The alluring, fresh nature and pure cultural values are strengths for the western communes of Hoa Vang District, Da Nang to develop tourism and service, together creating spring for this land. It can be said that Hoa Vang has never been so serious about tourism as these years. The commune has taken slow, cautious and responsible steps to bring sustainable values to its community.

Tourists have fun at An Nhien Farm, Hoa Ninh Commune, Hoa Vang District. Photo: Tieu Yien

1. Artisan Alang Doi and his wife, left Gung village in P'rao town, Dong Giang District, Quang Nam Province and chose Toom Sara village (in Co Tu minority language means flower spring), Hoa Phu Commune, Hoa Vang District to live by tourism at the invitation of Mr Huynh Tan Phap, CEO of Toom Sara Village.

Since then, he no longer carries a basket to pick forest leaves, going down to the stream to catch fish. Instead, he plays the lute or the Co Tu drum, carved statues and tree trunks, and introduces the familiar Co Tu ethnic culture to tourists.

According to Mr Huynh Tan Phap, the idea of a Co Tu cultural space is the outline in the synthesis of the elements "green, clean, healthy", responsible tourism and tourism that respects the natural landscape in Toom Sara Village. This place has become more attractive by its green trees, springs, mosses and red, yellow, and purple colours of mountain flowers, forest bananas.

It seems that every visitor can find in Toom Sara Village a little bit of ‘home’ in the garden of rambutans, sweet gourd rigs, figs, earthenware pots, or walkways with areca trees and ornamental plants filling up the fences to create beautiful gardens

With the hope to transform Toom Sara Village become the most beautiful, poetic and intimate, Mr Phap has put much effort into building a gong cultural space, prioritizing the use of bamboo utensils, leaves, paper in addition to its available charming nature. The accommodation space is a multitude of tents and natural, small and beautiful places.

2. Located amid Ba Na - Nui Chua Nature Reserve and Bach Ma National Park, Thua Thien Hue Province, Hoa Bac Commune is considered by many to be the "Northwest of Viet Nam in the heart of Da Nang". The cafes and tourist areas located along the Cu De River such as Nha Do Shop, Yen Retreat, Nguon Village have attracted numerous visitors to check-in and enjoy the spectacular nature here this spring.

As shared by Ms Nguyen Thi Dieu, residing in Nam Yen Village, convenient traffic and poetic terrain have helped Hoa Bac locals boldly invest in tourism and services. Hoa Bac's scenery picture seems to be more beautiful as people now use bamboo and wood to build fences, gates, or grow green trees, moss roses, rain lily, water bananas to generate a clean and beautiful landscape which close to the life of rural areas.

At the same time, the activities of preserving the Co Tu ethnic culture associated with the development of community eco-tourism implemented since 2017 have also created momentum for Hoa Bac to change in both thinking and economy, tourism, services development orientation.

Besides, unique tourism products such as knitting, brocade weaving, gong dancing, guiding tourists to make rafts, making croissants, knitting baskets are also being actively created. The Co Tu ethnic community in Hoa Bac also established groups to serve tourism such as gong, cuisine, trekking, knitting, ly singing, brocade, interpretation with the goal of both developing the family economy and preserving the local culture.

By the end of 2020, the per capita income of Hoa Bac reached VND 55 million/person/year, mostly based on the forest garden economy as well as exploiting the potential of tourism and services. Currently, the locality has a plan to develop forest garden eco-tourism to promote the rural economy.

3. After 3 years of cooperation with Mr Huynh Tan Phap to build an eco-tourism area with the criterion of "green, clean, healthy", Ms Le Thi Nam Phuong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of L.I.F.E Investment Joint Stock Company - the investor of Toom Sara Village - affirmed the two had "met" each other in the criteria of responsible tourism and enhancing natural values.

They have pursued the goal of building the village to become a destination for education, biodiversity, and awaken visitors' emotions before the beautiful nature. As the result, new natural values will be preserved, developed and properly exploited, so that the communes in the west of Hoa Vang will become a special and green land.

The project on community tourism development in Hoa Vang district for the period 2020-2025, with a vision to 2030, has also identified three community-based tourism clusters in the western communes, including Ta Lang - Gian Bi, Hoa Bac Commune; Tuy Loan, Hoa Phong Commune - Thach Nham Tay - Thai Lai, Hoa Nhon Commune - Phu Tuc, Hoa Phu Commune; An Dinh - Nam Yen - Pho Nam, Hoa Bac Commune with the form of camping, resort tourism, trekking, river games and agricultural experiences.

Chairman of Hoa Vang District People's Committee Phan Van Ton affirmed that it is time for communes in the west of the city to take advantage of natural, land and cultural advantages to develop local economy and tourism as the type of tourism that experiences and respects nature has been a new and sustainable tourism trend.

The promotion of tourism and service potential in the western communes of Hoa Vang has been quite effective in recent years. This locality has attracted more investment, developed the household economy, created local jobs. Most importantly, the district has become more professional and civilized in the orientation of rural economic and cultural development.

Reporting by TIEU YEN- Translating by T.VY