Ky Thuong - A green, friendly destination rich in national identity

Am Vap - Dao Village in the middle of the mountains and forests

When the early morning rays of sunlight penetrate the thin mist, Am Vap Farm appears in the middle of the immense green forest of Ky Thuong like a vivid picture. Each wooden stilt house, shady garden, small and pretty landscapes are arranged along the path. All evoke a rustic, close feeling but still in harmony with the majestic nature around. No one would have thought that just a few years ago, this place was still a wild mountainous area, people mainly depended on agriculture . And the idea of turning the highlands into a community tourism destination was considered an ambitious project at that time.

However, in 2020, Am Vap Farm was officially born with the goal of exploiting the pristine landscape combined with Dao culture to create a unique destination, both preserving identity and providing livelihoods for the community. After two years of preparation, the tourist area officially went into operation in 2022, quickly becoming a highlight on the Quang Ninh community tourism map.

Tourists participate in folk sports at Am Vap Farm Ky Thuong.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ky Thuong Am Vap Community Tourism Joint Stock Company, shared: “Right from the beginning of the project, we determined that Dao culture must be the core. Tourists coming here not only relax but also live with the rhythm of life and customs of the people. When culture becomes the heart of tourism, all activities have soul and sustainable values will appear. The goal is for people to have more income and cultural identity to be preserved.”

In 2020, Am Vap Farm tourist area was formed and developed:

The experience at Am Vap Farm is highly interactive. From welcoming guests with folk songs to instructing on brocade embroidery, making campfires or enjoying rustic cuisine prepared by the locals, every activity brings visitors into the local life. The special thing that many people remember forever is bathing with Dao medicinal leaves, using wild herbs combined with traditional secrets, becoming a unique product only available at Am Vap Farm.

In fact, the model has brought about many positive changes. This year, the number of visitors to Am Vap Farm increased by more than 2,000 compared to the same period last year. More than a dozen households in the commune directly participate in community tourism activities, from accommodation services, cultural experience guides, to culinary processing. Traditional products such as leaf wine, brocade, dried bamboo shoots, medicinal herbs... are consumed more strongly, creating a stable source of income for the people.

Tourists experience SUP rowing in the stream when coming to Am Vap Farm Ky Thuong. *Photo: Provided by the unit.*

Ms. To Kim Anh , a tourist from Cao Xanh ward, shared: “What impressed me most was the experience of bathing in Dao medicinal leaves, enjoying rustic dishes prepared by the locals, and sitting around the fire listening to Dao folk songs echoing in the mountains and forests. I felt like I was living in the rhythm of the village – an authentic experience that is hard to find anywhere else.”

Am Vap Farm is therefore not only a resort destination but also a cultural bridge, where the Dao people proudly introduce their lives and customs and gradually create sustainable income from traditional values. With a harmonious combination of nature, traditional architecture and vibrant cultural experiences, Am Vap Farm is gradually becoming a symbol of Ky Thuong community tourism, where visitors not only come to sightsee but also truly "live with the Dao village".

Ky Thuong tourism flourishes

Looking back over the past few years, Ky Thuong tourism is showing a clear transformation, becoming a new bright spot in the “smokeless industry” of Quang Ninh. The emergence of community tourism models, in which Am Vap Farm is the “nucleus”, has created a strong pull, helping the number of tourists to the commune increase steadily year by year.

According to statistics from the Commune People's Committee, in the first 9 months of this year, Ky Thuong welcomed 4,560 visitors, an increase of 2,000 visitors compared to the same period last year. An encouraging number for a mountainous area with many infrastructure difficulties. To meet this growth, the commune has implemented many synchronous solutions. From the beginning of the year, the local government focused on training and coaching community tourism skills for people; guiding households to access digital maps, QR codes, tourist reception skills, as well as promoting images on social networks. Along with that, the commune focuses on preserving the environmental landscape, arranging roads, clearing paths, placing signs and upgrading community facilities, helping to improve the tourism space.

Tourists take souvenir photos while visiting Ky Thuong primeval forest.

Taking advantage of local products, Ky Thuong has reviewed and developed a group of typical products such as purple Morinda officinalis, yellow flower tea, wild honey, dried bamboo shoots, medicinal herbs, etc. to serve visitors. Thanks to that, up to now, there have been more than 10 households participating in providing tourism-related services from accommodation, cuisine to cultural experiences. This helps people expand their livelihoods, while creating a clearly formed community tourism network.

However, one of the biggest difficulties of Ky Thuong at present is that the transportation system has not been invested in synchronously. In particular, the more than 2km road from Khe Phuong to Ba Che has not been concreted and is often damaged after storms, making it impossible for 35-45 seater vehicles to access tourist attractions. This directly affects the attraction of group tourists - the most potential and stable group of customers for community tourism.

Mr. Hoang Truong Son, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, commented: “If this route is completed, the number of visitors to Ky Thuong can increase 5 times compared to the present. This is the key factor for the locality to make a breakthrough.”

Moving forward, Ky Thuong aims to mobilize 5-10 more households to participate in developing community tourism and experiential tourism to increase capacity and diversify products for tourists. At the same time, the commune continues to propose functional sectors to support upgrading traffic infrastructure, adding stops, signs and promoting digital transformation in destination promotion.

Foreign visitors enjoy ethnic specialties in Ky Thuong.

In its core role, Am Vap Farm continues to coordinate with the commune to implement tourism stimulus programs, especially at the end of this year to increase experiences and encourage visitors to return. Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ky Thuong Am Vap Community Tourism Joint Stock Company, said: “We identify tourism as a sustainable direction. To stimulate demand, the commune coordinates with Am Vap Farm to implement many incentive programs: visitors returning from the second time will receive discounts, especially the third time will be exempted from all service fees; from Monday to Friday, there is a 10% discount; groups staying in the evening will be supported with cultural exchanges and fireworks. This policy creates a good effect, encouraging visitors to return and spreading the experience.”

With the current growth momentum, with the core of Am Vap Farm and the community models emerging in Khe Phuong, Lang Da, Dong Tham, Ky Thuong tourism is receiving clear opportunities to take stronger steps in the coming time.

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