Xiangyang suddenly became a hot topic on travel forums.

(Baonghean) - On travel forums, people are currently sharing tips for backpacking in Western Nghe An and giving Tuong Duong high marks for its many unique features.

"Rising star" on the Nghe An tourism map

In early May, through an open forum on Facebook, a group of five young people from Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City came together to embark on a backpacking trip to explore the central and Central Highlands provinces, with the western districts of Nghe An province also included in their itinerary.

Traveling by motorbike, five young people had an unforgettable journey through the districts of Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, and Ky Son. Of these, Tuong Duong was the destination where they stayed the longest.

Experiential tourism at Khe Kien Waterfall (Tuong Duong). Photo: Thanh Cuong

Nguyen Hoang Hiep, a student from the Electrical Engineering department at Da Nang University of Technology, shared: “In Tuong Duong, we experienced lunchtime in the Săng Lẻ forest, explored the Bản Vẽ hydroelectric power plant by boat, and stayed in homestays with the Thai ethnic minority people… Everything was quite new and interesting.”

However, we also encountered some difficulties regarding food and accommodation because services at tourist destinations are not well-developed. The destinations also lacked signboards, so we had to find our way around on our own.”

Backpacking trips like the one undertaken by the group of five young people mentioned above to Tuong Duong district are becoming increasingly common. On travel forums, tips for backpacking in western Nghe An are being shared, and Tuong Duong is highly rated for its many unique features: the largest natural area among all districts in Vietnam, the most complex terrain, and the most diverse ethnic groups in Nghe An.

The "Tuong Duong travel guide" clearly points out the attractive features of this region, such as many primeval forests: the Săng Lẻ forest (Tam Dinh), the primary cold forest (Tam Hop), the dwarf tree forest in the Pù Mát nature reserve (Tam Quang), the Pù Huống nature reserve (Nga My), and many beautiful caves in the communes of Huu Khuong, Yen Thang, Xa Luong, Tam Dinh, Tam Quang…

Tuong Duong also boasts the vast Ban Ve and Khe Bo hydroelectric reservoirs, creating numerous islands and waterways; the reservoirs contain many beautiful caves such as Tham Nam and Tham Keo, promising very attractive ecotourism destinations.

In terms of cultural space, Tuong Duong preserves a number of Thai villages with very distinctive ancient customs such as Chan village, Mac village, Cay Me village, Nhan village, Phong village (Thach Giam commune), Xoong Con village, Luu Phong village (Luu Kien commune), Huoi To village (Mai Son commune)...

A positive start to 2017

In 2017, Tuong Duong district began to make positive strides in tourism development. Mr. Vi Van Son, Head of the Department of Culture and Information, said: "For many years, the district has not had the conditions to focus on tourism development, but this year is identified as a breakthrough year, and all tourism activities are being promoted."

Tuong Duong's Săng Lẻ forest. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Sach.

Last April, the district officially launched an ecotourism route connecting the Săng Lẻ forest (Tam Đình), Khe Cớ (Tam Đình), Thằm Cúng (Tam Đình), and community tourism in Bản Lau (Thạch Giám). The connection between these destinations is based on their proximity, convenient distance and travel time, harmonious tourism types, and the services that can be provided to tourists.”

Notably, last March, the District Youth Union organized the planting of 2,000 cherry blossom trees to create a highlight for the Khe Co Tourist Area (Tam Dinh). The seedlings were sourced from the wild within the district. This is an easy-to-grow and hardy flower that usually blooms in spring, around January and February, its vibrant pink blossoms adding charm to the natural landscape of the Khe Co area.

According to Mr. Le Hong Thai, Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Youth Union: “Tuong Duong is the first district in the western region of Nghe An province to plant this tree species on a large scale. We hope that when the flowers bloom, along with communication, promotion, and the spread on social media, it will attract a large number of visitors, especially young people.”

"If successful, from Khe Co, we will continue to propagate this tree species to many other locations in the district to create a positive impression on tourists and contribute to building a friendly and hospitable tourism image for Tuong Duong."

Phuoc Anh