(HBO) – We visited the family of Bui Thi Su in Ai hamlet, Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province on a day when they were serving a group of 26 French tourists. The visitors came here from Hanoi and had lunch at Su’s house. As scheduled, they would visit Mai Chau after lunch and leave for Thanh Hoa province. Su cooked tofu with tomato sauce and wrapped betel leaves with pork for the guests while her daughter cleaned the house.
Ms. Bui Thi Su is preparing food for tourists.
Su said "Some foreign tourists just like simple
food such as roasted meat, tofu, stir-fried and boiled vegetables. Only few
want to taste traditional dishes of Muong ethnic people. In the past, when Ai
hamlet had not planned to build a community-based tourism village, my family
worked on a farm. The whole family earned a living through rice and crop cultivation
and forestry. In free time, we had to do other jobs to increase income. Thanks
to the State support, my family borrowed loans to upgrade our house, rearrange
cages for buffalos, cows and pigs, and build a toilet”.
Currently, on average, each month, Su’s family
welcomes 5-10 tourist groups. Apart from collecting 160,000 VND from each guest
who stays in her house one day with breakfast and dinner, her family also earns
money from raising cattle and growing vegetables. Excluding expenses, her
family rakes in 4-5 million VND each month. In days without guests, Su and her
spouse could do farming to improve their living.
Ai hamlet has 94 households with over 400
people. In 2016, it was recognised as a community tourism destination with over
50 traditional stilt houses in Muong ancient village.
At present, there are two households in the
hamlet doing community-based tourism. The hamlet could provide a wide range of
services for around 40 foreign tourists or 70 domestic ones such as joining art
performances, learning cooking, experiencing the daily life of locals, fishing,
growing rice, gardening, walking, and cycling./.
Once a vibrant part of the daily life for the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province, traditional Muong singing styles such as "thuong rang bo meng” and "hat dup giao duyen” had faded over time. Today, local authorities and communities are working to restore and celebrate this cultural art form, recognising its value in preserving the group’s heritage.
Gau Tao Festival, one of the most important traditional festivals of the Mong ethnic minority group in Mai Chau district was held at the Pa Co stadium in Pa Co commune on January 11.
The ancient stone engravings dating back thousands of years in Suoi Co valley in My Thanh commune, Lac Son district, used to astonished domestic archaeologists. What their meaning is and what message they convey are the questions to which scientists are seeking answers.
Preserving and promoting unique cultural identities of ethnic communities in Hoa Binh province is considered a crucial task amid in the international integration trend.
More than just a cultural and historical attraction, the Muong Cultural Heritage Museum is playing a vital role in fostering sustainable tourism in the Northwestern region of Vietnam, particularly in Hoa Binh province. It stands as a model for the emerging trend of "responsible tourism," cleverly blending the preservation of cultural heritage with community economic development, raising awareness of Muong ethnic cultural values while promoting green tourism and sustainable growth.
The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on December 24 organised a conference to report on the results of collecting, researching, restoring, and preserving "Bi doi”, a musical instrument of the airophonic family and a traditional instrument of the Muong ethnic people in Da Bac district.
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