Ha Giang province is famous for its rock plateau, the climax being Dong Van Karst Plateau, and mountains, jungles, caves, rivers and streams with dense flora and fauna systems. The first impression on visitors is its grandiose nature which is the abode of colourful ethnic groups. Each village of local peoples like H'mong, Tay, Nung, Lo Lo, Dao, Muong, Pa Then and Thai has its own history and culture.
Now, many tourists choose Ha Giang for journeys to pristine nature and to discover unique traditional cultural values. The number of visitors to Ha Giang has increased dramatically in the last two years. According to statistics from tourism authorities, 32,000 domestic and foreign visitors came to Ha Giang rock plateau from 2010 through 2011. Tourism revenues topped VND280 billion, nearly trebling the amount in the 2009 - 2010 period.
These figures are quite significant for a province rated the poorest in the country. The priority given to the development of community and eco-tourism sites certainly contributed to tourism development, job creation and increased income for local people.
At the end of last year, Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ha Giang was recognised as a Global Geopark by UNESCO. The successful construction of the first geopark in Vietnam will help conserve the natural heritage and cultural diversity of 17 ethnic groups living along this border strip. This model - combining geopark construction with poverty reduction - is unprecedented in the world.
Rarely any other places on the planet have towering mountains, steep cliffs and winding streams as spectacular Dong Van Karst Plateau. Immense nature with primeval forests, lush vegetations and majestic limestone holds numerous mysteries about characteristic animals and plants for visitors to discover. Mountain climbing, forest passing, river crossing and waterfall passing are fascinating to both domestic and international visitors.
Apart from the names that make Ha Giang known far and wide like Quan Ba, PhoBang, Pho Cao and Lung Cu heaven gates, you can also conquer towering Ma Pi Leng and Meo Vac peaks. You will never forget the feeling when you are going on the road covered by clouds and mists and on a grey rock forest. When you go on Hanh Phuc (Happiness) Road to Tay Con Linh, you can try a breathtaking feeling by looking down to the Nho Que River on the foot of the mountain.
With 22 peoples living together, Ha Giang still preserves enchanting unique characters of multi-ethnic cultures. Mong people, who live on high mountains, account for 32 percent of population. They wear garish brocade dress and perform enchanting dances in khen (a kind of flute) rhythm. Mong people live in low earth-walled houses enclosed by rock fences on high cloud-covered mountains. The Tay, Nung, Dao and other ethnic groups dwell on high mountains in the west. They live in beautiful houses on stilts and cultivate dreamlike terraced fields which generate endless themes of composition for both professional and amateur photographers.
Traditional cultural festivals are diverse in Ha Giang. Typical rituals include first birthday ceremony for a child, new house rite, new rice rite, ghost rite of the Mong people, fire dance festival of Pa Then people, funeral of Lo Lo people, love market days, and folk singing contests. If you go to market here, drink maize wine and try local foods, you will feel the joy and happiness of people here although most of them are living in hardship.
Ha Giang has also introduced its tourism development strategy, highlighting the formation of community tourism-based cultural villages where ethnic minorities live. Activities of cultural tourist villages include cultural exchange, arts performance, customs introduction, traditions and festivals of local ethnic groups. These activities are open to visitors. Since the start of 2012, with the desire of conserving and preserving local cultural identities, utilising tourism potentials, creating jobs and increasing incomes for the people, Ha Giang decided to build a model of combining cultural tourism villages with new countryside construction.
Ha Giang has also introduced its tourism development strategy, highlighting the formation of community tourism-based cultural villages where ethnic minorities live. Activities of cultural tourist villages include cultural exchange, arts performance, customs introduction, traditions and festivals of local ethnic groups. These activities are open to visitors. Since the start of 2012, with the desire of conserving and preserving local cultural identities, utilising tourism potentials, creating jobs and increasing incomes for the people, Ha Giang decided to build a model of combining cultural tourism villages with new countryside construction.
By participating in community tourism, a family can earn up to VND10-20 million a year - a very big value for highlanders. However, not many people have joined tourism business due to lack of popularity. Ha Giang previously did not succeed in building 29 cultural villages. This lesson proves that the success of a cultural village depends on its own attractions: lying near tourism centres, being places of interest, lying on tourism routes and carrying unique identities. A cultural village cannot attract visitors if it lies far from tourism routes because they will not travel a long distance to see some traditional items.
Environment and cultural identity must be preserved. Road asphalting also drains unique upland traffic characterised by its closeness to nature. According to surveys by the World Tourism Organisation, more than 80 percent of travellers want to experience unique and distinct cultural values.
What decides the success of community tourism model is the benefit of the people. Then, cultural villages will be made more attractive and preserved.
Vietnamese
