Bringing culture closer to tourists.

Bringing culture closer to tourists.

Driven by love and respect for traditional culture, some people from Binh Dinh have brought traditional cultural products closer to tourists through business models; others quietly sow small seeds to continue the journey of promoting their homeland to friends around the world.

Streetside Stories of Culture

At Tree Hugger homestay and cafe (05A Hai Ba Trung Street, Quy Nhon City), the traditional culture of ethnic minorities is "retold" in a unique, profound, yet intimate way. As a former member of the GIZ component (Phong Nha - Ke Bang Regional Project, Quang Binh Province), Mr. Bui Quang Thinh (from Binh Dinh) recognized the meticulous craftsmanship and uniqueness of the products made by ethnic minorities. From there, he decided to connect with traditional craft villages and build a space combining a cafe and product display called Tree Hugger, aiming to introduce and promote traditional values ​​in Dong Hoi City (Quang Binh).

In 2023, Tree Hugger launched in Quy Nhon City, attracting many local and foreign visitors. Here, customers can enjoy coffee while listening to stories told through handcrafted products such as clothing, woven baskets, carrying bags, wallets, pottery, and decorative items from ethnic minority villages like the Hmong, Dao, Thai, and Co Tu. This is also how Mr. Thinh designed and decorated his homestay.

Ms. Tran Le Thu Hien, representative of Tree Hugger, shared: "To accurately convey the spirit and identity of each ethnic group, we spent a lot of time researching, selecting, and arranging each product as a way of telling the story of that ethnic group. Through the basic information provided, customers can learn more about the culture and origin of each item. We hope that these small actions will contribute to preserving and spreading traditional cultural values, and at the same time contribute to the journey of building a sustainable society."

Tour guide Tran Thi Nhu Thuong enthusiastically performs traditional folk songs (bai choi) for locals and tourists, using this time to hone her skills. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Contributing to the spread of Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game).

Starting his career as a tour guide in 2009, Le Van Anh (a freelance tour guide in Quy Nhon City) also embarked on a journey to explore his homeland more deeply. To solidify his profession, he collected books and newspapers; proactively divided routes into regions to research and understand the distinctive culture through historical figures, traditional crafts, etc.; and recorded tourists' questions for reference, learning, and improving his local knowledge.

In 2018, he initiated a training program on performing Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game) for tour guides.

The class initially had only a few people, but later grew to about 40 students. The idea came to him when he was leading a group past a traditional Vietnamese folk singing performance area in Nguyen Tat Thanh Square (Quy Nhon City) and was unexpectedly asked to sing a line.

Tour guide Le Van Anh shared: "I think that if I, with my many years of experience, am still confused, then young people might also encounter similar situations. Therefore, I sought out artisan Hoang Viet, and fortunately, he wholeheartedly taught me without charging any tuition fees. In 2019-2020, I continued to invite artisan Hoang Viet to conduct training classes on Bai Choi for tour guides. My hope is that when tourists ask for something as simple as listening to Bai Choi chants, the tour guides will be able to chant confidently and vividly."

Also a tour guide, Ms. Tran Thi Nhu Thuong (born in 1993, Tuy Phuoc district) regularly practices and participates in folk Bai Choi singing activities in her locality. To learn Bai Choi, she sought out artisans Nguyen Phu, Minh Duc, Hong Dieu, and Dieu Thien to obtain materials, learn more melodies, rhythms, and verses; and participated in Bai Choi training courses organized by the Provincial Cultural Center in 2022 and 2023. At the Tuy Phuoc District Folk Bai Choi Club Festival in 2024, she won third prize.

The videos of her singing Bài Chòi that she posted on her personal Facebook page not only attracted a large number of viewers, but also drew many admiring comments, with people jokingly saying, "Girls from Nẫu region sing Bài Chòi so beautifully it touches the heart."

Ms. Nhu Thuong shared: "When welcoming tourists to Binh Dinh, the first thing I'm always proud to introduce is the art of Bai Choi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game). However, no matter how good the introduction, it can't fully convey the beauty and charm of Bai Choi. Therefore, I'm determined to learn it. Then, I can confidently tell stories about my homeland with all the heart of a daughter of Binh Dinh."

HUYNH VY

Source: https://baobinhdinh.vn/viewer.aspx?macm=18&macmp=18&mabb=353949