not just consumer products but also become part of a cultural and ecological tourism narrative.
Currently, the cooperative has established its own position in the market with products that have achieved OCOP 4-star quality.
Looking back at the journey from a land legendary as "Sinh Duoc" (meaning "Medicinal Life") to the birth and development of the Sinh Duoc Cooperative today, one can clearly see the continuity between the past and the present. Tradition is not confined to nostalgia, but is renewed by a cooperative, scientific, and market-oriented mindset. In the context of rural Vietnam seeking sustainable development models, the Sinh Duoc Cooperative is an example showing that when indigenous knowledge is valued and properly placed, it can become the foundation for long-term economic and social values.
