Dao Tien boy speaks broken English, welcomes Western guests with something special

Although he is not fluent in English, Thanh, a Dao Tien man, still welcomes hundreds of international guests to Lung Muoi hamlet located at the bottom of Phia Oac mountain (Cao Bang).

Loved by Westerners

"I was a bit nervous when I went to the remote mountainous district of Cao Bang alone. By chance, while searching for information about accommodation and local guides, I found out about Thanh, the owner of a homestay that many tourists praised," said Kaiser Theo, a male tourist from Berlin, Germany.

"He knows every corner of the forest, mountains, caves, and beautiful wilderness. He is good at climbing, always has a bright smile, and has great cooking skills. Choosing Thanh as my companion was a wise decision," said Theo.

A German tourist came to Quang Thanh commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province to experience the nature and mountain life of Vietnam for 5 days and 4 nights. Although the tour guide was not good at English and sometimes had to "communicate using Google Translate", Theo was still very satisfied.

"I could feel his passion through his eyes and smile. It was special," Theo said.

Male tourist Kaiser Theo explored Phia Oac mountain forest with local boy Chu Tien Thanh in mid-May.

Not only Theo, but many other international tourists also commented positively about the young Dao Tien man - Chu Tien Thanh (born in 1992). Many people left comments praising Thanh on social networks after their journey to explore Nguyen Binh with him.

"When I first took guests to Cao Bang to climb mountains, visit streams, and visit forests, I could only speak a little English. I mainly communicated with them through gestures and using Google Translate. Gradually, I asked the guests themselves to teach me foreign languages.

Now, my English is still limited but I am more confident. Being introduced to my hometown makes me always happy, excited, and wholeheartedly serve tourists," said Mr. Thanh.

Mr. Thanh always welcomes visitors with a bright smile.

"Staying in the village" to do tourism to escape poverty

Mr. Thanh was born and raised in Lung Muoi, Quang Thanh commune - a peaceful but poor hamlet located at the foot of Phia Oac mountain, 1,931m above sea level. This place is more than 50km from the center of Cao Bang city.

His family, like many people in Lung Muoi, lives by growing corn and rice, self-sufficient, and life is still difficult.

As a young man who loves to explore and discover, Mr. Thanh realized that his hometown has the potential to develop tourism, attracting both domestic and international tourists. Since then, he has cherished the desire to be able to "stay in the village" to both support his parents and start a business to escape poverty right on the land where he was born.

Lung Muoi hamlet has a poetic and cool beauty.

Located in the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark area, Nguyen Binh is known for its poetic and charming landscape, many geological and geomorphological values, and a culture imbued with national identity.

There are historical revolutionary relics here such as: Tran Hung Dao Forest Special National Relic Site; Keo Quang Cave (Le Nin Cave) where Uncle Ho opened a revolutionary cadre training class; Phai Khat station; Na Ngan station; Ong Bua Temple;...

There are also hamlets like Hoai Khao that preserve the traditional culture of the Tien Dao people, from costumes, houses with yin-yang tiled roofs to traditional occupations. The Na Reo household group with its unique rammed earth house architecture demonstrates the skillful construction techniques of the Tien Dao people.

"I feel very sorry if a beautiful, culturally rich land like my hometown is not known by many people," Mr. Thanh worried.

Mr. Thanh wants to bring many tourists to visit his hometown.

In 2014, after completing his military service, Mr. Thanh traveled to many localities in the province to learn about homestay models, community tourism and practice taking guests to climb mountains, visit forests and explore caves.

In 2021, with the support of a friend with experience in homestay business, Mr. Thanh mobilized his family to contribute land and labor to build a small homestay, creating a community tourism model in Lung Muoi.

Homestay is a traditional wooden house with 4 rooms, 120m2 wide, roofed with yin-yang tiles, located in a valley, next to a babbling stream, surrounded by rolling hills.

"My budget is limited, so I will do anything I can do myself when it comes to construction and furniture," Thanh said. In his house, Thanh collects elegantly colored costumes of the Dao Tien people, carefully hanging them for decoration.

Traditional wooden house in the middle of the valley

Mr. Thanh created a fanpage, took his own photos, and wrote articles introducing the homestay, Lung Muoi, and Nguyen Binh. "At first, not many people paid attention to the fanpage, and I was very impatient. Luckily, with the support of a friend, I gradually connected with tourists.

My husband and I welcome guests with simplicity and sincerity. We clean, cook, and take guests to explore Phia Oac, Phia Den, and visit Hoai Khao... I don't consider myself a tour guide but rather a local, telling stories about my hometown with love and pride," Thanh shared.

Mr. Thanh also impressed many tourists with his cooking ability. Black pork, local chicken, stream fish, and wild vegetables were processed into attractive dishes with the typical culinary flavors of the Tien Dao people.

Meals prepared by Mr. Thanh to serve tourists

"The busiest season is from January to May, when tourists can go to the forest, bathe in the stream, or from August to September, when the rice is ripe. When winter comes, Phia Oac can be covered in ice, which is when many domestic tourists come. Currently, I mainly use online applications to introduce and sell accommodation," he said.

During the off-peak hours, Mr. Thanh goes to other homestays to study and improve his knowledge of welcoming and serving guests, making drinks, cooking...

"My homestay can accommodate about 20 guests at a time. The number of guests is not too large, but my wife and I have a stable income," said Mr. Thanh.

Mr. Thanh tries to bring rustic but new experiences to tourists.

In 2023-2024, Mr. Thanh brought the Lung Muoi Homestay Project to participate in the first Cao Bang province Innovation and Startup Competition and won an encouragement prize.

Dao Tien often connects and introduces guests to other homestays in Cao Bang, and is willing to share his tourism experience with neighbors or interested people.

"I hope that tourists will not only come to Lung Muoi and Quang Thanh once but many times and each time will have different experiences, staying at different homestays of local people," he shared.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/chang-trai-dao-tien-bap-be-tieng-anh-don-khach-tay-bang-dieu-dac-biet-2403272.html