Ke hamlet, Hien Luong commune, is next to Hoa Binh Lake, which boasts a poetic natural landscape. In the rainy season, the water creates breathtaking waterfalls. The hamlet has 85 Muong ethnic households. It is an interesting destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

Dinh Quy Huu, from one of the three families providing homestay services in Ke commune said foreign visitors mainly come from France, Sweden, Japan and the Republic of Korea, while domestic tourists are mostly young people. Tourists want to learn about local customs. Besides tasting traditional specialties such as "ga doi” (chicken), "ca ho” (fish), "mang chua” (sour bamboo shoots), "ruou can” and "ruou hoang” (wine), visitors can join farming activities, as well as cook rice, fish, dance, cycle around the hamlet, swim, and stroll. Visitors love walking from Ke hamlet to Ngu and Mai hamlets in Hien Luong commune, crossing Bieu mountain to Sung hamlet in Cao Son commune – where the Dao ethnic minority people live. These tourism activities have helped residents increase their income and have improved their awareness of preserving culture and protecting the environment.

Head of the culture and sport division Nguyen Van Hien said Da Bac district has welcomed many foreign tourists to learn about lives of local people. The Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific (AFAP) has boosted Da Bac tourism. The foundation supported and trained some households in homestay tourism at Ke and Da Bia hamlets. The district’s People’s Committee has implemented policies to support the development of community-based tourism. The district has developed more than 10 households to provide community tourism. The AFAP also plans to assist two families in Sung hamlet in Cao Son commune to upgrade their houses, clean the environment, and provide community tourism services. The foundation has also worked with one Asian travel company to bring four delegations of tourists to Sung hamlet in July. It plans to invite 2,000-2,500 foreign visitors annually to learn about the Dao ethnic people in Cao Son commune. Da Bac district is building a resolution on tourism development through 2030 as part of Hoa Binh Lake being developed into a national tourist site. The district will also take advantage of assistance from the province and organisations to step up popularisation of tourism potential, and implement policies to help businesses to develop tourism, especially eco-tourism, resort tourism, and discovery tourism. A positive sign is that many enterprises have conducted surveys to build tourism products./.

                                                                                                      By Lê Chung