(HBO) - Covering more than 6,000 ha, Thuong Tien Nature Reserve spreads across the three communes of Kim Tien, Thuong Tien (Kim Boi district), and Quy Hoa (Lac Son district). Thuong Tien commune lies in a core zone of more than 5,000 ha. Khu hamlet, inhabited by the Muong ethnic group, has the largest wild forested area in the province.
Thuong Tien Nature Reserve with Khu stream.
The distance from the
headquarters of the People’s Committee of Thuong Tien commune to Khu hamlet is
over 5 km. After half an hour of travel, the hamlet appears amongst the green
terraced fields. From Khu hamlet, we started our journey exploring Thuong Tien Nature
Reserve. Lined along both sides of the road are majestic, old trees – most of which
would take two or three people to wrap their arms around the base.
An hour later, we were about 2 km deep into the
forest and found a large rocky area with huge stones. This was the Khu stream. It
is interesting to note that many parts of the area have quite flat sand banks,
suitable for camping or putting up a tent to stay overnight. There are also
some sections of the stream blocked by large stones, creating deep rock pools
which are dozens of square metres wide. Local people have come to describe them
as natural pools in the forest.
Despite her exhaustion, Bui Kim Thanh from Ha Bi commune (Kim Boi) said she was
very impressed with this experience.She said: "This is the first time I’ve been
to the Thuong Tien Nature Reserve. I am impressed by its stunning scenery with
a beautiful stream in the middle of the primeval forest. Once it receives proper
investment, the reserve will undoubtedly become an attractive tourism spot.”
We
stopped at a flat rocky area near Khu stream, with ancient trees lining the two
banks. The water is so clear that the riverbed can be seen from above. We had the
chance to enjoy grilled fish, grilled chicken, and some jungle-grown vegetables.
We did not need to bring along chopsticks, spoons, or cups for drinking wine
with as these were all sourced by finding nature’s crockery solutions in the
forest.
We had a talk with some of the local residents who expressed their hope that
the reserve will soon become a tourism site, helping to alleviate poverty in
the area.
Bui
Thi Hai, Secretary of the Thuong Tien commune youth union said: "Many people
have visited and explored the primitive
and stunning beauty of the Thuong Tien Nature Reserve. People living in the
commune have faced a range of difficulties as they completely rely on
agriculture with low earnings. Therefore, tourism development would help them
raise their incomes and living standards.”
The
Hoa Binh provincial People’s Committee aims to develop tourism at the Thuong
Tien Nature Reserve. Currently, the commune is making efforts to restore and
develop local specialties, preserve and promote the traditional culture of the
Muong ethnic group, and continue to coordinate with the management board of the
reserve to improve works in forest protection.
Nguyen
Ngoc Thuy, Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Thuong Tien commune said: "The
provincial People’s Committee has plans to develop tourism at the reserve.
Thuong Tien commune is working hard to restore and develop local specialties,
preserve and promote traditional culture of Muong people, and better forest
protection works.”
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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