(HBO) – The 10th Xen Muong festival opened in Mai Chau district’s Chieng Chau commune on February 14. The festival saw leaders of Mai Chau district and local people in attendance.
Thay mo (shaman) leads a delegation
processing the palanquin to Bon Temple
Chieng Chau commune is considered the capital of Thai ethnic people who
migrated from Bac Ha (Lao Cai province) in the 13th century. Generations
of Thai lords directed people to reclaim the land to set up their villages. The
festival is organised to show locals’ respect for the predecessors, and pray
for favourable weather, pumper crops, and people’s prosperity and happiness.
The festival also helps popularise Mai Chau tourism’s potential to both domestic
and foreign visitors.
Art performance of Thai ethnic
people at Xen Muong festival
This year, the festival was held at communal level, including offering
ceremony and festive activities. After leader of Chieng Chau commune beat the
drum to kick off the festival, the shaman and local people processed the
palanquin of Tuong Su (General Su) to Bon village. This was followed by an incense
offering ceremony at Bon Temple.
Besides, a wide range of art performances that featured Thai ethnic culture
were staged at the event./.
Spanning thousands of hectares and winding gracefully along mountain slopes, hillsides, and riverbanks, the terraced rice fields of Lac Son District present a stunning and captivating beauty. This region, renowned for its remarkable terraced landscapes, is also the centre of Hoa Binh Culture known for numerous archaeological sites.
The life of Mong people in Hang Kia and Pa Co communes of Mai Chau district has improved much thanks to tourism development.
The man-made Hoa Binh Lake, with a water surface area of approximately 9,000 hectares and a capacity of 9.45 billion cubic meters, stretches over 200 kilometers from Hoa Binh to Son La provinces. With the goal of developing into a national tourism area, the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area is expected to not only become the largest tourism centre in the province but also one of the 12 key tourist destinations in the northern midland and mountainous region of Vietnam.
Da Bia hamlet, now Duc Phong, in Tien Phong commune, Da Bac district, was once almost isolated from the outside as the only way to the hamlet was to get a boat ride across the Hoa Binh reservoir. However, as its tourism potential has been unleashed, the hamlet has established itself as one of the most attractive destinations on the tourism map. It has even received the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Awards in 2019.
In the first 9 months of 2024, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province welcomed over 684 thousand visitors to visit and relax. In which, over 516 thousand domestic visitors and more than 168 thousand international visitors. Total revenue from tourism is estimated at over 821 billion VND.
Da Bac district, bestowed with stunning landscapes, is developing ecological and resort tourism offerings. Several tourist sites, put into operation this year, has attracted throngs of high-spending and young domestic visitors.
