Crystal clear Tra Van

cloud tea — Peaceful Tra Van. Photo: Viet Le

A place of peace

Tra Van commune was recently established by merging Tra Van commune and Tra Vinh commune (formerly Nam Tra My district). The distance from Nam Tra My commune (the former center of Nam Tra My district) to Tra Van is approximately 20km.

This area is considered one of the "capitals" of Tra My cinnamon trees, with a planted area of over 500 hectares. Like other communes in the mountainous region of Tra My, Tra Van has quite a few waterfalls.

Locals particularly love Crang Ning Waterfall and Tak Chay Waterfall because the white water cascading down from these two waterfalls from the high cliffs creates a scene that is both majestic and poetic.

Although not as famous as the cloud-watching spot of Tak Po (Tra Tap commune), locals here share that every morning when visitors go to the Ong Sinh area, they will be amazed to witness the "sea of clouds" swirling around.

Or, on a breezy afternoon, relaxing on Mr. Ni's lawn and watching the sunset gradually disappear behind the mountains will leave an unforgettable impression on visitors. Nestled in the forest, nature has also bestowed upon Tra Van many products such as cinnamon, ginseng, honey, and bamboo shoots…

Tra Van also easily captivates visitors with its simple, genuine people. Despite facing many difficulties, the spiritual life of the local people remains rich, preserving unique customs and a number of distinctive festivals.

Under the simple stilt house, enjoying a traditional meal with rich mountain flavors such as grilled catfish, local pork, grilled wild chicken, boiled sweet potatoes and cassava, and wild bamboo shoots, while listening to the locals tell stories about the region's culture, will be an unforgettable experience.

A view of Crang Ning Waterfall. — A view of Crang Ning waterfall. Photo: QT

Unleash your travel dreams.

With its abundant resources, in recent years, the former Nam Tra My district has approached and promoted tourism development linked to its local advantages. Some destinations have begun to take shape on the local tourism "map," but Tra Van remains almost "dormant."

Recently, the ancient cinnamon tree on Ong Ni peak was recognized as a Vietnamese Heritage Tree by the Vietnam Association for Nature and Environment Protection, bringing more attention to Tra Van.

According to Mr. Ho Van Guong, Secretary of the Youth Union of the commune, Tra Van not only possesses heritage cinnamon trees but also many primeval forests, including an ancient cinnamon garden that offers a unique experience.

Recognizing that tourism can improve the livelihoods of local people, the Tra Van commune government is planning to develop community-based tourism destinations in the villages, combining homestay models to allow tourists to experience local life. At the same time, they are developing brands for Tra Van's wild bamboo shoots and cinnamon products, linking them with the OCOP program and experiential tourism.

In addition, training in community tourism skills will be provided to young people, women, and households with the capacity to run homestays and prepare local cuisine ; businesses and organizations will be encouraged to partner with and support the purchase of products and the opening of tours to Tra Van.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Thanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra Van commune, believes that developing eco-tourism and community-based cultural tourism is not just an economic matter, but also a way to preserve and spread ethnic identity. This will be an important direction for Tra Van to develop and achieve sustainable poverty reduction.

A peaceful setting on Ong Ni hill. Photo: Q.T — A peaceful setting on Ong Ni hill. Photo: QT

Of course, transforming potential into an attractive product is a long journey, especially when the basic infrastructure in Tra Van is still very limited.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, from a tourism product perspective, the locality needs to clarify the distinctive products of Tra Van (Crang Ning waterfall tourism, ancient cinnamon gardens, Ca Dong traditional culture experiences, local cuisine, etc.) and have a specific implementation roadmap.

According to Mr. Le Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Quang Nam Destination Club for Preserving Local Values (Da Nang City Tourism Association), Tra Van has great potential for developing community tourism as 90% of its residents are Ca Dong ethnic people and still retain their distinctive culture with traditional customs and festivals.

Mr. Viet recommended that localities need to identify core products to create a distinctive identity that attracts tourists if they want to develop tourism.

The target market that Tra Van could aim for in the future is international tourists who enjoy exploring the ecology and culture, and domestic tourists in the region, especially those on backpacking trips to Mang Den (Quang Ngai).

Source: https://baodanang.vn/trong-veo-tra-van-3301554.html