Exploiting the tourism potential of Thung Nai

Boats carrying tourists to visit Ba Chua Thac Bo Temple, Thung Nai Commune.

After merging from three communes Bac Phong, Binh Thanh and Thung Nai, the new commune Thung Nai is focusing on implementing many measures to make tourism "take off".

Accelerate development

Hoa Binh Lake National Tourist Area has an area of over 8,000 hectares of water surface, hundreds of large and small islands, beautiful landscapes; fresh and cool climate all year round, favorable for resort tourism, eco-tourism and experience. In addition, Thung Nai is home to the Muong ethnic community with unique traditional cultural features.

Many hamlets here still preserve the Muong ethnic culture (Tien hamlet, Mo hamlet), suitable for developing homestays and cultural tourism experiences. In 2025, tourist attractions in the commune will welcome nearly 380,000 visitors, with estimated revenue of more than 93 billion VND, creating jobs for hundreds of local workers. Thung Nai has become an ideal destination since the 1980s when the Da River hydroelectric reservoir began to accumulate water. Surrounded by lush green mountains, this place has become an ideal resort for tourists looking for peace and relaxation.

Coming to Thung Nai is not only a trip but also an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the pristine beauty and experience the unique cultural features of this land. Here is Ba Chua Thac Bo Temple - a sacred temple, standing out with its unique architecture. The temple is located in a cave, surrounded by sparkling stalactites, an ideal place for visitors to visit and do spiritual tourism.

Located in the commune's tourist complex, Mo hamlet is a community tourism highlight, a place to preserve the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group. The hamlet currently has hundreds of Muong stilt houses that still retain their ancient architecture with 195 households and 735 people; of which, the Muong ethnic group accounts for 98%.

Through the ups and downs of time, the people here still preserve traditional cultural values from stilt house architecture, customs, cuisine to language, folk songs, and folk dances. Currently, the central area of Mo hamlet has 30 households, of which 14 households meet the standards to welcome tourists. The national target program for socio -economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2025 has made an important contribution to improving the lives of people in Mo hamlet. Thereby, many production models associated with cultural preservation have been implemented.

People are trained in livestock and crop farming techniques; at the same time, they are supported in connecting to markets, forming community production groups, cooperatives, and agricultural cooperatives. Economic development models are all linked to community tourism, helping to preserve Muong identity through agricultural products, cuisine, and traditional crafts.

Mr. Dinh Van Dan, Head of Mo Hamlet, said: “The national target program has brought great resources to the people, not only supporting the construction of infrastructure, barns, and production models, but also encouraging people to promote traditional culture and do community tourism. From gongs, dances to brocade weaving, making sticky rice... all have become tourism products. Thanks to that, people's lives have been increasingly improved.

In 2025, Mo hamlet was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister for implementing the national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2025. This is a worthy recognition of the efforts of the government and people in preserving and promoting Muong cultural identity associated with economic development and community tourism.

Need for synchronous solutions

Along with tourism development, Thung Nai owns a large water surface area, favorable for aquaculture development and agricultural economy. Currently, the whole commune has more than 300 fish cages, in which many households boldly raise high-value specialties such as catfish, black carp, and catfish... Clean water source, less polluted, helps Thung Nai fish products have outstanding quality, fragrant, firm meat, favored by tourists.

The locality is encouraging development in the direction of VietGAP, aiming to build the brand of "Thung Nai clean fish". Not only has the advantage of water surface, the commune is also an important agricultural production area, with more than 1,600 hectares of annual cultivation, of which 379 hectares are oranges and 360 hectares are sugarcane.

In addition, the OCOP product development movement has initially made its mark with many typical products such as black turmeric extract, leaf yeast wine... In recent years, under the leadership of the Party Committee, the government and the consensus of the people, Thung Nai has achieved many outstanding results. The work of building the Party and the political system has had many innovations, the effectiveness of state management has been improved.

The economy continues to grow steadily, the total budget revenue in the area increases by an average of more than 10% per year, and total social investment capital increases by about 15% per year. In the field of tourism, the commune identifies this as a key economic sector.

In the coming time, the commune will prioritize investment in completing infrastructure at key tourist destinations such as Thung Nai port, Thac Bo temple area, community tourism village... At the same time, focus on building unique tourism products, linking eco-tourism, spirituality, community with festivals and relics.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Phuong, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: The commune is developing and promulgating a master plan, which clearly plans tourist areas and destinations; identifies key tourism types and proposes a roadmap and specific solutions. Thung Nai is gradually affirming its brand on the Vietnam tourism map. However, tourism development is a long way, requiring the synchronous participation of the government and the unanimous response of the people. Each person is a friendly tourism worker, each house is an attractive destination and each cultural feature is a unique product - that is the key to help Thung Nai tourism take off in the future.

Article and photos: TRAN HAO

Source: https://nhandan.vn/khai-thac-tiem-nang-du-lich-thung-nai-post914506.html