After years of overcoming difficulties and challenges to develop, Sung village of Cao Son commune, Da Bac district (Hoa Binh province), has made its name known in the tourism map of Vietnam. Tourism development has not only helped improve income but also created an impulse for local Dao Tien ethnic people to preserve and bring into play their traditional cultural values.
 Ly Van Henh, a Sung villager of Cao Son commune (Da Bac district), teaches the Nom – Dao script to children
Located on Bieu Mountain – home to an ancient forest, Sung hamlet boasts a cool and fresh atmosphere. Therefore, many describe this place as an ideal getaway from the summer heat.
Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for two years (2020 – 2021), this village of Dao ethnic people has become an attractive destination for domestic and international visitors since late 2022. Well-built infrastructure, upgraded traditional-style houses, new services and, especially, revitalised traditional crafts have made considerable changes to Sung village.
Ly Van Henh, an elderly man teaching the traditional Nom – Dao script of the Dao ethnic group, said his class has been maintained for many years. By learning the script, young people can know how to write the script and also gain a better understanding of their ethnic group’s culture and moral standards, thereby helping uphold the good traditional cultural values and develop community-based tourism as well.
Many traditional crafts of the Dao Tien people have also been revived in Sung hamlet, including brocade weaving.
Ly Thi Thien, a woman in Sung village, said that since local residents embarked on tourism, they have received assistance from a project to set up a group of 12 brocade makers. The craft has helped them produce not only beautiful clothes for their families but also an attractive tourism product.
She perceived that tourism has given a facelift to their village and improved their income. Her family and many others have registered to provide accommodation services, and they hope to receive further training in tourism skills and access concessional loans to create more professional tourism services with higher economic profitability.
An official of the Da Bac culture and information division said that preserving traditional culture is the key to developing community-based tourism in the district. In Sung village, Da Bac authorities have been helping locals improve their tourism skills as well as recover, preserve, and bring into play the traditional culture of the Dao Tien people in order to sustainably develop tourism and gain more economic benefits.
Aside from experiencing the traditional culture of the Dao Tien people in Sung village, from here, visitors can go to explore nearby destinations of Da Bac district such as Da Bia hamlet of Tien Phong commune, Ke hamlet of Hien Luong commune, or Hoa Binh Lake that is dubbed “Ha Long Bay on land”./.
Hoa Binh Newspaper – en.baohoabinh.com.vn
