"A day as a farmer": Lao Cai's attractive rural tourism product

(Dan Tri) - Not only providing livelihoods for people in the highlands, the model "A day as a farmer" in Lao Cai also shows a new direction in developing rural tourism in Vietnam.

Rural tourism flourishes from indigenous agriculture

Amidst the lush green valley in Lao Cai , Ban Lien commune appears with traditional stilt houses nestled among terraced fields and Shan Tuyet tea hills covered in early morning mist.

Coming here, visitors can temporarily put aside the hustle and bustle of city life, immerse themselves in the life of the Tay people, pick tea, plant rice, catch stream fish or cook rustic meals with them.

Ban Lien is increasingly winning the hearts of tourists (Photo: G.Da).

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter , Mr. Vang A Binh - owner of Binh Ban Lien Homestay in Ban Lien - said that tourists come to Ban Lien not only to rest but also to "become real farmers".

“People like simple experiences like picking tea, catching stream fish, cooking rice with firewood or weaving bamboo baskets with the locals the most,” said Mr. Binh.

He said he and some homestay owners in the area are local people, working together to do tourism under a cooperative model. Each homestay maintains the traditional stilt house architecture, serves typical cuisine and guides guests to experience being a farmer.

“A day as a farmer” here is a day of slow living, connected to the land and people of the Northwest,” he added.

Currently, the price of accommodation in Ban Lien is about 150,000 VND/person/night, each meal is 150,000 VND/person. Tourists can hire local guides to guide activities such as tea picking, forest trekking, and agricultural experiences at a cost of 500,000 VND/day, divided equally among the group - whether two or ten people.

Ban Lien used to be a peaceful Tay village, living mainly from agriculture. Since 2019, when the first households cooperated to do tourism, community tourism here has quickly flourished. Up to now, people have both maintained their rural lifestyle and opened up new livelihoods from traditional farming.

The old stilt houses have been restored, the rice fields and tea hills have been preserved and cared for as “tourism products”. The pristine natural landscape and rustic lifestyle make visitors feel the connection between people and the forest.

The meal was prepared with local products in Ban Lien (Photo: Vang A Binh).

Not only relaxing, visitors also immerse themselves in the rhythm of working life: Plowing fields, harvesting corn, picking Shan Tuyet tea, weaving, brocade weaving or cooking typical dishes such as grilled hill chicken, stir-fried wild vegetables with garlic, grilled stream fish...

This is the essence of agritourism - where agriculture and tourism develop in harmony, creating livelihoods and preserving culture.

Lao Cai - a bright spot of rural highland tourism

According to the Lao Cai Department of Tourism, rural tourism and community tourism have developed strongly in recent times, especially in the old Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Bat Xat and Bao Yen areas (now arranged into new commune-level administrative units).

The province currently has hundreds of homestay establishments, many of which have been recognized by the ASEAN Tourism Association as meeting ASEAN homestay standards. The province is continuing to expand community tourism models associated with agriculture, typically tourism of the Tay, Mong, Dao ethnic groups, etc.

These models help people increase their income from accommodation, guidance, and performing arts, while preserving cultural identity, in line with the spirit of building new rural areas associated with green tourism and community tourism.

At the same time, Lao Cai focuses on developing green products such as clean agricultural products, brocade, and handicraft weaving. In the period of 2025-2030, the province aims to have 6 community tourism models meeting ASEAN standards and 11 models meeting Vietnam standards, expanding eco-tourism and adventure sports at places such as Ngu Chi Son, Dragon Waterfall, Ong Waterfall, etc.

These steps not only help create stable livelihoods for people, but also contribute to preserving natural resources and promoting regional cultural values ​​- an important foundation for sustainable development of rural tourism in Lao Cai.

Locals and tourists participate in exciting activities (Photo: Vang A Binh).

In fact, models like Ban Lien are clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of rural and agricultural tourism in building new rural areas. Visitors coming here not only find new experiences, but also feel the spirit of hospitality, autonomy and change in the lives of the highland people.

According to the direction of Decision 922/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, developing rural tourism is one of the important solutions to improve the quality of people's lives, creating typical tourism products of each region.

From small models like Ban Lien, Vietnam is gradually forming a diverse rural tourism map - where every field and every village can become a destination.

“A day as a farmer” is not only an experiential journey but also a way for tourists to get closer to Vietnamese agriculture - the long-standing cultural foundation of the nation.

From the hands of farmers in the highlands, Vietnam's rural tourism is asserting new vitality, moving towards green, sustainable development and international integration.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/mot-ngay-lam-nong-dan-san-pham-du-lich-nong-thon-hut-khach-cua-lao-cai-20251112155835644.htm