Muonglo Farmstay - Muong Lo cultural meeting place

Yen Bai - Phuc Son is the most remote and difficult commune of Nghia Lo town. The complex terrain with overlapping mountains, narrow valleys and a dense stream system, many people consider this an obstacle to development, but Dinh Thi Duong - a Muong ethnic girl sees the potential of experiential tourism and is determined to exploit this strength, opening a new direction for local tourism.

Ms. Dinh Thi Duong has the initiative to restore the Winter Festival of the Muong people in Phuc Son commune to promote local tourism.

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In the cold days of early 2025, at Muonglo Farmstay, the Winter Festival took place - a unique cultural event recreating the winter fishing activities of the Muong ethnic people. At the Festival, domestic and international visitors not only visited the unique cultural space of Muonglo Farmstay but also directly participated in the experience of preparing traditional dishes of the Muong ethnic people, enjoying ethnic dishes prepared by artisans, participating in cultural exchanges and discovering the beauty of the daily life of the Muong people. The highlight of the Festival was the vivid reenactment of winter fishing activities, bringing visitors authentic and impressive experiences of the unique culture of the people here.

Ms. Ha Thi Lien - a resident of Phuc Son commune shared: Since ancient times, the Winter Fishing Festival has become a typical cultural feature in the life of the Muong people. At the end of the year, streams, ponds, and fields in the village will become the venue for the festival. People prepare baskets, baskets, and fishing nets to participate together. Not only showing gratitude to nature, the festival is also an opportunity for families to gather, share production and labor experiences, strengthen solidarity and preserve the cultural traditions of the nation.

Mr. Ha Van Thinh - a tourist from Hanoi shared: "I have been to Muong Lo many times for tourism, but this is the first time I have participated in experiencing the cultural and religious activities of the Muong people. The organization of the Winter Fishing Festival by Muonglo Farmstay not only brings visitors interesting experiences but also contributes to preserving and promoting traditional indigenous cultural values ​​associated with the goal of sustainable tourism development of the locality".

In the past 5 years, when homestay models in Thai ethnic villages have become popular and gradually saturated, MuongLo Farmstay of Ms. Dinh Thi Duong in Phuc Son commune has emerged as an attractive destination, attracting a large number of tourists, especially international visitors. This is a unique resort farm tourism model with wooden stilt houses bearing the bold architectural features of the Northwest highlands.

Not only that, MuongLo Farmstay is also invested in a methodical way with cool green space, fish ponds, and gardens, creating harmony between nature and the life of the Muong ethnic people, bringing visitors authentic, peaceful experiences imbued with local cultural identity. One of the factors that attracts visitors to the Homestay tourist area of ​​Ms. Dinh Thi Duong's family is the uniqueness, evoking the excitement of exploring the traditional culture of the Muong Lo region.

With the beginning of a simple but meaningful name - "Homestay and Muong Kitchen Cuisine" has brought visitors a space imbued with Muong culture, helping them clearly feel the unique cultural values. From the typical house architecture, daily cultural activities to the beliefs and folk festivals that are still preserved intact, all create a vivid picture of the life of the Muong people, leaving a deep impression in the hearts of visitors.

True to its name "Homestay and Muong Kitchen Cuisine" - this place is not only an ideal stopover but also gives visitors the opportunity to experience the unique culinary culture of the Muong people.

Ms. Duong - the owner of the tourist area with a passion for preserving traditional beauty, personally cooks, prepares and introduces fresh products of Phuc Son land right on the cozy dinner table. The green color of wild vegetables, the cool taste of bamboo shoots, the aroma of stream fish, free-range chicken... all blend together to create a rustic yet rich flavor. In particular, visitors not only enjoy but also have the opportunity to directly experience and prepare rustic, typical dishes of the Muong people, to further appreciate the sophistication in each flavor and the beauty of traditional culture here.

Ms. Duong shared: "Phuc Son is a land rich in identity with architecture, festivals and cultural activities typical of the Muong people. Ban Lu 1 and Ban Lu 2 have over 300 households, mainly Muong people, living amidst harmonious landscapes and fresh climate. The nature here changes color with the seasons, creating a special attraction, increasingly known to tourists". Currently, Ms. Duong's family's Homestay model has become an ideal stop for many groups of tourists on their journey to explore the Western region of Yen Bai. The uniqueness in preserving traditional cultural features, combined with thoughtful service, has helped Homestay attract the attention of many travel companies. Some tourism units have come to survey and consult to improve the quality and sustainable development of this model.

In order to contribute to preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​of the Muong ethnic group, Phuc Son commune has established the Ban Lu Art Troupe, specializing in performing traditional dances for tourists at homestays as well as participating in festivals and cultural exchanges in the area. The Muong ethnic community here still maintains its own identity with typical cultural activities throughout the four seasons of the year. In particular, the Winter Festival held for the first time this year has vividly recreated the custom of catching fish in the fields - a long-standing cultural beauty of the Muong people, and is also an opportunity to promote local tourism.

Tourists experience traditional culture through dance performances by Muong girls at MuongLo Farmstay tourist area.

According to Mr. Dao Ngoc Tuan - Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Son commune, as one of the 7 communes of Van Chan district merged into Nghia Lo town since 2020, Phuc Son owns an important geographical location, adjacent to many communes of Tram Tau and Van Chan. With an area of ​​over 1,209 hectares, mostly agricultural land, the commune has favorable conditions for agricultural and forestry development. This is a cultural intersection between the Thai and Muong ethnic groups, expressed through a lifestyle closely connected to nature, unique customs, stilt house architecture, cuisine and traditional festivals.

The mountainous terrain interspersed with narrow valleys and a system of streams such as Thia stream and Nam Co Noong stream create a wild and majestic landscape. Thanks to its natural advantages and unique cultural identity, Phuc Son is becoming an attractive destination for eco-tourism and experiences. The commune is implementing a tourism development plan with the goal of making the locality an attractive new destination of Nghia Lo town.

Accordingly, Phuc Son has proposed to the town and relevant levels and sectors on key contents to promote tourism, including supporting 5 households to invest in building community tourism models in Ban Lu 1 and Ban Lu 2. "From the beginning of 2025, MuongLo Farmstay organized the Muong Winter Festival - an activity imbued with local cultural identity. The tourism model that Ms. Duong is developing not only aims to create a unique mark but also connects households in the village, helping all families benefit from tourism activities, contributing to improving economic life and preserving traditional values" - Chairman of the commune Dao Ngoc Tuan affirmed.

MuongLo Farmstay - from the fragrant sticky rice flavor, the echoing drum and gong sounds to the graceful dances, all blend together to create a vivid picture of the identity of Western Yen Bai. Believing that, with her passion and love for her homeland, Muong girl Dinh Thi Duong will continue to bring this model far and wide, becoming an unmissable destination, contributing to spreading the reputation of Nghia Lo - Muong Lo, a cultural and tourist town with great potential.

Ngoc Son

Source: http://baoyenbai.com.vn/226/345979/Mu111nglo-Farmstay-diem-hen-van-hoa-Muong-Lo.aspx