The primitive cajuput forest in the Centre has been preserved. Tourists can take a boat ride under the shade of cajuput trees, contemplating storks and rare and precious birds in the Centre. Pharmacist Nguyen Van Be talks with a worker of the Centre. Tending the field of lemon-grass. Mimosa flower, a precious medicinal herb planted in the Centre. Poon flower, a precious medicinal herb planted in the Centre.  The essential oil refining workshop of the Centre. In 1983, pharmacist Nguyen Van Be, a lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University and Vice Director of Phytopharco Company, decided to work in Dong Thap Muoi in southern Vietnam . Here, he and his colleagues have spent 16 years digging over 100km of canals and arroyos and building up dams to preserve water on an area of 1,041ha in Binh Phong Thanh Commune, Moc Hoa District, Long An Province and established Dong Thap Muoi Medicinal Herbs Research, Preservation and Development Centre in 1999. It is now an eco-tourist convalescence and disease treatment area. The area consists of 1,000ha of cajuput forests with about 19 varieties, including 800ha of Malaleuca cajeputi – the largest one in Vietnam. Malaleuca cajeputi is a precious medicinal material that is exploited by the Centre to produce drugs for anti-inflammatory purposes, speed heeling, cold and flu prevention and is a respiratory anti-inflammatory.   Particularly, the famous Eucalyptus essential oil for the newborn is also extracted from the plant. The medicinal herb preservation area covers 15ha with hundreds of precious and rare medicinal herb genes, such as Ngai tien (Hedychium Sp), Ha thu o do (Polygonum multiflorum Thunb), Nhau rung (Morinda citrifolia), Mu u (Calophyllum inophyllum) and Diep ha chau (Phyllanthus urinaria).  In the initial period, due to lack of facilities, the Centre mainly preserved and developed the medicinal materials source, extracted essential oils and produced medicines. Up to now, the Centre has invested in building a modern laboratory and essential oil refining workshop and produced over 100 kinds of essential oils, such as cajuput, centella, fragrant knotweed, etc., that is considered the most complete collection of essence oils in Southeast Asia . 80% of which are used to serve the pharmaceutical sector and 20% for the flavouring and food sectors. To have such facilities, Nguyen Van Be and his colleagues had to face tremendous difficulties. He is known as “Mr.Ba of alum land” by the locals. Wearing slippers and a kaki discoloured shirt, the man with a sunburnt face looks like a farmer rather than a pharmacist. He has spent many years collecting typical sources of medicinal herbs with diverse and plentiful varieties in the Cuu Long River delta and other plants to preserve and develop in the Centre. Initially, the plants did not adapt to alum soil in the area so he improved their adaptability using his thorough knowledge. Everyday, he works together with employees and instructs them on turning over the soil, taking care of the 15ha-medicinal herbs area without using any kind of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. They only use organic fertilizers and medicinal wastes after extracting essential oils, so the medicinal herbs, vegetables and fruits planted in the Centre are very clean and safe for health. He said: “All 120 workers are the Centre’s owners who are aware of the fact that they are working for themselves”. Visiting the centre, Nguyen Van Be instructed us on the use of each essential oil and the treatment of many diseases by medicinal herbs. He said: “From the love and passion to nature, I decide to work here and I believe that it is a right decision”. When visiting the primitive cajuput forest area, “Mr. Ba of alum land” told us about his ideas to develop eco-tourism. However, he emphasized that to develop tourism in the area they must preserve everything belonging to nature and do not receive every tourist. Those who visit the tourist area must have the love for nature and awareness of protecting the environment. Here still preserves the primitive beauty of forests together with the plentiful fauna and flora. Particularly, we had a chance to taste the honey made by the bees in this area, a speciality in Dong Thap Muoi. Going deep into the forest we saw a thick swathe of cajuput trees, shading many canals. Hundreds of birds, including storks flew off when our canoe approached. In the flood season, from September to December, thousands of Giang sen, wild ducks, teals, etc., live in the area. Also, we saw canals covered by water-lily and lotus that grow naturally so they have a distinctive beauty. In early 2007, the Centre became a member of IMEXPHARM and received investment to build 15 works, including a factory producing oriental medicines of international standards and a system of rest houses and therapeutic houses to serve ecotourism, convalescence and disease treatment. All is prepared to serve the Me Kong-Can Tho Tourism Year in 2008.  Tourists can row the boats on the lotus lake in the Centre. Story by Nguyen Van Le - Photos by Quang Minh