Ngoc Chien "lets his soul" into the rocks.

Ngoc Chien, a "fairytale land," is not only famous for its hawthorn blossoms, ancient stilt houses, and hot springs, but also for a unique story being written with stones. A movement to beautify the villages using pebbles, transforming them into unique works of art, is attracting community tourism to the area.

In Ngoc Chien during the early days of winter, the weather is chilly, with wisps of clouds drifting lazily over the mountain slopes and fields covered in a pale yellow hue of dry straw after the harvest. Passing through Muong La commune, following the winding concrete road, the first striking feature is the meticulously constructed village gates. What sets them apart is that the main material isn't cement or steel, but tens of thousands of pebbles collected by the villagers from the streams. The villages of Khua Vai, Na Tau, Luot, Pu O... all boast unique stone gates. These stones are skillfully and precisely fitted onto the gate pillars, creating a sturdy and stable structure.

The gate of Khua Vai village, group 1, is solidly built with stone pillars, and the roof is covered with Pơ Mu wood.

In Ngoc Chien, pebbles are everywhere. From the meticulously crafted stone archway to the sturdy stone fence, the clean and beautiful pebble-paved roads leading into the village, and even the gates, porches, stilt house pillars, and resting benches... all are made of pebbles, skillfully arranged into beautiful and impressive pictures, flowers, or shapes.

The inner village walls are decorated with stones and pebbles.

Speaking with us, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ngoc Chien commune, said: The commune's Party Committee has developed a thematic resolution on "Developing community tourism associated with preserving and promoting cultural identity" to further stimulate the tourism development movement in the locality, while leveraging existing potential. This includes encouraging people to utilize local materials to beautify the village landscape. The commune provides technical support and guidance to people on how to arrange stones safely, sustainably, and aesthetically, creating a highlight for community tourism.

The entrance gate to Suoi Chien homestay is built using a combination of stone and wood.

Following the commune's dissemination of the policy and subsequent persuasion efforts, the villagers in the hamlets have unanimously agreed to utilize stones, pebbles, and environmentally friendly materials to decorate and beautify their village landscapes, starting with the village entrance gates. 100% of the funding and labor were contributed by the people, with each hamlet independently developing ideas and designing entrance gates that reflect their ethnic cultural identity. To date, the people of 15 hamlets in the commune have completed 19 entrance gates at their village entrances and alleyways.   With a total contribution of 1.2 billion VND, all from socialized funding sources. Each archway has its own unique features, such as the archway in Chom Khau village made of wood, the archway in Muong Chien village clad in cypress wood, and the archway in Pu Danh village using pebbles with inscribed letters...

At each village gate, there is a large stone decorated by the locals themselves, with the name of their village painted on it, to welcome visitors.

The large rock was sculpted and decorated by the people of Muong Chien village themselves and placed at the entrance to the village to welcome visitors.

We arrived at Phay village, one of the leading villages in the movement. Mr. Luong Van Thuong excitedly said: "Since the commune launched the village beautification campaign, everyone has supported it. After finishing their work in the fields, they all go to the stream to collect stones, and together they build walls and pave roads. They have to choose each stone carefully and meticulously. Our village is beautiful now, and some households have even started a business renting out traditional ethnic costumes. Tourists from all over come to take pictures, and the villagers are very proud. Life is much better than before."

The people of Phay village stand beside an artistic stone fence.

What makes the stones in Ngoc Chien unique and gives them their "soul" is the boundless creativity. On the stone walls and cobblestone slabs, the locals have arranged and painted brocade patterns, images of bauhinia flowers, peach blossoms, and scenes of daily life. The drawings are simple yet imbued with the soul and love for the land. This creativity is also spread through cultural activities, such as incorporating the "Artistic Stone Arrangement Competition" into the commune's New Rice Festival, becoming a unique event that attracts tourists.

The artwork, a model of a stilt house made of stone from Muong Chien village, participated in the "Artistic Stone Stacking" competition.

The floral patterns are skillfully arranged by the locals.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Linh, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: "I was truly impressed and surprised when I came to Ngoc Chien. The place boasts expansive natural beauty, peaceful and rustic villages, and a unique way of decorating and beautifying the landscape with stones and pebbles. I could feel the patience, meticulousness, skill, and dedication of the locals as they arranged these stones and pebbles into artistic works that are also close to nature. I will definitely return many times and recommend this beautiful place to my friends ."

The children were delighted by the unique patterns and designs carved into the stone walls.

Women in Ngoc Chien commune, gracefully dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, introduce unique local tourism products.

By "pouring their soul" into the rocky landscape, the people of Ngoc Chien have not only created a new look for the mountainous countryside but also forged a unique and sustainable cultural value and tourism product. This is clear evidence of transforming "internal strength" into "driving force," making Ngoc Chien a bright spot on the Northwest tourism map.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/van-hoa-xa-hoi/ngoc-chien-tha-hon-vao-da-Ma9DrjkvR.html