Martial arts school turns tourism into a tourist attraction.

(GLO) - Traditional martial arts training spaces in Gia Lai province are expanding in a direction linked to tourism activities. Many martial arts schools are opening their doors to tourists, turning martial arts heritage into a unique tourism product, offering visitors special experiences.

A bridge for promoting culture.

Famous for preserving ancient martial arts books and training many generations of excellent martial arts masters and students, Long Phuoc Pagoda (Tuy Phuoc commune) regularly organizes martial arts performances for visitors.

Long Phuoc Pagoda (Tuy Phuoc commune) has become a destination that harmoniously combines spiritual space and traditional martial arts performances for tourists. Photo: Kieu Vy

After receiving investment for construction and expansion, the temple now has additional facilities: an ancestral worship hall, a martial arts training and performance area, a stupa, a garden of eighteen Arhat statues, and accommodation for tourists…

Based on that, at the end of December 2025, Long Phuoc Pagoda will launch the tourism product "Journey of Martial Arts and Meditation". This tourism model is expected to bring educational value, helping participants to both train their physical bodies and nurture their spiritual lives, while also having the opportunity to explore and clearly feel the traditional cultural identity.

Martial arts master Nguyen Van Thang - Head of the Long Phuoc Pagoda Martial Arts Club - shared: "The visiting groups are mainly students from some schools in the province and visitors from the northern provinces."

In the future, the club will continue to develop and stage unique performances to create a positive impression on tourists when they come to visit and experience the area.”

With the support of the province, for many years, martial arts schools such as Phi Long Vinh, Long Phuoc Pagoda (Tuy Phuoc commune), Le Xuan Canh (An Nhon Dong ward), Ly Xuan Hy (An Nhon ward), Ho Sung (Binh Hiep commune), Phan Tho (Tay Son commune)... have become tourist destinations for many groups of visitors.

Beyond simply welcoming visitors for experiential activities, martial arts schools also focus on building a force of young martial arts students to participate in performances at various tourist destinations in the area, thereby contributing to promoting the essence of national culture.

Martial arts master Ho Sy (Ho Sung martial arts school) shared: “We see performing at tourist destinations and art programs as an opportunity to promote our national culture. The characteristic martial arts techniques from the eighteen weapons are enthusiastically received by tourists.”

Proactively "enrich" the customer reception activities.

Since 2012, the Phan Tho martial arts school (Tay Son commune) has been welcoming visitors. To date, this activity has been connected with travel agencies to create experiential tourism products.

The experiential program includes: an introduction to the history of the martial arts school, offering incense at the ancestral temple, watching traditional martial arts performances, and directly guiding visitors in practicing some basic martial arts movements.

Each year, this martial arts school welcomes around 50 international delegations, showcasing many martial arts techniques and the unique characteristics of Binh Dinh's traditional martial arts.

Tourists visit and practice martial arts at Phan Tho martial arts school (Tay Son). Photo: HV

Intrepid Vietnam Tourism Co., Ltd. is one of the regular partners that brings 15-20 groups of tourists each year to Phan Tho martial arts school for a unique experience.

Tour guide Bui Thanh Bac said: “We designed this experiential tour to give visitors a deeper understanding of Tay Son martial arts. Foreign tourists are delighted to be introduced to the local cultural identity. The hands-on experiences at the martial arts school contribute to making the trip richer and more meaningful.”

After experiencing the Phan Tho martial arts school firsthand, tourist Olivia Wilson (New Zealand) shared: “Upon learning more, I realized that each martial arts technique and form contains profound meaning, clearly demonstrating practical combat effectiveness and closely connected to the lives of the local people. Directly experiencing training at the martial arts school gave us a very new, captivating, and memorable feeling.”

Notably, Phan Tho martial arts school is one of the rare places in Gia Lai that has built accommodation for tourists; in fact, many people stay for extended periods to learn martial arts and experience local life.

The martial arts performances have been upgraded and innovated to meet the diverse requirements of each show. Photo: Provided by the organizers.

Sharing his vision for future development, Grandmaster Phan Minh Hai said: "Many visiting groups wish to extend their stay to learn more about martial arts and traditional culture."

Based on that reality, the martial arts school plans to invest in more tents and organize outdoor activities such as bonfires, participating in productive labor, cooking, etc., in order to diversify the experience and help tourists more fully appreciate the cultural life associated with the land of martial arts.”

Besides martial arts schools, the promotion of Binh Dinh's traditional martial arts is carried out on a large scale and systematically by professional units in the province. The martial arts team of the Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts Center is regularly invited to perform for cultural diplomacy activities, tourists at tourist destinations, festivals, and important political, cultural, and sports events in many provinces, cities, and sectors throughout the country...

Students from the Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts Center perform for diplomatic activities and cultural exchange. Photo: Provided by the Center.

Each year, new and elaborately staged performances are created, harmoniously combining martial arts excerpts, dance, and music, showcasing a youthful and modern style while retaining strong traditional characteristics.

Senior martial arts master Tran Duy Linh, Director of the Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts Center, said: "Through each exchange, we gain a lot of experience and realize the need to continue improving the quality of our performances to more effectively promote Binh Dinh traditional martial arts."

The center is striving to train many martial arts students to achieve a high level of technical skill; integrating performance acts with a team of arrangers, composers, and choreographers to create spectacular performances that captivate audiences both domestically and internationally.”

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/vo-duong-lam-du-lich-post580166.html