Livelihoods at the foot of the Pu Luong mountain range

The community-based tourism model at the foot of the Pù Luông mountain range helps local people preserve their cultural identity while creating sustainable livelihoods for the community.

Pu Luong Nature Reserve ( Thanh Hoa ) has nearly 17,000 hectares of special-use forest, spread over 8 communes in two districts of Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa (old). This is one of the areas with high biodiversity, home to many rare species of animals and plants.

This rich ecosystem also creates an important foundation for developing sustainable livelihood models, in which community tourism is opening up many opportunities for economic development associated with nature conservation.

Using the forest for community tourism

Once, a Western tourist recklessly conquered a dangerous forest slope and suddenly slipped, broke his leg and rolled down the hillside. His cry for help startled the villagers. A group of Ha Van Tim (Don village, Pu Luong commune, Thanh Hoa) who was guiding tourists not far away rushed to the scene to save the person.

When they arrived, they saw the foreign man, twice as heavy as the local man, lying motionless in the middle of the slippery path. The four strongest young men in the village tried to lift him but failed. After a few minutes of discussion, the group decided to find a piece of dry bark and put the guest on it; one person accompanied him to keep his balance, while the others took turns pulling. They crossed several hundred meters of steep, rocky, and slippery mud, everyone drenched in sweat. After nearly an hour of struggling with the slope, they were able to get the guest to the main road and help him catch a taxi to take him to the hospital.

Pu Luong has become a familiar destination for foreign tourists. Photo: Quoc Toan.

After that incident, more and more Western tourists came to Pu Luong. Word spread about the kindness of the Thai people here, about the acts of kindness of Tim and the young people of Don village. Tim's small restaurant also had more customers, becoming a familiar stop in the middle of the Pu Luong forest.

Not only that, when he was working at a tourist resort in Pu Luong, Tim once fell into an awkward situation. A foreign guest complained that he had lost his wallet and expressed his suspicions about the resort staff. The whole area was in an uproar because of the language barrier, hearing each sentence incoherently made the atmosphere even more tense.

Tim and everyone else had to turn every corner of the room upside down, from under the bed to the wardrobe. Everyone was both worried and hurt because they were being suspected for no reason. Finally, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they discovered… the wallet was in the “secret compartment” that the guest had put in earlier but forgot about.

Tim said that Thai people in general and those who work in community tourism in Pu Luong in particular are like that. The locals are simple and honest but also very understanding of life. "What impresses foreign tourists about Pu Luong is not only the natural scenery but above all, the ethnic minorities here preserve their nature and soul and they do not make money from tourism at all costs," Tim said.

Two years ago, Tim renovated his parents' stilt house to become a family homestay, the upper floor being a resting place for guests, the lower floor being a reception area and food service area. In addition, he also co-manages the shopping area and cafe of an investor outside Hanoi, and also acts as a tour guide, leading guests to explore Pu Luong.

Tim's homestay welcomes dozens of guests every day. Photo: Quoc Toan.

At first, Tim, like many other local people, could barely communicate with foreign tourists. Hearing the tourists' pronunciation, Tim could only understand a few sentences, so he was both confused and worried. But through community tourism classes and real-life experiences, Tim gradually became more confident with his vocabulary.

Tim said he taught himself through books, reading and experimenting and applying it to his daily work. Thanks to the phone with translation mode, communicating with tourists became much easier. Although his pronunciation of foreign languages ​​was not very clear, what he said was enough for tourists to understand and interact comfortably.

The experience of being both a homestay owner and a tour guide in Pu Luong has given Tim many practical lessons. He said that now he is confident in understanding the preferences and culinary habits of each group of guests to please them. "Jewish guests are often picky, they require the highest level of cleanliness and tidiness in their rooms. British guests like low-fat dishes, mainly salads. Vietnamese guests like to experience mountain and forest products: hill chicken, Co Lung duck, country rice, clean vegetables and fruits..."

Pu Luong attracts tourists with its pristine natural landscapes and terraced rice fields clinging to the mountain slopes. Photo: Quoc Toan.

Tim recalls that in the past, the villagers mainly lived by picking bamboo shoots, vegetables, and growing rice in the forest, so their lives were precarious. Since the advent of community-based tourism, everything has changed. The forest not only provides food but also becomes a “green asset” that helps people earn a living. Visitors come to Pu Luong to experience the wild scenery of the mountains and forests, trek up steep passes, pick vegetables, sightsee, and eat specialties, all of which bring income to the village.

Thanks to community tourism, Tim’s homestay now creates jobs for many local workers with stable income. Thanks to Pu Luong forest, Tim and the people no longer have to go far to work, maintaining their connection to the land and the village.

Harnessing the tourism potential of forests.

Mrs. Ha Thi Thanh's house is located right at the entrance of Lan Ngoai village (Pu Luong commune), on the road that Western tourists often walk through. Mrs. Thanh knows a few words of English, so she always greets guests with a friendly smile.

Her family has a tradition of weaving brocade, and to this day she and her daughter-in-law continue their father’s profession. The weaving and spinning frames, which were passed down from her husband’s parents as dowry, she still carefully keeps as precious souvenirs.

Mrs. Thanh said that in the past, it was very difficult for a village girl who did not know how to weave to get married! Therefore, from a young age, children were taught by their parents how to spin thread, weave fabric, and the craft was absorbed into them without them even realizing it. According to Mrs. Thanh, when the girl went to her husband's house, she had to bring blankets, pillows, and mattresses that she had woven herself. That was both a dowry and a way for the groom's family to see the woman's ingenuity.

Ms. Thanh preserves and continues the traditional weaving craft of the Thai community in Pu Luong. Photo: Quoc Toan.

In the past, weaving villages were mainly "self-produced and self-consumed", but since the development of community tourism, trading has become more bustling. Products are now made according to the tastes (colors, patterns, motifs) of customers but still retain the identity of the Thai people. Each daily outfit contains the cultural story of the local people, helping the traditional weaving profession not only to be maintained but also to have more opportunities to spread to tourists near and far.

During the tourist season, Ms. Thanh and her daughter-in-law often work through the night to prepare goods for customers. The work is hard but brings in a significant income for the family. On normal days, she earns a few hundred thousand, but during the tourist season, the family's income can reach several million VND per day from selling hats, shirts, scarves, and skirts that the family weaves themselves. Although the profit is not too large, Ms. Thanh still considers maintaining the profession and creating products with a strong national identity to be the most important thing, both preserving culture and contributing to improving family life.

Pu Luong viewed from above. Photo: Provided by the Pu Luong Nature Reserve Management Board.

According to the leaders of Pu Luong commune, Lan Ngoai village is mostly inhabited by Thai ethnic people. Up to now, the village has preserved 100% of the stilt houses and more than 80 households maintain the brocade weaving profession, attracting more than 200 women to participate. Preserving and developing the brocade weaving profession not only contributes to preserving the traditional cultural identity of the Thai ethnic group but also plays an important role in the tourism development strategy of the commune and brings stable income to the people.

From the foundation of natural gifts and unique indigenous culture, Pu Luong continues to expand its tourism development in depth, combining traditional life experiences and nature exploration. Therefore, the Management Board of Pu Luong Nature Reserve has built an adventure tourism route "Conquering Pu Luong Peak". The 11 km long route leads to the mountain peak 1,700 m above sea level, where visitors can "touch the clouds, the sky and the mountain wind".

On this journey, visitors can experience trekking, stay overnight, visit typical forest ecosystems, observe rare plants, hunt clouds and admire the sunrise from the mountain top.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/sinh-ke-duoi-chan-dai-ngan-pu-luong-d786851.html