The event is part of a series of events marking the 2026 Da Nang International Festival of Ngoc Linh Ginseng and Medicinal Herbs.
Situated at an elevation of over 1,500 meters in Kon Pin hamlet, Tra Linh Commune, the Ngoc Linh Ginseng Deity Shrine serves as a sacred site where the Xo Dang ethnic community gathers to conduct rituals expressing gratitude to the deities, nature, and their ancestors, while praying for favorable weather and a bountiful ginseng harvest.
For days, local villagers have been meticulously preparing ceremonial offerings and erecting a Neu tree (known as a bamboo pole). As the most crucial element of the ceremony, the Neu tree symbolizes profound gratitude to heaven and earth for nurturing the ginseng plants deep within the primeval forests, bringing prosperity to generations of the Xo Dang people.
Holding a Ngoc Linh ginseng plant high in his hands, the village elder reverently recited prayers, invoking the deities to witness the community's sincerity and asking for favorable weather, flourishing ginseng crops deep in the forest, and a bountiful rice harvest on the hillside fields.
Thanks to Ngoc Linh ginseng, the lives of residents have been transformed, with many households rising to become billionaires. Consequently, the Ginseng Deity Ritual has evolved into a cherished spiritual tradition—one that honors the value of this precious ginseng species while embodying the community's aspirations to build a sustainable, prosperous future rich in cultural identity.
Trinh Minh Hai, Chairman of the Tra Linh Commune People’s Committee, stated that ginseng holds a paramount position in the culture and sustainable livelihoods of the Xo Dang ethnic community. Preserving and restoring the Ginseng Deity Ritual not only safeguards the unique cultural heritage of the Xo Dang people but also offers visitors an opportunity to appreciate indigenous knowledge and the development journey of Ngoc Linh ginseng.
As part of the festival, the Tra Linh Commune People's Committee distributed more than 17,710 Ngoc Linh ginseng seedlings, valued at VND2.57 billion (around US$98,000), to 88 disadvantaged households in the area.
Specifically, 68 households in Tra Linh Commune and 20 households from neighboring communes received 200 seedlings each.
Earlier in 2025, under the "Nurturing Ngoc Linh" initiative, the commune authority collaborated with 24 donors to support 33 households in Tra Linh and adjacent communes with 6,620 one-year-old ginseng plants. According to local authority monitoring and reports from the beneficiaries, the ginseng plants are currently thriving.
