Preserving identity - Exploring new avenues for development

Once, sitting in a village on the slopes of Tay Con Linh mountain, I heard the melodious sound of the Hmong flute echoing in the tranquil afternoon. Across the river, on the banks of the Lo River, I heard the gentle Tày folk songs rising from the roofs of stilt houses. These two seemingly distant melodies blended harmoniously in a land of towering mountains and a peaceful river. At that moment, I thought: if one day Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang were to share a single administrative space, wouldn't the unique identity of these places become like a multicolored tapestry, even more radiant and something to be proud of?

Preserve identity for development.

A region inhabited by many ethnic minorities is a priceless cultural treasure. The Red Dao with their coming-of-age ceremony, the Pa Then with their fire dance, the Nung with their Sli melodies, the Hmong with their khen flute music, the Tay with their Then songs, the Cao Lan with their Long Tong festival… All are like unique pieces of a puzzle.

If preserved, honored, and promoted, that identity will not only be a memory but also become a resource for socio-economic development. Culture is not just for viewing and reminiscing, but also for connecting, exchanging, and creating new values ​​in the context of integration.

Community-based tourism – awakening heritage regions.

Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang are already famous for ecotourism and community-based tourism. But when merged, a broader inter-regional tourism space will open up:

• Na Hang - Lam Binh - Bac Me: This area forms a "dry Ha Long Bay" amidst the vast forest, featuring the Gam River, a hydroelectric reservoir, Pac Ta mountain, and Khuoi Nhi waterfall.

• Dong Van Stone Plateau - Hoang Su Phi terraced rice fields - Thuong Lam valley: Connected to form a cultural and agricultural experience route in the highlands.

• The Thanh Tuyen Festival - Buckwheat Flower Festival: If coordinated effectively, this will not only attract visitors during the festival season but also create a "year-round tourism season".

Local people become the main actors in community-based tourism development. Their kitchens, food, homes, looms, rice paddies, and songs will be the products that attract tourists. Tourism is not just about selling services, but also about giving away living experiences, allowing visitors to "touch" the soul of the highlands.

Traditional craft villages - OCOP: From products to stories

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Preserving and promoting the artistic value of Then singing - Cao Bang Online NewspaperThen singing – a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity – is not only a unique folk art form of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups, but also the soul, the cultural memory, the thread connecting the past with the present, linking people to their roots. Especially in springtime, the melodies of Then singing, accompanied by the resonant sound of the tẩu (a traditional stringed instrument), sometimes passionately inviting, sometimes whispering heartfelt sentiments, paint a musical picture that is both mysterious and deeply imbued with the spirit of the borderlands.

Rap combined with Then singing in a music video commemorating the 85th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's return to Vietnam.The music video "Let's Find Our Way Back to the Source of the Water" features two young artists: Nguyen Hoang Yen and rapper Trung Hieu, combining Then singing and rap to offer a fresh perspective from Gen Z on the origins of the nation.

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When it comes to developing OCOP products, many people often think about packaging, labeling, and traceability. But the root lies in the local story.

• Shan Tuyet tea from Na Hang, Hoang Su Phi, and Xin Man is not only known for its sweet and astringent taste, but also for the "thousand-year-old tea leaves" clinging to misty mountain rocks.

• Ha Giang's mint honey is not just sweet, but also "the essence of mountain rocks and wind."

• Minh Huong duck, Ham Yen mandarin oranges, Khau Mang sticky rice, Na Hang vermicelli – each product embodies a collective memory, a cultural story.

When an OCOP product is associated with a traditional craft village and a tourism experience, its value lies not only in the product itself, but also in the memories, experiences, and trust it evokes.

Socio-economic development stemming from cultural identity.

Promoting national identity does not mean returning to the past, but rather stepping into the future from the roots of tradition.

• Economy: Community tourism, traditional crafts, and OCOP products create jobs and increase income.

• Society: Strengthening community bonds, preserving customs and traditions, and passing them on to future generations.

• Environment: Exploiting cultural and ecological resources in conjunction with conserving forests, water resources, and landscapes.

A sustainable development strategy will begin with the local people – so that they are confident that their national identity does not make them backward, but rather makes them different, outstanding, and valuable in a flat world.

United States - Vietnam: Don't miss

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Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung visits and works in Minnesota, USA.From June 28-30, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States, Nguyen Quoc Dung, paid a visit and worked in Minnesota.

Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment in high technology.On the morning of June 26th, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Mr. Jeff Place, Supply Chain Director of Coherent Group (USA). During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment, especially in high-tech, innovation, and semiconductor industries.

In conclusion, a “new tapestry”

If Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang are considered a single body, then national identity is the blood flowing through its veins. The economy can create strength, infrastructure can open up opportunities, but culture and identity are the soul that keeps the land vibrant and allows for profound development.

It is believed that with each woven piece of brocade fabric, each Then song, each flute melody, each dance performance, this land is creating a "new space for development"—preserving its age-old essence while opening the door to the future.

Le Minh Hoan

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202508/giu-ban-sac-khai-pha-khong-gian-phat-trien-moi-170341b/