Sa Huynh salt village and the direction of community tourism development

Long-standing craft village

Sa Huynh (Duc Pho town, Quang Ngai province) is not only known for its important archaeological sites and golden sandy beaches with year-round gentle waves, but also for its vast salt fields located along National Highway 1A (in Pho Thanh ward), about 60km south of Quang Ngai city center.

The Sa Huynh salt fields are considered the largest salt production area in Central Vietnam, covering approximately 105 hectares. Salt production originated in the 19th century and has been passed down through generations, preserved to this day as a distinctive traditional occupation of the people of Sa Huynh.

Currently, salt production provides a livelihood for 500 local salt farmers, and Sa Huynh supplies the market with 6,000-6,500 tons of salt annually. However, as in many other localities, the salt industry is not very economically efficient due to fluctuating prices.

The Sa Huynh salt fields, viewed from above, are as beautiful as a painting.

Salt farmer Tran Cu (residing in Pho Thanh ward) said that his family has been in the salt business for generations. Over the years, the price of salt purchased by traders has fluctuated erratically. “The salt business is very unpredictable; some years the price goes up to 4,000-5,000 VND/kg, other years it drops to a few hundred dong per kilogram. Generally, when there's a good harvest, the price drops, and when there's a bad harvest, the price goes up,” Mr. Cu said.

According to the Farmers' Association of Pho Thanh Ward, the reason for the unstable salt prices is that, to date, there are not many businesses that purchase large quantities of salt from Sa Huynh for processing. Currently, there is only one company that has a production partnership with salt producers, but the amount consumed each year is only about 200 tons. Meanwhile, the annual salt production in Sa Huynh is approximately 6,000-6,500 tons. The majority of the remaining product is purchased through traders who then resell it door-to-door.

The Sa Huynh salt-making village was established more than 100 years ago.

Faced with this situation, the Quang Ngai provincial government is deeply concerned about finding new ways to support the people. And linking salt production with community tourism is a positive and promising new direction.

This is because this direction aligns with the tourism development of Duc Pho town, the southern gateway of the province, and also because Sa Huynh Culture has become a special national historical site. Besides resort tourism, visitors are also very interested in experiencing the Sa Huynh salt production village, opening up great opportunities for community tourism development and generating additional income for salt farmers.

Developing traditional craft villages in conjunction with tourism.

To realize this direction and enhance the value of the Sa Huynh salt-making craft, in early June 2024, the Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee approved a project document to provide technical support for the preservation of traditional salt fields in conjunction with community tourism development in Pho Thanh ward.

The project is funded by the United Nations Development Programme, Small Projects Programme - Global Environment Fund (UNDP/GEF-SGP) with a total capital of nearly 2 billion VND. The Farmers' Association of Pho Thanh Ward is assigned as the project owner, with implementation from May 2024 to October 2025.

Over the years, salt farmers have consistently faced the dilemma of bumper harvests followed by plummeting prices and unstable incomes.

The project aims to preserve traditional salt fields, promote the cultural values ​​of Sa Huynh, and develop community tourism. It focuses on developing traditional Sa Huynh salt production while preserving traditional cultural values ​​and protecting the environment and mangrove ecosystem. Simultaneously, it seeks to transform Sa Huynh into a destination for experiencing the salt-making craft and a community-based educational tourism destination connecting Sa Huynh culture with its ecosystems.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van (residing in Long Thanh 1 village, Pho Thanh ward) said that the locals would be very happy if the salt village became more widely known through tourism products. “Occasionally, a few groups of foreign tourists stop by to visit the salt fields, and the people here are very happy. We heard tourists say that France also has traditional salt fields like Sa Huynh and is a famous tourist destination in Europe,” Ms. Van shared.

Developing salt production in conjunction with community tourism is the aspiration of salt farmers in Sa Huỳnh.

Passionate about Sa Huynh salt, Ms. Pham Thi Hong Tham - Sa Huynh Salt Company Limited - believes that there should be tours in the Sa Huynh salt fields to learn about the traditional model of salt drying.

At Sa Huynh salt fields, besides admiring the pristine white salt fields that look like paintings, visitors can also learn and research about the ecosystem on the salt fields and its impact on the environment and the livelihoods of the local people. Visitors can also experience making granulated salt, creating salt crystals, and watching the sunrise and sunset over the salt fields.

Combining salt field tourism with other famous tourist destinations nearby, such as Sa Huynh beach, the Sa Huynh cultural exhibition center, the traditional pottery village, and the Go Co community tourism village, creates wonderful experiences for visitors.

However, the preservation of the traditional Sa Huynh salt fields in conjunction with community tourism development in Pho Thanh ward is currently only in its initial stages, and much work remains to be done. In particular, investment in and improvement of the salt field infrastructure is crucial.

Over generations, the sea dikes and embankments, as well as the irrigation system, have deteriorated. The internal roads in the salt fields are eroded and uneven in some areas, making transportation difficult and hindering the transport of materials and products from the salt fields to the main roads.

Developing community-based tourism helps salt farmers in Sa Huynh salt village improve their income, contributing to solving the persistent problem of "bumper harvest, low prices" that has existed for many years.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Sang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Duc Pho town, said that in light of the deteriorating infrastructure of the Sa Huynh salt fields, the town has requested the Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee to prioritize the allocation of medium-term capital for investment and upgrading, creating favorable conditions for people's production. At the same time, this will also serve as a basis for gradually developing community tourism in this long-standing salt village.

“However, regarding the development of community tourism in the area, currently only a few units have approached it, and the investment resources and operational direction are unclear. Therefore, the solution proposed by the town is to call on large enterprises to invest in developing the cultural space and Sa Huynh archaeological site. Then, the Sa Huynh salt fields will become a ‘satellite’ surrounding it, diversifying tourist attractions to draw visitors. Only then can community tourism be developed sustainably, helping salt farmers improve their income,” Mr. Sang said.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/lang-muoi-sa-huynh-va-huong-di-phat-trien-du-lich-cong-dong-post533831.html