Unite to preserve the cultural "soul", help Lai Chau tourism fly high

Located in the middle of the Northwest, Lai Chau is not only blessed with majestic natural scenery, but is also a place where 20...

From the bustling sound of the Hmong people's panpipes on the rocky slopes of the Cat Ear Mountains, the charming Xoe dance of the Thai people along the Nam Mu River, to the Then Kin Pang, Gau Tao, Praying for Rain, and Nang Han festivals... each traditional cultural feature carries the breath of Lai Chau's land and sky, reflecting the rich spiritual life, beliefs, and philosophy of living close to nature of the people. Traditional costumes with meticulously hand-embroidered patterns, rustic folk songs, language, writing, customs, beliefs, cuisine, music , and traditional crafts such as brocade weaving, bronze casting, and panpipe making... are still preserved by the people in the border areas of the Fatherland through each generation.

Fully aware of the role of cultural heritage in sustainable development, Lai Chau has implemented many practical policies and action programs. Conservation work associated with community tourism development is becoming an effective direction. Tourist villages such as Sin Suoi Ho (Phong Tho), Si Thau Chai (Tam Duong), Pa Khom Bay, Pha Mu commune (Than Uyen) ... are increasingly known by domestic and foreign tourists as "living museums" of ethnic culture. There, visitors can not only admire the pristine scenery but also experience the indigenous cultural life, from cuisine , activities, to festivals, and traditional crafts.

Visit Sin Suoi Ho village, Sin Suoi Ho commune (Phong Tho district) - one of the famous community tourism villages of Lai Chau in particular, the Northwest region in general. From a poor highland village, a focus of drug abuse, today, Sin Suoi Ho village has become an ASEAN community tourism village, welcoming over 20,000 domestic and international visitors each year to visit and experience the culture. Mr. Vang A Chinh - Head of Sin Suoi Ho village excitedly said: the achievements today are the attention of the Party, the State, all levels and sectors in the province. Above all, it is the solidarity of nearly 160 households in the village to preserve the "soul" of the nation to develop tourism. Currently, the village has 37 households and 2 cooperatives participating in tourism with homestay services, restaurants, entertainment and recreation. Many families have high incomes of hundreds of millions of VND from tourism. In particular, the cultural identity of our Mong ethnic group is spread and reaches out to the world .

Typical festivals include Gau Tao of the Mong ethnic group and Then Kin Pang of the Thai people, which have been raised to the provincial level. Festivals such as Xoè Chieng, Nang Han, Kin lau khau mau, Han Khuong, Min Loong Phat, Mung com moi... are held annually by localities. Through these festivals, the cultural beauty of ethnic groups is honored and promoted, while also arousing the pride and sense of responsibility of each citizen in preserving and promoting cultural identity in the new era.

Thanks to the spirit of solidarity, community tourism villages in Lai Chau are no longer developing separately but have become connected, exchanging experiences, supporting each other in preserving festivals, ancient house architecture, folk games, etc., creating unique features for each village, but still blending into the colorful cultural picture of Lai Chau.

With rich cultural resources such as costumes, house architecture, folk songs, folk dances, traditional crafts, cuisine, folk knowledge, etc., Lai Chau province identifies tourism development associated with cultural preservation as a strategic direction, contributing to bringing a new look to the homeland in the border region.

The unique cultural values ​​of ethnic groups must become a resource for socio-economic development, especially tourism development. Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural identities of ethnic groups is the core to build a sustainable tourism environment, creating unique and attractive tourism products, aiming to improve the quality and competitiveness of Lai Chau tourism.

In order for Resolution No. 04 to be highly effective, the Provincial Party Committee issued Plan No. 24-KH/TU dated March 19, 2021, leading and directing the dissemination, study, propaganda, and implementation of specialized resolutions, projects, and conclusions of the 14th Provincial Party Committee; The Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 59/2021/NQ-HDND dated December 10, 2021 promulgating a number of policies to support the preservation and promotion of fine traditional cultural identities of ethnic groups associated with tourism development in the province for the period 2021-2025; The Provincial People's Committee issued 30 decisions and plans to implement Resolution No. 04.

On that basis, the Department of Culture closely coordinates with local Party committees and authorities to proactively and flexibly implement many policies to support ethnic minorities in accordance with the actual situation. In particular, the focus is on investing in tourism infrastructure, organizing training courses on community tourism skills, and building tourism products associated with festivals, cuisine, and traditional crafts. In particular, arousing the role of the people in preserving and promoting cultural values ​​- this is considered a decisive factor for success.

From 2022 to present, with resources from Resolution 59/2021/NQ-HDND, local budgets, the whole province has supported the restoration of 11 traditional festivals of ethnic groups, maintaining the organization of over 35 festivals/year; organizing nearly 30 classes on cuisine, costume shaping techniques, folk performing arts, traditional crafts. Supporting hundreds of households in villages to renovate and repair houses according to traditional house architecture and build new toilets for households doing homestay. Supporting the construction of lighting systems along internal roads, walking paths at Vang Pheo, San Thang, Sin Suoi Ho, Tham village, Si Thau Chai tourist sites; supporting nearly 100 people to participate in tourism vocational training classes, tourism professional training, etc.

Thanks to the attention of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, all levels, sectors and localities, the ethnic minorities in Lai Chau have turned indigenous cultural values ​​into a strong internal resource in tourism development. Up to now, the whole province has 20 community tourism villages of the ethnic minorities: Thai, Mong, Dao, Kho Mu, Giay. From Sin Suoi Ho, Vang Pheo to Si Thau Chai, Ban Tham or San Thang, Ban Tham Phe - the once quiet villages have now become famous tourist destinations, attracting domestic and foreign tourists. It is not something too noble and luxurious that the people here together preserve their lifestyle, customs and culture to do tourism, which is considered a "contract" of solidarity and national pride.

Paulo Dias - Australian tourist shared: I really like the villages in Lai Chau. The scenery is so beautiful, the air is cool and fresh. Especially the culture is very unique, the food is delicious, there are ethnic girls wearing very beautiful costumes, hospitable.

Developing tourism on a cultural basis, Lai Chau is gradually asserting its position on the Northwest tourism map and Vietnam tourism map. The proof is that the number of tourists increasing in the period 2021 - 2025 in the whole province is quite high.

From a little-known border area, today Lai Chau is an ideal destination for domestic and international tourists. It can be seen that when each person becomes a "cultural ambassador", "tourism ambassador", each village becomes a unique story full of attraction and charm, the journey of tourism in Lai Chau is not only about discovery but also a connection between people and culture, between the past and the future. With the message "Lai Chau - come to love", the ethnic people are making efforts with the endogenous strength of culture, turning the impossible into possible, turning difficult into easy for Lai Chau tourism to take off and grow in the new era.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/chinh-tri/doan-ket-giu-gin-hon-cot-van-hoa-chap-canh-du-lich-lai-chau-bay-cao-599136