Kho Muong wakes up in the middle of the forest

Video : Beautiful scenery of Kho Muong.

Located deep in the core area of ​​Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Kho Muong village (Thanh Son commune, Ba Thuoc district) used to be a remote village, isolated from the outside world . The road leading to Kho Muong winds between mountainsides and green terraced fields.

The further you go, the more amazed you are by the landscape like a watercolor painting - stilt houses nestled at the foot of the mountain.

The rice fields stretch along the stream, the sound of the stream echoes through Bat Cave - a unique and famous natural tourist destination of the village.

Mr. Duong Manh Ha (wearing a hat), a French tour guide, shared: “Kho Muong is beautiful in a quiet and authentic way. I have been to many places in Vietnam, but coming back here I feel so peaceful, the people are very friendly, the landscape still retains its wildness. What impressed me most was the dinner with ethnic dishes cooked by the locals.”

Currently, Kho Muong has about 6 households doing community tourism according to the homestay model.

Visitors come here not only to sightsee but also to experience the life of the Thai people: sleeping in stilt houses, eating bamboo rice, grilled stream fish, participating in brocade weaving, farming or bathing in the stream.

Bat Cave is an ideal destination when coming to Kho Muong, for those who love exploring wild nature and experiencing indigenous culture.

Mr. Lo Van Nam (blue shirt, 58 years old), a villager who is working in tourism, shared: “At first, I was very worried because I didn’t know if anyone would come, but thanks to the commune and district’s support in training skills and learning basic English, now guests come regularly. There were days when the whole family had to ask neighbors to come over to help cook and welcome them. Western guests really like to learn how to weave, walk into Bat Cave, or sit by the fire at night listening to stories of the old village.”

However, the development of tourism also brings many challenges. “The road to the village is still narrow, only suitable for motorbikes, and slippery and dangerous in the rainy season. Some households do not have the conditions to renovate their houses to welcome visitors,” Mr. Nam added.

Mr. Ha Van Thao, Head of Kho Muong village, said: “The village has more than 60 households. Previously, people mainly lived by growing rice and farming, with unstable income. Since starting tourism, life has improved significantly. Children have a better education, and young people rarely leave the village to work far away like before.”

The authorities of Thanh Son commune and Ba Thuoc district have had many support programs such as training on community tourism, promoting the image of Kho Muong through tourism fairs, calling for investment in upgrading infrastructure. The district is also developing a plan to connect Kho Muong with other tourist destinations in the core area of ​​Pu Luong such as Don village, Hieu waterfall... to form a closed tourist route.

Tourism in Kho Muong is still in its early stages, but if well-oriented, this will be a model of green - clean - sustainable community tourism. Indigenous cultural values ​​are still preserved, nature is not violated, and people become the subject in the development process.

Village chief Ha Van Thao affirmed: “We do not want to trade our landscape and culture for short-term benefits. Every tree, every stream, every festival in the village is a precious thing that we want to preserve for our descendants, as well as for visitors to Kho Muong to feel the true identity of the mountains and forests of Thanh Hoa.”

From a poor village, Kho Muong is gradually "transforming" thanks to tourism - but it is a gentle transformation, maintaining its character, full of hope for the future.

Hoang Dong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/kho-muong-thuc-giac-giua-dai-ngan-249659.htm