The afternoon sun casts a shimmering light upon Ba Be Lake. Boats ply the vast, emerald-green lake, carrying tourists to admire the scenery amidst the hazy mist, with glimpses of slender Tay women in indigo dresses diligently paddling their dugout canoes back to their villages…
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| The landscape and cultural identity preserved in Ba Be (Bac Kan) attract tourists . |
Around the lake, the villages of Pac Ngoi, Bo Lu, Coc Toc, Ban Cam… in Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district (Bac Kan province) are developing community-based ecotourism, including homestays and farmstays, with the active participation of local people to ensure sustainable livelihoods while preserving the local identity and traditional cultural values. According to geologists, Ba Be Lake was formed nearly 200 million years ago by a major geological upheaval that caused the subsidence of limestone mountain ranges. The lake is surrounded by limestone mountains interspersed with ancient sandstone and primeval forests, creating spectacular landscapes with unique geological and land structures. Ba Be Lake was recognized by the World Freshwater Lakes Conference held in the US (1995) as one of the 20 special freshwater lakes in the world that need protection.
...The morning awakens to the clucking of chickens under the stilt house and the sound of motorboats on the river. Before Pac Ngoi village flows the Leng River endlessly. The fields are tranquil on days when the land is resting.
Life around Ba Be Lake unfolds vividly. Men weave fishing nets, catch fish and shrimp, while women embroider, make cakes, plant corn and rice, and grow vegetables and sweet sugarcane. The alluvial soil of the Leng River nourishes the vegetation year-round. Following the image of people in indigo shirts paddling dugout canoes on Ba Be Lake, we followed Ms. Hua Thi Tham to Ngoc Trinh Homestay – her family's home. The family owns more than four rice paddies. In previous years, their economy relied entirely on rice farming, corn planting, and raising chickens and pigs, yielding meager income. However, since 2018 – when they started the homestay tourism model – the family has had a stable and gradually prosperous income. Besides providing accommodation and meals for guests, the family also caters to tourists' needs for cultural exchange, bonfires, and experiences of local life and work (such as brewing rượu (rice wine), fishing, paddling dugout canoes, making sticky rice cakes, plowing, cultivating corn, and harvesting rice).
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| Foreign tourists trekking in Ba Be National Park. |
Sitting by the warm, glowing fire in the middle of the house, Mrs. Tham stirred the embers to bake sticky rice cakes with gac fruit, offering them to us. The cakes were bright red and delicious. She explained that on days when there were no guests, the family shared the work in the fields, gathered firewood, and caught fish and shrimp; in the evenings, they helped their children with their homework, and then quickly roasted sticky rice to make "banh khao" and "banh troi." On days when the house welcomed tourists, the family members voluntarily arranged their work to provide the best possible service.
There are days when she leads groups of foreign tourists on trekking trips of about 25-30 km through various routes to the villages of the Dao and Mong ethnic groups and the Ba Be National Park area. The journey always begins in the morning when the plants are still covered in dew and continues until the sun sets. Thanks to homestay tourism, her family has learned a lot of new things, and life has become more interesting as they interact with tourists from different regions of the country and internationally.
Along the road from Pac Ngoi village to Bo Lu village, construction is progressing rapidly, making travel by car or motorbike more convenient and safer. Bo Lu village also boasts many beautiful views overlooking Ba Be Lake. Houses nestle at the foot of the mountain, facing the flat fields and the vast lake. Quynh Mai Homestay, owned by Ms. Dam Quynh Mai's family in Bo Lu village, is a 3-star OCOP-certified property with two two-story stilt houses that can accommodate 70 guests at a time. She says that on average, they welcome about 1,700 guests annually, in addition to two motorboats transporting tourists, generating an income of approximately 200 million VND per year. Furthermore, Ms. Mai's family cultivates 3,000 square meters of agricultural land annually, providing enough rice for the family and tourists. Within the planned area, there is a flower garden and traditional games area covering about 6,000 square meters to create additional recreational spaces for visitors. Ms. Mai shared: “We collaborate with local tourism groups such as performing arts troupes, boat groups that take tourists on tours, and tour guide groups to share benefits and ensure the best possible service for tourists. At the same time, we always prioritize using local agricultural products and produce to prepare meals for tourists and utilize natural materials in designing the rooms and homestay grounds.”
Along with opening homestay services to cater to the needs of tourists exploring the scenic spots around the lake, the locals still maintain traditional crafts such as weaving fishing nets, making bamboo baskets, and sewing traditional clothing and accessories of the local ethnic groups. With the desire to preserve and continue the traditions of her ethnic group, every day, Ms. Phung Thi Tuyen in Bo Lu village, Nam Mau commune, meticulously sews characteristic ethnic products such as Tay clothing, cloth hats, traditional balls, bags, wallets, and other handcrafted items to introduce and sell to visitors. The charming little cafe called "Nang Ban" is an ideal "check-in" spot for many tourists thanks to its minimalist, cozy wooden design and airy space overlooking the vast lake, creating a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere for visitors.
The family of Mr. Ngon Van Son – Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Mau commune – in Pac Ngoi village is the first homestay business welcoming foreign tourists in the area. With the advantage of being able to communicate in two foreign languages, English and French, Mr. Son also acts as a tour guide for foreign tourists, easily absorbing valuable experience in the homestay tourism business model. He once spent 24 days in France and participated in a workshop on the farmer-led tourism model organized by the Accueil Paysan Association. Therefore, he has many new and unique ideas about the homestay tourism model, with the motto of integration, but not assimilation. According to Mr. Son, the image of stilt houses in villages along the lake and the traditional cultural beauty passed down through generations are always the key to the success and development of homestay tourism.
After dinner, the atmosphere of Mr. Son's family's well-designed and clean stilt house became even warmer with the singing and chatting of the foreign tourists. During their Vietnam tour, Ms. Lilean (a Dutch tourist) and her group stopped at Ba Be Lake on day 21: “A wonderful land and climate made our trip so inspiring and energizing. The locals are friendly, and they prepare delicious food. Ba Be Lake is beautiful and captivating, but exploring it completely requires a lot of time. We really want to return here again.” For Mr. Tao Gia San, an international tour guide, it is the natural beauty, the rustic charm, and the innocent nature of the land and people around Ba Be Lake that attract and retain tourists. Having led many tour groups to Ba Be over the years, what impresses him most and remains in his mind is the hospitality and kindness of the local people.
Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district, currently has a total of 58 accommodation establishments, including 43 stilt houses and two 3-star OCOP-certified homestays. There are also 142 boats serving tourists visiting Ba Be Lake, along with 10 performing arts groups. According to statistics from the People's Committee of Nam Mau commune, in 2023, the number of tourists staying in the commune was 12,000, including 6,690 international visitors. Four community tourism groups are operating effectively in the villages of Bo Lu, Coc Toc, Pac Ngoi, and Ban Cam. In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), the locality has planned preparations for the largest Ba Be Lake festival of the year in Bo Lu village.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/bat-ngat-xanh-vung-ho-ba-be-post795197.html
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