(HBO) – After years of overcoming difficulties and challenges to develop, Sung village of Cao Son commune, Da Bac district (Hoa Binh province), has made its name known in the tourism map of Vietnam. Tourism development has not only helped improve income but also created an impulse for local Dao Tien ethnic people to preserve and bring into play their traditional cultural values.
Ly Van Henh, a Sung villager of Cao Son commune (Da
Bac district), teaches the Nom - Dao script to children.
Located on Bieu Mountain – home to an ancient
forest, Sung hamlet boasts a cool and fresh atmosphere. Therefore, many
describe this place as an ideal getaway from the summer heat.
Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for two years
(2020 - 2021), this village of Dao ethnic people has become an attractive
destination for domestic and international visitors since late 2022. Well-built
infrastructure, upgraded traditional-style houses, new services and,
especially, revitalised traditional crafts have made considerable changes to
Sung village.
Ly Van Henh, an elderly man teaching the
traditional Nom - Dao script of the Dao ethnic group, said his class has been
maintained for many years. By learning the script, young people can know how to
write the script and also gain a better understanding of their ethnic group’s
culture and moral standards, thereby helping uphold the good traditional
cultural values and develop community-based tourism as well.
Many traditional crafts of the Dao Tien people
have also been revived in Sung hamlet, including brocade weaving.
Ly Thi Thien, a woman in Sung village, said that
since local residents embarked on tourism, they have received assistance from a
project to set up a group of 12 brocade makers. The craft has helped them
produce not only beautiful clothes for their families but also an attractive
tourism product.
She perceived that tourism has given a facelift
to their village and improved their income. Her family and many others have
registered to provide accommodation services, and they hope to receive further
training in tourism skills and access concessional loans to create more
professional tourism services with higher economic profitability.
An official of the Da Bac culture and
information division said that preserving traditional culture is the key to
developing community-based tourism in the district. In Sung village, Da Bac
authorities have been helping locals improve their tourism skills as well as
recover, preserve, and bring into play the traditional culture of the Dao Tien
people in order to sustainably develop tourism and gain more economic benefits.
Aside from experiencing the traditional culture
of the Dao Tien people in Sung village, from here, visitors can go to explore
nearby destinations of Da Bac district such as Da Bia hamlet of Tien Phong
commune, Ke hamlet of Hien Luong commune, or Hoa Binh Lake that is dubbed "Ha
Long Bay on land”./.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
.jpg)
