(HBO) –The bus runs from Hanoi along Road No. 6 north-westward to HoaBinh, the city of electricity and culture of different ethnic groups like Muong, Thai, Kinh, Dao, Mong and Tay. After passing Cunslope, the bus will reach the VuonhoanuiCoi (Coi Mount Flower Garden) cultural area in Cao Phong district, which is famous for its oranges and sugar-canes. Tourists should stop at the top of ThungKhePass to take a view of MaiChau Valley.
The
valley houses villages of ethnic groups in Mai Chauwith green rice and corn
fields under the mountain’s silhouette. There are stilt houses sitting at the
foot of the mountain and treesalong Xia Spring.
The valley is surrounded by high mountain ranges
which now appear, now disappear among clouds.
Arriving in Van and PomCoong villages in Mai
Chau town, Lac village in ChiengChau commune and Buoc village in XamKhoe
commune, visitors will be welcomed by local boys and girls in festive
clothes.
Local girls or owners of villages and families
will invite tourists to admire Thai people’s wide, clean and airy stilt houses
which are built from wood and bamboo. The houses have stairs at the two sides
and a vast shady space below. Surrounded by orchards, the houses boast a simple
but special beauty.
Visitors will be served with special local
dishes like Com lam muoivung (steamed sticky ricein bamboo tubes with sesame
and salt), Cha mianuong (roasted meat with sugarcane), barbecued or boiled pork
with Thai pepper, mountain chicken, multi-colour sticky rice, fish grilled in
banana leaves, wild bees, ant eggs, forest bamboo shoots and Mai Ha wine.
Vacationers can travel around villages,
mountains, forests and beautiful caves such as Nuoc, Khoai, Mo Luong, Chieu and
PiengKiem, and archeological sites like Long and KhauPhuc caves, along with
other national relic sites.
When it gets dark and cold, tourists are invited
to join a camp-fire organised at the courtyard of the cultural house and enjoy
traditional art performances. Local girls, boys and children amorously play
pan-pipes, gourd lutes, double flutes and gongs. Holiday-makers also have a
chance to enjoy traditional dances like sap, kengloong, nhumhua, khan (scarf),
quat(fan), kepbooc, ong (pipe) and ton coog.
Tours are available for those who are interested
in exploring the life of Mong people and their traditional culture in Pa Co and
Hang Kia communes, which are located
1,288 m above the sea level, with a pitch of
30-35 degrees.
Roofed with woodor thatch, Mong people’s houses
have gardens surrounded by stone walls. In the spring, Mong villages will be
covered by apricot, peach, plum and Ban flowers.
Locals exchange greetings on the way to the
market with dances and sounds of pan-pines and lip lutes.
The crowded and special village fair offers
visitors wine and "thang co” (horse meat soup). Old people come to the market
regularly to meet their old friends. It is a really an interesting place for
visitors to experience the local life.
Bui Chi
Thanh
Hoa Binh province’s rich natural and cultural resources position it as a prime location for developing community-based tourism (CBT). In recent years, support from central and provincial policies, as well as assistance from non-governmental organisations, have encouraged local ethnic minority and mountainous communities to actively engage in the sector.
Van Son Commune, Tan Lạc district, Hoa Binh province also known as "Cloud Valley," boasts a cool climate, stunning natural landscapes, and majestic scenery. Visitors who have been to this place should make a stop at Chien Hamlet to experience a lot of fascinating things and feel the friendly, warmth of the Muong ethnic people.
Thanks to the effective exploitation of natural landscape and the cultural diversity of ethnic minorities, Hoa Binh province has become an attractive destination for tourists seeking experiences and exploration.
The Department of Cultural Heritage has just coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hoa Binh province to organize a training on implementing the model of the cultural heritage connected in the cultural tourism journey in Cao Phong and Lac Son districts.
The Sung village in Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, is endowed with pristine natural landscape, and Dao Tien ethnic minority community in the village preserves rich cultural heritage, including traditional housing, clothing, language, scripts, customs, and daily life practices. Since the community-based tourism model was introduced in the locality, these traditional cultural values have been further preserved and promoted.
