With a rich history of traditional culture, ethnic groups in Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province still retain their own cultural identity values such as dialect languages, traditional festivals, costumes, among others. These are favourable conditions for the locals to preserve, conserve and promote traditional cultural values while building attractive and diverse tourism products to attract tourists and bolster local socio-economic development.
Tourists in costumes of Dao ethnic people in Cao Son
commune, Da Bac district.
Sung hamlet, Cao Son commune is one of hamlets that keeps almost intact the
lifestyle, customs, and cultural identity of local Dao Tien ethnic group in Da
Bac. Dialect language, food and handicraft trades have been preserved and
maintained in their daily life.
Since tourism has been promoted in the locality, local Dao ethnic people have
selected some handicraft trades to develop them into tourism products such as
brocade weaving.
Residents in Sung hamlet have invested in building a spacious hamlet while
maintaining a clean landscape and environment over the years. Homestays are
well-invested, and more services have been introduced to meet the sightseeing
and relaxation demand of tourists.
In recent times, the hamlet has restored the craft of making Do paper, helping
tourists to learn and understand about the trade while contributing to
increasing incomes for local ethnic residents.
In addition, folk dances, such as bell, sword and lantern dances, and some
unique rites in ritual ceremonies or the use of khen (panpipe) music
instrument, among others have been added in art programmes to serve tourists.
Ban Kim Quy, Vice Chairman of the Da Bac District People's Committee, said
thanks to the promotion of traditional folk materials, art performances have
received warm response from tourists. Community-based tourism has been formed
and developed, attracting many tourists every year, contributing to poverty
reduction, and improving the locals' life.
In community-based tourism sites in the district, in addtion to promoting
traditional materials to develop tourism products, more attention has been paid
to the practice ofcultural heritage in the community toward sustainable
tourism development.
National cultural identity has become resources for community-based tourism
development. On the contrary, the more tourism develops, the more people are
encouraged to preserve their traditional cultural heritage, she added.
Hoa Binh has taken measures, focusing on removing barriers in terms of mechanism, policy, infrastructure, and upgrading technical infrastructure facilities serving tourism and the quality of human resources, to promote tourism development in the Hoa Binh Lake area.
Over the past time, Da Bac has deployed measures to lure more domestic and foreign visitors to the locality, aiming to turn tourism into the district’s economic spearhead.
Covering an area of over 52,000 hectares spanning districts of Mai Chau, Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Da Bac, and Hoa Binh City, Hoa Binh lake has strong potential for tourism development. In recent years, thanks to the attention of local Party Committees and authorities as well as support from international organisations, the advantages of tourism in the lake area have been utilised.
Mai Chau is a mountainous district and home to many ethnic groups such as Thai, Muong, Kinh, Mong, Dao, and Tay with distinctive cultural identities, creating a diverse and unique cultural treasure. Aware of its advantages, the district has paid attention to the preservation and promotion of ethnic groups’ cultural values so that culture will become a leverage for tourism and contribute to socio-economic development and life quality improvement.
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