Vietnam’s Archaeology Sites:Destination for Community Tourism

 

Presently, first priority for tours of community tourism focuses on familiar sites such as Sin Chai, Ba Be Lake, Ben En National Park, Hue ancient city, or nearer, to the villages of Bat Trang pottery and Van Phuc silk, home stay tours in Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Ban Lac or Giang Mo (Hoa Binh). Community tourism is successful when it meets two criteria: exploiting local cultural value and generating jobs, thus improving living conditions of the community at the tourist site.

 

Viet Hai commune located deep in the valley of Cat Ba National Park (Cat Ba Island) has become a site for community tourism. Its typical feature is mountainous area at the seaside with farms raising boars, porcupines, weasels and geckos, along with the protection of rare species as well as development fisheries, food crops and medical herbs. Houses are built in traditional Vietnamese style with comfortable facilities for home stay. Local people serve as experienced tour guides in visiting mountain caves, hiring bicycle and motorbike taxis, and introducing local gastronomy. Farming economy, fisheries and tourism have greatly improved the living conditions of the people in Viet Hai village.

 

Ms Nguyen Thi Lien, PhD in archaeology, believes that local people play an important role in archaeology development and it is truly community archaeology. When her team excavated ancient wooden pillars in Bach Dang River, local people including old folks participated voluntarily in the work. They provided several legends and songs relating to historic battles in Bach Dang River and helped her team to protect the artefacts.

 

Dr Lien said that if archaeology is confined only in a limited sector without the participation and protection of the people, archaeology sites will be quickly devastated.

 

Speaking at the International Seminar on Archaeology held in Thanh Hoa on December 21, Dr Nguyen Giang Hai, Secretary General of Vietnam Archaeology Association, said that community archaeology serves the interest the local people first of all, and encourages their participation in the protection and promotion of archaeological value with the guidance of related authorities and experts.

 

Mr Doan Van Phu, Deputy Director of Thanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that historical and cultural value of archaeology will promote local handicraft, protect and develop local traditions, culture and festivities - main products of community tourism.

 

Vietnam, with tens of thousands of archaeology sites dating from the pre-historical era to the present, has great potential to develop community tourism at archaeology sites. Many Vietnamese cultural heritages have been recognized by UNESCO. They are archaeology sites or closely related to archaeology, such as Hue ancient royal capital, My Son Holy Land, Hoi An ancient town, Ha Long Bay, Thang Long Imperial Centre (Hanoi) and very soon Ho Citadel, 82 stone steles at Literature Temple. Those sites can strongly attract tourists who love Vietnamese history and culture.

 

Dr Rasmi Shoocongdep (Thailand), an expert in this field, cited the convincing example of community tourism in Pang Mapha Highland (Thailand). She said that most archaeology sites in the highland are ancient tombs, Stone Age sites and ruins. Lahu ethnic people in Jabo village believe in God at the tombs. Their belief has deeply influenced their community and education, and created a new outlook on archaeology. As a result, Pang Mapha has become an attractive tourist site, and the local people take pride in it and protect it.

 

It is also equally interesting if tourists can get into underground tunnels built during the war and understand the hardship of the war time, instead of seeing the models at some museum. Likewise, My Son Holy Land attracts tourists with its sandstone statues and brick towers built a thousand years ago. They will be introduced to the religion and customs of Cham people, and the discovery and preservation of the Holy Land.

 

In addition to nature, culture and history, Vietnamese archaeology sites are a fresh attraction for community tourism. As Secretary General of Vietnam’s UNESCO National Committee, Mr Pham Sanh Chau has participated in compiling documents submitted to UNESCO and presenting them successfully to the UNESCO Heritage Council. He also helped several localities with projects to preserve the value of heritages and develop archaeology and community tourism. He emphasized that to combine archaeology with community tourism, it is necessary to give first priority to the protection of heritage to ensure sustainable tourism development.