HBO – Located in Tuan Lo and Phong Phu communes, Cot Co Mountain (Khu Doi) is considered as a gift the nature offers to the area of Muong Bi in Tan Lac district. Since its appearance in the epic "De dat, de nuoc” (Giving birth to the Earth and the Water), Cot Co (Flagpole) Mountain has been a symbol in locals’ spiritual life. The mountain was officially recognised as a provincial-level landscape in November 2017, which multiplies the pride of locals and encourages people to find out Khu Doi’s legend.
Cot Co Mountain in Muong Bi area –
a cultural symbol honoured by Muong Bi locals as the most sacred mountain was
recognised as a provincial-level landscape in late 2017.
According to scientific documents stored by Hoa Binh Museum, Cot
Co (flagpole) cave is an archaeological relic belonging to the Stone Age in the
Hoa Binh Culture dating back from 30,000 to 11,000 years.
The legend has it that a feng shui master in the region, as
witnessing the poverty and difficulties facing locals, told people to find an
outstanding couple to become their leaders to expand their area.
The locals then found Tung, a man with extraordinary strength, and
his wife, a beautiful and resourceful woman, to lead them in building Muong
area. Under guidelines of the feng shui master, Tung and his wife directed
local people to build dams blocking Da River’s water, thus expanding farming
areas.
As they were building the dams, Tung, stronger and quicker, left
his wife behind when Sat, a muscular man from the nearby region went by. Enchanted
by the woman’s beauty, Sat kidnapped her and ran away. Tung chased Sat through
many mountains and hills to save his wife until he sunk into the mud and did
not able to get out. Tung desperately threw soil and rock into Sat, but in
vain. The soil and rock then became high mountains spanning Hoa Binh province
to Thanh Hoa province. After he died, Tung turned into a mountain standing in
the middle of a massive field. People called it Tung Mount (Khu Doi). Viewing
from far away, the mountain looks like a flagpole, thus locals also called it
Muong Bi Flagpole.
Boasting a mystical beauty with cultural, historical and spiritual values, Cot
Co Mountain has become an attractive tourist site. Visiting the site, tourists
can offer incense at a small temple. Those who like adventure can climb to the
top of the mountain where they enjoy the happiness of finishing an "unconquerable”
road, and seeing the scenery like a fairyland. The first thing that tourists
feel here is fresh air and the sound of mountain wind blowing through leaf
canopies. For those who cannot reach the top, visiting caves at the foot of the
mountain such as Nuoc, Cot Co Mountain (Chang Choanl), Cui and Ang Ca is also an
option../.
In the first 9 months of 2024, Hoa Binh province continues to implement the expanded tourism development cooperation program plan of 8 Northwest provinces with Ho Chi Minh City; deploying digital transformation content in tourism and developing a smart tourism province. Hoa Binh province received about 3.6 million views, an increase of 7.9% over the same period. In which, international visitors are about 380 visitors, domestic visitors are estimated at 3 million 220 visitors.
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.
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