People in Cha Day village in Pa Co commune, Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province, have been taking advantage of natural conditions and traditional cultural values to develop community-based tourism which has helped improve their quality of life.
Tourists join in picking tea leaves with local people
in Cha Day village.
In the past, Mong people in Pa Co commune mostly
earned their living by growing corn, paddy and raising cattle and poultry. Six years ago, Phang A Pao, a local resident,
was the first person to start community-based tourism model in the commune. Pao, who is now head of a group of farmers who
provide Mong homestay service, said that since he started his tourism business,
he has learnt many things. He understood that preserving the natural
landscape and cultural identity can help people from ethnic groups to develop,
and escape from poverty.
So far, ten families in the village have joined
in developing community-based tourism in association with preserving and
promoting tangible and intangible cultural values.
In the village, the homestay service providers
have still preserved traditional houses made of natural materials and decorated
in the style of Mong people. New tourism products have been exploited such as
cultural space of the Mong people, traditional night market, and camping
combined with cloud watching in the mountains, which helped attract domestic
and international visitors.
Anline, a visitor from France, said that she was
impressed when she visited "Mong Space" and was told interesting
stories about traditional costumes, patterns on fabric, and long preserved
items. She was also guided to make paper, paint with beeswax and relax with
herbal bath.
After 6 years of implementing the
community-based tourism models, Cha Day village has become one of the popular
destinations for domestic and international tourists. While running tourism
business, households in the village are highly aware of the importance of
preserving local culture, particularly traditional costumes, cuisine, and
festivals.
Up to now, the "Homestay Mong and
experience Pa Co agriculture" has gathered 35 members with six homestays.
Houses that provide homestay service got an average annual income of 100
million VND (4,000 USD).
On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, visitors from near and far are eager to come to the mountainous district of Da Bac to have unique cultural experiences such as learning to wrap traditional cakes of ethnic minorities, practicing writing ancient Tay characters or immersing themselves in the Tay melodies.
Tan Lac has great potential for tourism development. In addition, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 13-NQ/TU, dated October 17, 2022, on building the highland communes in Tan Lac district into provincial-level tourism areas by 2030, with a vision to 2050. However, according to the assessment, implementing the goals in the spirit of Resolution No. 13-NQ/TU has had limited results.
Recognising that tourism and agriculture are local strengths, Mai Chau district is committed to building a green economy through an action program with specific pathways, achieving notable results in line with the resolution of the 26th Party Congress of the district.
With its majestic natural landscapes, diverse ethnic cultures, and numerous unique festivals, Hoa Binh province is an attractive destination that entices travellers from far and wide to explore and experience during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.
Being held around the 30th of the 11th lunar month right after the harvest season ends, the traditional New Year of Mong ethnic group lasts until the last day of the 12th lunar month. On this occasion, the community tourism destinations of Pa Co and Hang Kia communes (Mai Chau) attract many visitors to experience and explore the unique customs of New Year.
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