Unleashing cultural potential
After the merger of the three provinces, Phu Tho now has a larger area, more diverse potential, and a richer cultural identity. The province fully embodies the characteristics of the midland, mountainous, and lowland regions, becoming a gateway connecting Hanoi with the Northwest provinces, facilitating trade and possessing many advantages for breakthroughs in tourism development.
As the cradle of the Vietnamese nation, Phu Tho proudly possesses a rich system of cultural heritage. Highlights include the Hung Temple National Historical Site, and two UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage sites: the Hung King worshiping belief and Phu Tho Xoan singing. The region also boasts a dense cultural space and numerous festivals, with hundreds of traditional festivals, craft villages, and the unique cultural life of the Muong, Dao, Tay, and Thai ethnic groups, creating a rare and distinctive identity.
Community-based tourism is one of the tourism types that has been developing strongly in Phu Tho, combining rich ethnic cultural identity with the exploitation of pristine natural beauty. Here, many villages of ethnic groups such as the Muong, Thai, Dao, Tay, Cao Lan, and Mong still preserve their unique traditional culture, creating ideal conditions for the sustainable development of community-based tourism.
By preserving traditional cultural values, Mo Village tourist area in Da Bac commune has become a popular tourist destination attracting many visitors to explore and experience.
Tourist Nguyen Thi Minh from Hanoi shared: “I was very impressed to experience Xoan singing, offering incense to commemorate the Hung Kings, and visiting traditional craft villages. Coming to Phu Tho, I not only saw a sacred land but also felt the vitality of national culture spreading throughout the community.”
Leveraging its advantages, Phu Tho province has identified cultural preservation linked with tourism development as the main direction in its new development space. From the beginning of 2025, the province has developed and implemented the project "Preserving and promoting the valuable traditional culture of ethnic minorities in conjunction with tourism development"; finalized the draft resolution on tourism development for the period 2026-2030; and strengthened the Phu Tho Provincial Tourism Development Steering Committee, creating a legal basis for the comprehensive and sustainable development of the tourism industry.
Connecting heritage, developing sustainable tourism.
According to Mr. Dang Tuan Hung, Head of the Tourism Department (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism): After the merger, the province has paid special attention to developing community tourism, using ethnic cultural identity as the connecting axis between preservation and development. The province currently has over 800,000 Muong people living there, with a rich cultural heritage such as Muong shamanism, Muong gongs, the Khai Ha festival, Thuong Rang singing, Bo Meng songs, etc. This is an invaluable resource if exploited correctly. The province aims to build a community tourism model linked to the preservation of Muong cultural space, helping people both preserve their heritage and increase their income, developing sustainable livelihoods.
In recent years, community-based tourism in Phu Tho province has developed strongly, becoming a model for community tourism development nationwide. The province has a system of branded community-based tourism routes and destinations that attract many tourists, such as: Mai Chau tourist area with Lac, Van, and Poom Coong villages; Mong Xa Linh and Hang Kia villages in Pa Co commune; Mo village in Thung Nai; Da Bia and Ngoi villages in Hoa Binh Lake tourist area; Sung village in Da Bac, Coi and Du villages in Xuan Son National Park; Hung Lo ancient village in Hung Lo commune, and tourist villages in Long Coc... The system of community-based tourism villages currently attracts over 1.3 million tourists annually. Community-based tourism not only provides authentic and profound experiences for tourists but also contributes to preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, increasing income for local people, and promoting sustainable economic development, linked to environmental protection and local resources. Currently, Phu Tho has 6 community tourism destinations that are ranked 3-4 stars according to OCOP standards.
In addition to preserving intangible cultural heritage, the province is also investing in the restoration and upgrading of cultural, spiritual, and ecological tourist destinations. The Hung Vuong Museum is completing its application for recognition as a provincial-level tourist destination; many tourist areas and sites are planned comprehensively in terms of landscape, infrastructure, and environment; connecting routes are being expanded, creating conditions for regional linkages and forming a chain of distinctive tourism products.
In addition, tourism promotion and marketing activities have been intensified on digital platforms. The province has developed the smart tourism app MyPhuTho.vn, and three landing pages introducing night tours to Hung Temple, Hung Lo ancient village, and the Hung Temple Historical Relic Area; and has boosted promotion on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and the website visitphutho.vn, contributing to spreading the image of "Phu Tho - A safe, friendly, and attractive destination".
As a result, in the third quarter of 2025, Phu Tho province is estimated to welcome approximately 865,000 overnight visitors, including more than 41,000 international tourists; total tourism revenue is expected to reach 2,620 billion VND, a 6% increase compared to the same period last year. During the September 2nd holiday alone, the province is expected to welcome around 300,000 visitors, ensuring safety, security, and a healthy tourism environment.
According to the direction of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the coming time, Phu Tho will continue to invest in developing tourism products associated with the cultural characteristics of the ancestral land: spiritual tourism - festivals, community-based tourism - ecological tourism, resort tourism combined with cultural experiences; building a digital database on the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities; supporting community tourism destinations to upgrade infrastructure, improve services, and link tourism development with the new rural development program and comprehensive digital transformation. Phu Tho is aiming to become a cultural tourism center of the Northern Midlands and Mountains region. The province takes culture as the foundation, the people as the main actors, and technology as the tool to develop green, smart, and sustainable tourism.
Through efforts to preserve and promote cultural values, harmoniously blending tradition and modernity, Phu Tho today is gradually asserting its position as a destination rich in identity – where each heritage site is vibrant in daily life, becoming a new driving force for the development of this heroic ancestral land.
Huong Lan
Source: https://baophutho.vn/tao-but-pha-cho-du-lich-vung-dat-to-242212.htm
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