Experience the Gate of Death

Tourists participate in experiential activities at Cua Tu homestay, which are rich in local cultural values.

Identifying distinctive features

One summer morning, while clouds still hung low over the slopes of Tam Dao mountain, and a rooster crowed, a young Dao man quietly emerged from his wooden stilt house.

He was preparing for a special reception, not only providing accommodation and meals, but also leading guests on a journey to discover the unique culture of his people. After more than an hour of meticulous preparation, Linh finally had time to sit down and chat with us about his entrepreneurial journey.

Ban Van Linh left school in the 9th grade to help his family support his younger siblings' education. His struggle for survival led him through various jobs: kitchen assistant, refrigeration repairman, factory worker…

But it was those years away from home that instilled in him a clearer idea of the value of his homeland, a place with the cool, refreshing Cua Tu stream flowing through the pristine mountains and forests, with traditional stilt houses and flickering fires in the freezing winter nights, where traditional beauty still flourishes in the festivals of the Dao people.

A corner of Cửa Tử homestay.

During a visit back to his hometown in 2016, he noticed that more and more tourists from other provinces were coming to Dong Khuan to explore Cua Tu stream.

Through intuition and observation, Linh recognized the tourism development potential of this region, and three years later, he decided to return to his hometown to start his own business.

Without hesitation, Linh decided to take action. With 50 million VND, she started building a homestay model right on her family's land.

With limited capital and little knowledge of tourism, he taught himself by visiting tourism models in the Northwest region.

Each trip was a learning experience, a chance to accumulate knowledge. Upon returning home, he gradually renovated and expanded his small house into a spacious 1,600m² estate with stilt houses, a swimming pool, a playground, a dining area, and more.

He recounted: "At first, I was worried about many things. I didn't know how to arrange things in a way that was both convenient and preserved the local characteristics. And I didn't have much capital, so I had to be careful with every detail. But the more I worked, the more I loved the profession and the more I longed to do more for my homeland."

Over time, Cua Tu homestay gradually took shape and became a familiar destination for tourists from all over.

Each year, the establishment welcomes 2,000 to 3,000 visitors, generating a stable revenue of approximately 1 billion VND. Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Linh, from Hiep Hoa commune, Bac Ninh province, said: "Although I have traveled to many places, I am very impressed with Cua Tu because of its pristine, beautiful natural scenery and fresh air. All the services at Cua Tu homestay are convenient, giving me enjoyable experiences."

At Cua Tu homestay, visitors can enjoy the distinctive cuisine of the Dao ethnic group.

Not stopping at accommodation, Mr. Linh also invested in developing services such as trekking, bathing in streams, and waterfall sliding… What makes his model different is that he sees the cultural identity of his ethnic group as a foundation to attract tourists and develop tourism sustainably.

Together with local households, he organizes performances of traditional Dao ethnic arts, guides tourists in learning indigo dyeing, and participates in festivals...

For groups of tourists who want to understand the local culture better, he takes them to visit local homes, cook meals together, enjoy tea, or experience herbal baths and foot soaks with medicinal herbs.

The aspiration to create year-round tourism.

Cua Tu Stream is beautiful all year round, with each season having its own unique charm, but it is usually less crowded during the rainy and cold seasons.

Concerned about how to develop year-round tourism, Linh built more restaurants and organized Dao cultural events during the off-season, creating additional livelihoods for the local people.

Not keeping his success to himself, in 2023, he and several homestay owners in the area established the Cua Tu Ecotourism Cooperative with 12 members.

Of these, 4 households have accommodation facilities, while the remaining households participate in guiding tours, organizing experiential activities, making handicrafts, and welcoming guests.

The cooperative not only creates additional livelihoods for dozens of local people but also helps to form a closed-loop service chain - from accommodation and food to tour guides, transportation, and cultural experiences.

As a result, the number of visitors has been stable and steadily increasing. In 2025, after the road leading to Dong Khuan hamlet was completed, the number of visitors increased by more than 50% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Many tourists have chosen Cua Tu homestay to celebrate birthdays with friends.

Mr. Linh said: "As someone born and raised in Dong Khuan hamlet, I am deeply imbued with the language, customs, and way of life of the Dao people. I hope that these values will not only be preserved within my community but also spread outwards, so that friends from all over the world will know and appreciate them."

Despite having a solid foundation, Linh doesn't allow himself to stop. He continues to learn English to communicate with international customers, and is also planning to expand his restaurant and develop an area showcasing Dao cultural products – from clothing and musical instruments to valuable documentary photographs.

He also dreams of establishing an annual Dao cultural festival, connecting villages in the surrounding area to participate in performances, exchanges, and the promotion of traditional cuisine and handicrafts.

The idea wasn't just for tourists, but also to help the descendants of the Dao people love, understand, and preserve the beauty of their ethnic group. He said: "Tourism is about culture. If you only sell nature, it will eventually run out. But if you use culture to fuel tourism, it will thrive endlessly."

Commenting on Mr. Ban Van Linh's model, Mr. Dang Thanh Tung, Chairman of the People's Committee of La Bang commune, said: "From Mr. Linh's model, we clearly see the effectiveness of community-based tourism development. It provides jobs for young people, allows villagers to sell their agricultural products, and gives the Dao people an opportunity to showcase their identity. This is also the direction the locality will develop in the future."

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202507/trai-nghiem-cua-tu-ef00ae1/