(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./.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
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