Hai Son develops community tourism

As a mountainous border commune with nearly 87% of its population being ethnic minorities, Hai Son commune (Mong Cai City) has become known in recent years as an attractive community tourism destination.

Leaders of Mong Cai City visit stalls selling typical products at Po Hen Market. Photo: Huu Viet.

Over the past period, Hai Son has   Effectively exploiting the local advantages with unique tourism products. Mr. Ninh Van Sang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Son commune, said: Tourism in Hai Son commune has always received attention from the city in recent years. The commune directs the development, promotion, and advertising of tourism, with spiritual tourism leading community tourism and experiential tourism.

In Hai Son, visitors can explore the Po Hen National Historical Site and the vibrant Po Hen Mural Village amidst the Northeast mountains, featuring colorful nature paintings, the houses of the Dao ethnic minority, the magnificent 72-chamber waterfall, Mount Panai, Ma Thau Son, and more. They can also enjoy incredibly rustic dishes such as stream fish, black duck meat, "ca say" (a hybrid duck-goose), sticky rice cakes, brocade fabrics, forest honey, salted wild plums with ginger, salted bamboo shoots, and sim wine.

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Hai Son commune is focusing on developing a community-based tourism model. Photo: Thu Hang (Contributor)

Community-based tourism in Hai Son commune was approved by the province in the Project for Sustainable Community-Based Tourism Development in the Province (Decision No. 4839/QD-UBND dated December 29, 2020). Since 2021, the city has invested over 700 million VND in renovating and upgrading infrastructure; community-based tourism has begun to attract tourists.

Of the 4 routes and 15 tourist destinations in Mong Cai City, Hai Son is located on Route 3: Mong Cai City Center - Po Hen Memorial (including tourist attractions: Mong Cai International Border Gate, Bac Luan Bridge, Milestone 1369, Po Hen Fort Memorial Site, Xa Tac Temple, shopping at markets and commercial centers).

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Hai Son commune promotes the distinctive values ​​of Quang Ninh province and the human values ​​of Quang Ninh. Photo: Thu Hang (Contributor)

The Pò Hèn Historical Site is one of the most significant and representative historical sites, holding an important position in the cultural and spiritual life of the city's people. The site is managed and promoted by the City People's Committee in coordination with the Provincial Border Guard Command, becoming a strong cultural , historical, and spiritual tourism destination for the city. The Border Sim Flower Festival, held three times (the first in May 2022), has become a unique destination in the distinctive tourism landscape of Móng Cái, attracting tens of thousands of locals and tourists, opening up great opportunities for community tourism development and contributing to improving the lives of the people. In October 2023, Hải Sơn restored the Pò Hèn Market, a long-standing traditional market where local people exchanged goods and traded with Thán Sản village (China).

From the beginning of 2024 to September 15th, over 150,000 visitors came to Hai Son commune. Mr. Ninh Van Sang added: In the coming time, the commune will continue to promote and encourage people to create livestock and crop products to serve tourists; build and renovate houses and gardens, creating a green, clean, and beautiful environment; create beautiful scenery for tourists to take photos; strengthen the team of tour guides and propagandists (with young people as the core); and the team of collaborators to carry out propaganda and advertising work on the internet; preserve, conserve, and promote the cultural identity of ethnic groups in the area: wedding procedures of the Dao and San Chi people; the coming-of-age ceremony of the Dao people, the harvest prayer ceremony of the San Chi people; the village festival day of the Dao people; the rice planting ceremony of the San Chi people; Characteristic culinary products (sticky rice cake, ash cake, mung bean cake, glutinous rice cake, five-colored sticky rice, smoked pork, grilled stream fish, stream fish cooked with sour bamboo shoots, stream fish stir-fried with betel leaves, wild bamboo shoots with chili and salt, grilled chicken with cinnamon leaves, roasted pork with wild betel leaves...); courtship songs (call-and-response singing of the Dao people; Soóng cọ of the San Chi people...); folk games, traditional sports ; maintaining the wearing of traditional costumes...