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| A corner of Pac Ngoi village. |
A golden age
Ancient stilt houses with yin-yang tiled roofs reflected on the surface of Ba Be Lake; smoke from cooking fires drifting lazily across the mountainside; the sound of the zither blending with the gentle rhythm of oars... all create a peaceful and culturally rich atmosphere in Pac Ngoi. With nearly 100 Tay households living here, it's no coincidence that this place is called a "living museum" of Tay culture.
Mr. Ngon Van Toan, one of the village's first people involved in tourism , recalled: "In the past, there were many French tourists. Later, there were more domestic tourists as well. We renovated our stilt houses, learned to cook, and practiced speaking English to welcome guests..."
From pioneering tourism households in the late 20th century, nearly 40% of households in Pac Ngoi now engage in tourism, with dozens of homestays familiar to tourists such as Ba Be Lake View, Quang Hung, Duy Tuyen, Ba Be Green, Babe Hada… A valuable aspect is the spontaneous cooperation among homeowners, who support each other to provide the best service when guests arrive.
Tourism has opened up new livelihoods for the people. They are no longer entirely dependent on farming but have additional income from accommodation, food , boat rides, and performances of Then singing and Dan Tinh playing. These melodies, once only heard during rituals, have now become a cultural bridge connecting them with tourists. Pac Ngoi is able to survive on its own unique identity.
Existing difficulties
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| Babe Hada Homestay in Pac Ngoi village. |
However, after a period of development, tourism in Pac Ngoi is now facing the challenges of a new phase. The number of visitors has been unstable in recent years. The highly anticipated night market model, opened at the beginning of 2020, only operated for a short time and was only revived during the recent spring to attract tourists.
"Before, my family's Babe Hada homestay could welcome 20-30 guests a day, but now it's rarely that busy, and sometimes there are no guests at all on some days," said Luc Van Chung, owner of Babe Hada homestay.
Tourism in Pac Ngoi is currently experiencing unstable visitor numbers, heavily dependent on festivals and seasonal tour routes. Hoang Van Sy, owner of Quang Hung homestay, said that locals are eagerly awaiting the completion of the road connecting Bac Kan - Ba Be Lake - Na Hang, so that travel to Pac Ngoi will be easier. Meanwhile, Hoang Duy Tuyen, owner of Duy Tuyen homestay, expressed his concern: "We borrowed money to upgrade our rooms. If the number of visitors is inconsistent, it will be very stressful."
A readily apparent fact in Pac Ngoi is that while the number of homestays has increased, the number of tourists has not increased proportionally. Several factors contribute to this: service quality is inconsistent, and homestay construction hasn't truly focused on preserving the original cultural heritage. Some houses retain their traditional structure, while others have been excessively renovated, even built as multi-story structures, disrupting the overall landscape.
Tourists come to Pac Ngoi to sleep in stilt houses, eat lake fish, listen to traditional folk songs, and live at a slow pace amidst nature... But as economic pressure increases, many households are forced to expand and install modern amenities, inadvertently obscuring the original charm, which is what creates the attraction for tourists, especially foreign tourists.
Preserving the traditional stilt houses is not enough; it's also necessary to preserve the way of life, behavior, rituals, and language. Meanwhile, the younger generation is increasingly less involved in traditional crafts. Tourism was once expected to be a driving force to retain them, but unstable income has shaken that belief. Furthermore, promotional activities remain fragmented.
The Pac Ngoi brand has not been clearly defined, therefore tourists mainly stay for one night, lacking in-depth experiences and distinctive products that can keep them staying longer. If it only focuses on accommodation and food, community tourism will struggle to create a breakthrough.
We need a breakthrough in creativity.
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| Ba Be Green homestay. |
The biggest challenge for tourism development in Pac Ngoi is not the lack of tourists, but the risk of losing its unique identity when chasing after market trends.
Pac Ngoi village's invaluable assets are its cultural heritage accumulated over generations: traditional stilt houses, the heritage of Then singing and Tinh playing, culinary knowledge and rituals of the Tay ethnic group, and the still relatively unspoiled village environment with its many attractions. The challenge in the current phase is not only to preserve these values, but also to transform them into products with higher added value, from purely community tourism to a creative economy based on cultural assets.
Developing innovative tourism is not opposed to conservation; on the contrary, conservation is a prerequisite. Sustainable development requires a comprehensive strategy from the government and relevant agencies: planning the spatial layout of traditional villages, improving governance capacity, communicating with the people, linking products around Ba Be Lake, and developing handicrafts reflecting the Tay ethnic identity. More importantly, the people must truly be the creators and masters of their own cultural narratives, instead of passively providing services as is currently the case.
The challenges faced by Pac Ngoi are indicative of a new phase of development, where community-based tourism demands higher standards of identity, quality, and sustainable development. If a balance can be struck between development and preservation, between market demands and identity, Pac Ngoi could become a model for creating economic value from local culture in the creative era.
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202603/tran-tro-pac-ngoi-6683e41/
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