Located in an idyllic location, right next to China’s largest river, surrounded by lush green mountains, Ha Gia Boi village attracts a large number of visitors every year tourism is big. However, tourism is not a business. brings the highest profits here.
It is estimated that the village earns about 20 million yuan (more than 71 billion VND) per year from the decorative stone business. High-income families can earn 100,000 yuan/year (more than 360 million VND). What makes the stones lying in the river in Ha Gia Boi so famous?
From February to April each year, the Yangtze River enters the dry season. When the water recedes, it reveals a shallow beach stretching more than 10km with hundreds of thousands of colorful stones of all sizes. For collectors, the pebbles here impress thanks to their unique patterns. However, finding gems with high economic value is not easy in a stone field of more than 1,200 hectares on the riverbank.
In fact, not all stones here are of high value. The searchers were experienced connoisseurs. They sift through stones to find the most valuable ones.
Some people in Ha Gia Boi village have become search experts. They have an “eye” for finding fancy decorative stones, giving them names and pushing their value to the highest level. Unique pieces can sell for thousands or tens of thousands of yuan. Many households here, thanks to the sale of a stone, have “changed their lives” to build a house and buy a car.
According to local people, Ha Gia Boi village has had I have been interested in decorative stone for a long time. But the ornamental stone business has only started since 2003. At that time, a pair of tourists from another place came here to visit and accidentally saw beautiful stones on the riverbank and picked them up to sell at a high price. And the river stone trade started from there.
Every year new stones follow the flow of the Yangtze River to the village. From February to April each year, when the river is dry, people rush to look for rare gems. As long as the Yangtze River is still flowing, the demand for ornamental stones remains, and the stone trade on the river will continue to thrive.
The interesting thing is that Ha Gia Boi is not the only village located on the Yangtze River. There are still stones drifting along the water into some other villages, but the stones here are considered the most “special”. Thanks to that, Ha Gia Boi has built a reputation in the ornamental stone trade and has higher prices than other places.
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