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Session 1: Traditional medicine knowledge: protection and knowledge management

Survey on Indigenous Knowledge of Using Medicinal Plants and

Remedies of Ethnic Communities in Lang Son Province, Vietnam

Pham Thanh Huyen*, Nguyen Quynh Nga*, Phan Van Truong*, Hoang Van Toan*,
Nguyen Minh Khoi*, Hoang Dinh Hoan**, Bui Thi Man***, Doan Thi Tuyet Mai****
*National Institute of Medicinal Material, **Lang Son Department of Health, ***Lang Son College of
Medicine,****Traditional Medicine Administration, Ministry of Health

Background and rationale: Lang Son is a province in the Northeast of Vietnam, including
10 districts and 1 city with 226 communes, wards and towns. Lang Son has 7 different ethnic
groups living together, including Tay, Nung, Dao, Hûmong, Kinh, Hoa, San Chay. Due to
typical topographical features, pedologic geology and climate, Lang Son has abundant and
diversified natural vegetation. Many species are used as medicinal plants, including precious
herbs. In addition to abundant and diversified natural resources, the indigenous knowledge of
the ethnic groups in Lang Son has special features and also is the value to be preserved and
promoted.
Objective: Survey on medicinal plant resources and indigenous knowledge of using
medicinal plants in the remedies of ethnic groups in Lang Son province.
Methodology: Using questionnaires and direct interview with 200 local healers. Con-
struct route-based surveys, collecting sample and specimen of medicinal plants. Applied
morphological comparision method with the identification key and detailed descriptions in the
documents.
Results:
The result of survey are recorded 788 species of medicinal plants, belonging to 514
genera, 175 families, 62 orders, 2 subdivisions, 6 divisions and 3 species of medicinal fungi,
belonging to 3 genera, 3 families, 3 orders, 1 division.
Total of 200 remedies were collected from 4 ethnic groups in Lang Son Province, including:
Dao ethnic group, Tay, Hûmong and Nung. The remedies that are used to treat for 12 groups
of common diseases. Besides, the survey found 180 medicinal plants that are used in 200
remedies.
Using and processing methods of each ethnic group are different. Depending on types of
diseases, local peoples have different ways of processing so as to promote the highest effec-
tiveness of herbs.
Depending on the types of diseases, local healers use various parts of medicinal plants.
Therefore, the use of plant parts depends on the experience in treatment of healers. They can
use whole plant or 3 parts, 2 parts or even 1 part, but there are some species used in combi-
nation with other medicines; for example, roots/tubers are soaked with alcohol to be used for
massage, others can be eaten with honey, etc.
Conclusion: Lang Son province has diverse medicinal plant resources and indigenous
knowledge on using of medicinal plant for health care in the community of ethnic groups in
the province is extensive and has its own characters.
Key words: Lang Son, Vietnam, indigenous knowledge, medicinal plants, remedy