Preserving Cultural Value for Community Tourism

New tourism market, cultural products and primitive tourism are comparative advantages of community tourism. Beginning in Hoa Binh province over a decade, community tourism has brought economic benefits for the local people.

 

At a week-end, we decided to visit Giang Mo hamlet, Binh Thanh commune, Cao Phong district. We witnessed a group of foreign tourists attentively seeking information on custom and daily life of the local people. Mr Tran Thai Tuan, tourist guide of Phuong Bac Travel Agency, said that foreign tourists prefer visiting remote hamlets of ethnic minorities with wilderness and primitive customs untouched by modern life. Giang Mo hamlet is such a destination.

12 km away from Hoa Binh down town, Giang Mo is safe from noisy life of the city. With picturesque landscape, Giang Mo is an ideal stop-over for those who seek a moment of peaceful life. The hamlet lies deep in a small valley, modestly hides itself in the greenery of mountains and terraced fields. The special attraction is the stilt houses of Muong ethnic people. Nearly 100 stilt houses were kept intact together with water drainage, rice processing tools, hunting bows, farming practice, festivals and customs of ethnic minorities.

At Giang Mo, tourists can stroll freely in the greenery and quietness of the hamlet and drop in a house to chat with the owner to understand the culture, interior decoration and daily practice of the local people. Muong girls in traditional costumes will introduce their handicraft, attires, brocade, scarves, bags, musical instruments and farming tools. If staying overnight, visitors can attend cultural performances with music and songs of Muong culture.

 

 For gastronomy, visitors can try sticky rice, black rice, pork meat on banana leaves, mountain fish and unforgettable Can fermented vodka. In the serenity and wilderness, tourists can enjoy the best of their visit.

 

Mai Chau is the first district of the province to exploit ecological and cultural potentials and develop community tourism. In early 1990s, tourists could visit only two hamlets (Lac and Van) of Thai ethnic minorities. Now, nearly 10 hamlets of Mai Chau district are open for community tourism: Lac (Chieng Chau commune), Van, Pom Coong (Mai Chau town), Nhot (Na Phon commune) Xa Linh (Pa Co commune), Buoc (Sam Khoe commune), Pu Lin, Cun Pheo and Pieng Ve.

 

 According to official statistics, the province has some 50 tourist and cultural hamlets and villages. Over 30 festivals of cultural traits are organized annually such as Muong Bi Summer (Tan Lac), Tien Pagoda Festival (Lac Thuy), Hang Pagoda Festival (Yen Thuy), Bo Temple Festival (Cao Phong), New Rice Festival of Muong, Cha Chieng Festival of Thai, and traditional Tet of Hmong (Lai Chau).

 

To preserve and develop cultural values, Hoa Binh People’s Committee has issued regulations regarding cultural heritages, substantive and non-substantive. So far, over 20 cultural relics have been restored. Scientific research has been carried out on funeral rites and new rice festival of Muong, Cha Chieng festival of Thai, Cap Sac ceremony of Dao, wedding parties of Muong and Thai (Mai Chau), handicraft of Hmong (Mai Chau). Beside tourism promotion, the province has invested in restoring and building some traditional villages such as Ancient Muong Village in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district, preserving customs and life style of the local people so as to attract more visitors to community tourism.

 

According to tourism service, though started in over a decade, community tourism has become spearhead sector of the economy. It has brought benefits to the local people in direct income, much higher than that from agricultural production as well as infrastructure. It also creates jobs, promotes cultural exchanges and social consciousness on protection of cultural values. The local people are fully aware of the need to maintain their cultural traits, life style and reputation in developing community tourism. It also brings them stable and higher living conditions.

 

Mr Ngo Trong Thuoc, Head of Hoa Binh Cultural, Information and Tourism Service, said that as community tourism is developed by the local people, they must be fully conscious of their interests and be supported in capital, professionalism and legal framework to constantly develop their cultural values for tourism promotion.