Ethnic minority localities of the province are exploiting the advantages of indigenous tourism to improve their livelihoods and increase people's income.
Hong Dong Homestay in Hoanh Mo commune, Binh Lieu district was renovated without losing the intact architecture of Tay people's houses.
Quang Ninh currently has 42 ethnic minorities, with more than 162,000 people. Recently, the province has made many decisions to promote socio-economic development in this area, in which tourism associated with the traditional culture of ethnic minorities is considered an important solution.
Besides restoring, maintaining and promoting traditional festivals, localities also actively develop folk cultural activities clubs, preserve and promote intangible culture and build a traditional cultural model of ethnic minorities.
The province is focusing on investing in four ethnic minority villages: Tay ethnic village in Ban Cau, Luc Hon Commune (Binh Lieu District), San Chi ethnic village in Luc Ngu Village, Huc Dong Commune (Binh Lieu District), Dao Thanh Y ethnic village, Hai Son Commune (Mong Cai City) and San Diu ethnic village, Binh Dan Commune (Van Don District), to develop tourism associated with ethnic minority culture.
Locals and tourists enthusiastically participated in traditional sports competitions and folk games at the Bang Ca Village Festival 2024.
As a borderline mountainous district in the northeast of Quang Ninh, just 120km away from Ha Long City, Binh Lieu shares 43km borders with China, Binh Lieu is greatly endowed by nature with moderate climate and cool weather and fresh air all year round. Binh Lieu possesses high mountainous terrain with stunning waterfalls such as Khe Van, Khe Tien and Song Mooc. The terraced fields here are called "golden carpets" during the ripe rice season. The immense “heaven” of white reed grass and vast acacia and Ceylon cinnamon forests Binh Lieu have currently regarded as the most mesmerizing views in this district.
With 96% of the population being ethnic minorities, Binh Lieu district is now developing models of preserving cultural values of ethnic groups. A variety of festival activities and cultural and tourism weeks are organized annually such as Golden season festival, So flower festival, Soong Co Singing Festival, Luc Na communal house festival, etc.
Other localities such as Mong Cai, Ba Che, Van Don, and Tien Yen also actively exploit potential resources from the cultural identity of ethnic minorities to develop tourism.
The Tay people's lion and cat dance was recently restored at the first Tay Ethnic Cultural Festival in 2023 in Dap Thanh commune, Ba Che district.
Ba Che district is focusing on developing festivals associated with the communal house and pagoda system, such as the Ban Vuong Festival, Ong Temple - Ba Temple Festival and Lang Da communal house festival.
During the festivals, visitors can experience ritual ceremonies, fire dancing, brocade embroidery, pao dung singing, a five-colour sticky rice cooking contest and activities imbued with the identities of the Dao, Tay, and San Chay ethnic groups in Ba Che. In recent years, festivals have not only met people's spiritual needs but also developed tourism, attracting tourists from inside and outside the province.
Tien Yen District has a traditional boat racing festival in Dong Rui Commune, the Dong Dinh communal house festival, the Cultural and sports festival of the Dao, San Chi, Tay and San Diu ethnic groups and Ha Lau Market. Ha Long City has the Bang Ca village festival, and Mong Cai City has a Culture - Sports - Tourism Festival of ethnic groups, associated with Po Hen Market (Hai Son Commune).
By Nguyen Dung
