Gia Hung Bakery
From the center of Phong Nha, cycling along the Son River, running close to the alluvial plains formed by the alluvium from the previous flood season, where the local people now grow corn and peanuts that have turned green, I crossed Gia Hung village.
The village is famous for its beautiful wooden church, the most beautiful in the area. People in the area near Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park used to rely on the forest for their living, so a large amount of wood was used to build houses. Parishioners in the area voluntarily contributed wood they had saved together with the parish priest to build the beautiful structure as it is today. Young people and children often gather to play at the church, so it is very interesting to stop and chat while cycling to understand more about the lives of the people here. And during one of those chats, I discovered an interesting place: Gia Hung banh beo - banh xeo shop.
It is called a shop for the sake of it, but in reality it is where Ms. Lai's family - Mr. Son's family lives and makes cakes. Ms. Lai learned the cake-making profession from her grandmother when she was 8 or 9 years old. When she turned 17, Ms. Lai married Mr. Son, and two years later, she gave birth to her first child. In 1997, she officially took over the family business of making banh beo and banh xeo, the fifth generation.
She makes cakes in two shifts every day, regularly. She makes cakes in the evening and then takes them to the market to sell early the next morning. She makes cakes at noon and sells them at home for villagers to stop by and watch her make cakes, like watching a “show”.
The cake is made from regular rice or red rice, soaked in water and then ground, mixed with chives, then poured into cake molds recycled from bomb shells or flare barrels that local people collected from the war. The cake will be fried or steamed on a wood stove, eaten with raw vegetables, dipped in fish sauce, a delicious dish that can be eaten all day for the people in the area.
Termite Farm
From this side, to cross the Son River, I cycled over the floating pontoon bridge. Thanks to that, I had the opportunity to see the Son River more closely, to see the beauty of the river known as the source of many villages on the more than 50 km journey from Phong Nha Cave to the sea. The clear blue water clearly shows the bottom, very pleasing to the eye.
Reaching the other side, I pedaled a bit further and came across a slope. Not steep but long, this slope became a challenge for any cyclist. Climbing to the top of the slope, I could see the Bong Lai valley, making me feel that all the effort to conquer the long slope was worth it. Taking a sip of water, I looked into the distance, admiring the view. The green of the undulating hills surrounding me. The green of the rice fields. The green of the cassava fields, the rows of bananas. The houses with red tiled roofs, faded by the rain and sun, mixed in with that green carpet.
Right in the center of the picture, the Bong Lai church stands out with its red bell tower and yellow walls, located next to the winding Rao Con river, making the valley even more harmonious like a still life painting of a beautiful landscape.
As I started to descend, the closer I got to the things I had just seen from above, the more excited I became. The rows of pepper on both sides of the road looked very pleasing to the eye. Pepper was also a product of this area, people usually harvested it around May and June - a convenient time for drying and preserving. The signboard leading to “Termite Farm” attracted me to turn the wheel in.
Termites are a species of termites that fly up after each rain in this area and were chosen as the name for the farm. The old couple, Uncle Vi - a war veteran, are the owners of this farm. I met him for the first time by chance 5 years ago, while cycling around the area. Seeing him in his military uniform walking with an unusual gait, I knew there would be many interesting stories to hear. And it was true. He held tightly onto the handlebars of my bicycle as he enthusiastically introduced: "In my farm, there is everything. There is just no one to talk to!"
Walking with the uncle, when we got there, we saw that the farm was indeed full of everything: from pigs in the pen, chickens running around the garden and hills, to grapefruit trees, pepper trees, guava trees, tea trees, cassava trees, corn, watermelons, squash, spinach… The couple also took care of the wildflowers, making the farm no different from a miniature prairie that I had seen in movies.
A farm tour will broaden anyone’s agricultural knowledge under the guidance of the friendly and hospitable Mr. Vi. I also have the opportunity to share the knowledge that my grandmother taught me when I was young.
Later, the couple also cooked for guests to chat with. He told stories about his time in the army, peacetime, or the farm while his wife prepared food. His son rebuilt the wooden house, added some hammocks, and next to it was an open kitchen where his wife and her daughters could show off their cooking skills to guests. Grilled pork in bamboo tubes and turmeric-braised hill chicken are two dishes I especially like here.
Wild Boar Farm
Leaving the Moi Moi farm, I just had to cycle a few more winding bends and a few steep ups and downs to reach the banks of the Rao Con River. Rao is the local name for the river. Rao Con means small river, to distinguish it from the main river, where the small river flows into. After observing and finding a shallow section of water, I cycled across the river. The good thing about cycling is that when you choose the right type of bike and cycle to the terrain suitable for that type of bike, the experience becomes even more enjoyable. My mountain bike seems to belong to the Bong Lai valley.
After crossing the river, I arrived at the village entrance where Cuong and his wife's family lived: Wild Boar Farm - Bong Lai Ecofarm. After graduating from university in Hue, Cuong returned to his hometown to do a few jobs before deciding to bring his wife and children to the village entrance next to Rao Con to set up a farm. His family is famous for raising wild boars - starting with a pig he rescued from local forest rangers a few years ago.
From that one pig, the family built a farm with many herds of pigs, bringing income for the whole family. Last year's flood season, the pigs were swept away by floodwaters, so the couple stopped raising wild boars. Now, the couple raises crickets - a source of clean, nutritious food for people in the area, giving them more culinary options to enrich their palates.
Mr. Cuong also quickly created an experience for visitors to learn about crickets, which was very interesting and no less humorous with his speaking talent. I called him by his nickname Jackie Cuong because his appearance is quite similar to the martial arts actor Jackie Chan. Recently, the family also made a rope swing for those who like strong feelings, to see the beautiful Bong Lai valley from a new angle.
Every time I come here on a sunny day, I often go down to Rao Con, where there is a deep water hole to soak in and cool off, listening to the birds chirping and the stream flowing, there is nothing more desirable. If it is a cool day, I turn over to lie on the hammock and take a nap, it really feels like being in a paradise.
When leaving the valley, the cycling route also passes other famous places, as mentioned in the beginning of the article, such as the Pub with cold beer of the couple "Chicken lady" Quy Nhat or "Duck stop" - a friendly duck farm of a young man in the village, where visitors can have more rustic and interesting rural experiences.
On the way back, cycling through some rice fields at sunset behind the limestone mountains left me amazed, stopping to admire the majestic scenery for a while. And I was excited again for the upcoming trip back to Bong Lai.
More information:
- Bong Lai Valley is located in Hung Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province.
- From Phong Nha center, follow Ho Chi Minh highway towards Dong Hoi for about 6 km, then you will meet Bung bridge, turn right and go 2 km more to reach Termite Farm, located on the right side of the valley. During the rainy season (October to December), the road to "Pub with cold beer" or "Bong Lai Ecofarm" is quite difficult. Motorbikes can reach the above points, but cycling will give you many interesting experiences (like cycling across the river) and reach more destinations in Bong Lai valley.
- Termite Farm and Bong Lai Ecofarm are open from early morning until around 6 pm, selling local food and drinks. Bong Lai Ecofarm offers cricket tours, cricket dishes, swings and 1 drink for 150,000 VND/person. However, to comply with Covid-19 prevention regulations, these services are currently closed.
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