Yen Bai builds its tourism brand from its cultural heritage.

Yen Bai is a land with a long history, boasting numerous historical relics and tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites that have been nationally ranked, along with the rich and diverse customs and traditions of its 30 ethnic groups. This abundant potential is identified by Yen Bai province as a crucial resource for positioning its image and building its tourism brand.

Báo Yên Bái•25/04/2025

The province currently has 142 ranked historical and cultural relics; over 40 traditional festivals; 510 intangible cultural heritage items of ethnic minority groups; 1 scenic spot ranked as a special national monument, the Mu Cang Chai terraced rice fields; 1 intangible cultural heritage item representing humanity, the Thai Xoe dance art, inscribed by UNESCO; and 11 intangible cultural heritage items included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, including: the Coming-of-Age Ceremony of the Dao people (Van Yen district); the Han Khuong ceremony of the Thai people (Nghia Lo town); the New Rice Festival of the Mong people (Mu Cang Chai district); the Dong Cuong Temple Festival (Van Yen district); the Mong Khen art and the art of using beeswax to create patterns on fabric of the Mong people (Mu Cang Chai, Tram Tau, and Van Chan districts); and the Thai Xoe dance art (Nghia Lo town). The terraced rice fields of Mu Cang Chai have been voted one of the 20 most colorful destinations in the world by CN Traveler travel magazine…

>> An A+ rating for tourism in Yen Bai

Yen Bai enjoys a bountiful harvest of tourism in all four seasons.

Proud of its vast, rich, diverse, and unique cultural heritage, the province has, in recent years, focused on developing heritage tourism by promoting the distinctive values of each type of heritage. As a result, the number of domestic and international visitors has steadily increased. Tourists are enthusiastic about visiting Yen Bai and learning about its artistic activities, interacting with and experiencing local culture, festivals, lifestyles, and enjoying regional cuisine and products.

Two days experiencing the culture and life of the Thai people in Muong Lo, Nghia Lo town, was a memorable time for the Serouart family, French tourists. Choosing a homestay in Nghia An commune, the family visited several local historical sites and explored and experienced the culture and life of the Thai people, leaving everyone very impressed.

Ms. Serouart shared: "The locals took us to visit some of their cultural tourism products, then we participated in experiencing their daily activities, and in the evening we joined in the traditional Thai dance. My family was very excited because we learned that the 'Thai Xoe Dance' has been recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."

As for Ms. Nguyen Thu Hien, a tourist from Hanoi, she was delighted to immerse herself in the daily life and experience the traditional beeswax painting of the Hmong people – a national intangible cultural heritage. She said: "I am very happy to learn about the traditional beeswax painting technique and to be able to make my own souvenir using the traditional Hmong material to take home as a memorable keepsake."

The terraced rice fields of Mu Cang Chai are a colorful destination that attracts a large number of tourists.

Ms. Ly Thi Ninh, head of the Mong ethnic group's traditional brocade weaving cooperative in De Thang village, Che Cu Nha commune, said: "When tourists come to Mu Cang Chai, we guide them to learn and become familiar with the beeswax painting technique. This is a way for us to promote, introduce, and proudly showcase the unique cultural features of our ethnic group's traditional costumes, as well as to generate additional income from this distinctive local tourism product."

It is evident that the appeal of heritage has driven tourism development, bringing many benefits in terms of income, employment, and local socio-economic development. The number of tourists visiting the province is increasing, and their stays are longer. Accordingly, from 2022 to the present, tourism growth has made significant breakthroughs, with an average annual growth rate of 40.1%. In 2024, the number of tourists reached 2,272,200 (exceeding the plan by 33.7%; nearly 2.9 times higher than in 2021); international tourists reached 288,800 (reaching 96.2% of the plan, nearly 688 times higher than in 2021), and revenue reached 1,922 billion VND (exceeding the plan by 28.1%, 3.9 times higher than in 2021).

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the total number of visitors served is estimated at 406,034, a significant increase of 31.37% compared to the same period last year. Notably, the growth rate of accommodation establishments in Yen Bai province in recent years has consistently been among the highest in the Northwest region, especially the homestay system. The province has a rapid tourism growth rate and is a new market with diverse products.

In reality, cultural heritage creates an attractive tourist destination. Heritage tourism generates income and jobs, provides motivation and resources for preserving and promoting heritage values; it also actively supports improving the quality of life, enhancing understanding, and forming a basis for appropriate codes of conduct between locals, tourists, and heritage sites, contributing to widespread promotion and maintaining the enduring vitality of heritage.

To achieve the "dual goal" of both developing tourism and preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage, Yen Bai province will continue to strengthen the preservation, restoration, and promotion of the cultural value of historical relics and cultural works; develop traditional craft villages combined with tourism; and enhance the training and quality of tour guides and interpreters. At the same time, it will diversify tourism promotion methods through various media channels and organize programs to introduce local cultural heritage to domestic and international tourists.

Thanh Chi

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/226/348907/Yen-Bai-xay-dung-thuong-hieu-du-lich-tu-di-san-van-hoa.aspx