Proud to say the name Thai Nguyen

I have several foreign friends who love traveling in Vietnam, and one of their destinations is my hometown – peaceful Thai Nguyen, where the Cau River flows gently. After taking them on tours of my hometown a few times, I suddenly realized I had overlooked its majestic and breathtaking scenery for a long time.

A view of Thai Hai Tourist Village on a winter afternoon.

Carolina, my friend from Brazil, has traveled extensively around the world , and this is her second time in Vietnam. This time, she chose to relax and experience Thai Hai Village – which received the "Best Village in the World" award in 2022 from the World Tourism Organization and was listed by CNN Travel as one of the most beautiful rural areas in the world.

Carolina shared that she was impressed by her stop in Thai Hai for three reasons: Firstly, unlike many other tourist destinations across the country, Thai Hai doesn't have extravagant architecture, but rather a pristine village with bamboo groves, stilt houses, and the gentle smoke rising in the evening. In the village, people eat together, share expenses, raise their children together, and engage in community tourism… all encapsulated in a peaceful space that embodies the culture of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups.

Secondly, there's the climate. The cool, pleasant weather of this mountainous region makes people feel relaxed. Here, you'll experience all four seasons, with many kinds of trees, fruits, and flowers blooming brilliantly according to the season.

Thirdly, there's the cuisine . Many dishes are prepared and presented in a way that surprises visitors. The flavors of the dishes draw diners into the unique taste of the mountains and forests, a taste not found everywhere.

A meal prepared by the Tay and Nung ethnic groups to welcome guests in Thai Hai village.

Carolina further shared: "I feel so peaceful and relaxed here. Everything around me feels so familiar, making me feel like I'm back home."

And I know what it feels like when everything around you touches your emotions; it makes you nostalgic, longing for memories, for the peace you felt with family and loved ones! And I understand why Carolina chose Thai Nguyen as her destination when she came to Vietnam.

Carolina and her friend had a cooking experience at Thai Hai Village.

Like many people in Thai Nguyen, I am proud of my homeland – the capital of resistance, the capital of the thousand winds – not only because of the beauty distilled from its heroic history, but also because my homeland possesses beauties that the world must recognize. These include the legendary Nui Coc Lake and the pristine Ba Be Lake, known to poets and writers for their gentle yet enduring beauty.

Many people have surely heard the legends of Lake Nui Coc and Lake Ba Be. These legends are the origins of these breathtaking natural masterpieces that captivate the hearts of people. Today, Lake Nui Coc is gradually emerging as a "strategic front," carrying the hope of developing a modern lake tourism area and potentially creating a turning point for the entire Thai Nguyen region in the next decade.

Lake Nui Coc is often compared to Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.

"In the coming time, to attract more tourists to Nui Coc Lake, we have been developing a plan to renovate the landscape system and upgrade the recreational and experiential areas. Simultaneously, we will continue to invest in developing new products and experiential activities. We believe that with these changes and upgrades, Nui Coc Lake will become an increasingly attractive destination, better meeting the sightseeing and relaxation needs of domestic and international tourists," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, Deputy Director of Nui Coc Lake Trade Union Hotel and Tourism Joint Stock Company.

Perhaps in Vietnam and many other countries around the world, there are very few places with such pristine ecological environments as Thai Hai Village, Nui Coc Lake, or Ba Be Lake… With towering limestone mountains, hills shaped like inverted bowls reflecting on the lake's surface, and the hazy mist and clouds revealing glimpses of boats in the early morning, the water vapor from the lake's surface drifting lazily, some places like smoke, others like clouds… all adding to the mystical atmosphere.

Despite attracting millions of domestic and international tourists, Thai Nguyen remains remarkably unspoiled. The mountains, rivers, tea hills, and rice paddies are all still there! The natural landscape, which is constantly changing, quickly returns to tranquility, giving visitors to Thai Nguyen the feeling of stepping into a traditional ink painting.

And I am immensely proud to be a character in this ink painting amidst the mountains and forests of Viet Bac. I have a moment of quiet solitude with my homeland, to tell friends from all over the world about the majestic mountains and rivers of my country…

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/du-lich-thai-nguyen/202601/tu-hao-hai-tieng-thai-nguyen-30e42da/