Lo Lo Chai bustles with visitors after being honored as 'World's Best Tourist Village 2025'

The owner of the homestay Nha Cua Nhim said that everyone in the village was happier and busier after receiving the international award.

Outperforming over 270 entries from 65 countries, two Vietnamese villages, Lo Lo Chai and Quynh Son (Bac Son commune, Lang Son province), were honored as " World's Best Tourism Villages 2025" by UN Tourism on October 17th in Huzhou City, China.

Ms. Dinh Thi Nhim Nhim, owner of Nhim's House homestay in Lo Lo Chai village, shared: "Since hearing the news that the village was honored, the atmosphere in the village has become much more joyful. More tourists are coming, and the homestays are busy preparing to welcome them. I feel happy because Nhim's House is also a small part of that shared joy."

According to Ms. Nhim, while there are more visitors, they are still mostly Vietnamese. International tourists usually only visit for the day and rarely stay overnight due to paperwork procedures; each foreign tourist needs to obtain a temporary residence permit costing around $10 (approximately 260,000 VND), so the cost increases significantly.

A view of Lo Lo Chai village - the village recently honored as "World's Best Tourist Village 2025"

PHOTO: LE HONG KHANH

This season, the weather in Lo Lo Chai has started to get chilly, and with the buckwheat flower season approaching, the number of visitors increases sharply from November to April every year. Nhim's house currently has 10 rooms, accommodating about 28 guests, and is almost fully booked on weekends. "Friday evenings are when the village is at its liveliest. Everyone gathers at the cultural center, there's music, Lo Lo ethnic dances, and bonfires with tourists," Nhim said excitedly.

Having visited Ha Giang (formerly, now Tuyen Quang province) on a trip four years ago, Ms. Nhim decided to stay and work in tourism. Initially, she worked as a housekeeper for a homestay, then opened her own "Nham's House" over a year ago. "Now the whole village is doing tourism more uniformly, with clear regulations on construction such as houses not exceeding two stories, roofs having to be made of yin-yang tiles, and full residency permits to preserve the traditional customs of the Lo Lo people," she said.

Traditional clothing of the Lo Lo ethnic group

PHOTO: LE HONG KHANH

Another homestay owner in Lo Lo Chai was skeptical when he heard the news that his village had been honored. But after confirming it was true, he and the villagers were overwhelmed with joy. This is not only a source of pride for all the Lo Lo people.

With the cool weather and the buckwheat flowers in bloom, homestays in the village are busy welcoming guests.

PHOTO: LE HONG KHANH

The village of Lo Lo Chai has been developing community-based tourism for many years, combining the preservation of traditional architecture (earthen houses, yin-yang tiled roofs), upgrading social and environmental infrastructure, and preparing the necessary documentation for its application. With 120 households, primarily of the Lo Lo ethnic group, and approximately 56 participating in the community-based tourism model, the village has long been prepared for tourism development.

In Quynh Son, the community-based tourism model has also been positive in preserving Tay culture, developing homestay accommodation services, agricultural experiences, local cuisine, and green, clean, and environmentally friendly infrastructure.

Upon hearing the news that Lo Lo Chai (Ha Giang) and Quynh Son (Lang Son) were honored as "World's Best Tourism Villages 2025," Quang Tuan, deputy head of Thai Hai community tourism village (Thai Nguyen - another village that received a similar award in 2022), expressed his joy and pride. He said this is a positive sign for Vietnamese community tourism, affirming the position and cultural identity of Vietnamese villages, which are increasingly recognized internationally.

After being recognized by UN Tourism in 2022, Mr. Tuan said that the number of visitors to Thai Hai has increased significantly, especially international tourists, helping the village's brand become more widely known.

Children from Thai Hai village (Thai Nguyen) - a Vietnamese village that was also honored with a similar award in 2022.

"The international award has given us more confidence and reassurance that the path we are taking is the right one. Before, we often worried about whether our development direction was sustainable. Now, from the central government to the local authorities, everyone is paying attention and supporting our efforts in promoting our culture, expanding roads, and creating favorable conditions for the people. The people are also prouder and love their traditional culture more," he added.

Vietnam has five villages recognized as "Best Tourist Villages in the World," including: Thai Hai Village (Thai Nguyen), Tan Hoa Village (Quang Tri), Tra Que Vegetable Village (Da Nang), and most recently, Lo Lo Chai Village (Tuyen Quang) and Quynh Son Village (Lang Son).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chu-homestay-o-lo-lo-chai-ron-rang-don-khach-after-being-honored-185251026180437143.htm