Quy Chau - An attractive highland region.

Experience community tourism in Hoa Tien.

Located approximately 140km northwest of Vinh City, Quy Chau – the former central region of Phu Quy – still retains many pristine and peaceful features. With its advantages in natural landscapes and rich historical and cultural traditions, Quy Chau district is focusing on developing the Hoa Tien community tourism destination to become increasingly worthy, an attractive destination offering diverse tourism options to best meet the needs of visitors.

Tourists experience the traditional brocade weaving craft in Hoa Tien village, Quy Chau district.

Hoa Tien is an ancient Thai village where 98% of the population are ethnic Thai people, living peacefully along the picturesque Hieu River. The village has 386 households with over 300 stilt houses. The stilt houses in Hoa Tien are maintained according to their original traditional architecture. Currently, 10 households in the village have been upgraded into community homestays, fully equipped to serve tourists with accommodation, meals, and experiences. At these community homestays, there are also stalls selling traditional products such as brocade fabrics, rattan trays, chairs, blankets, pillows, Thai mattresses, and water wheels. Some also offer additional tourism services such as ox cart rides, rafting on streams, and fishing in the rivers.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Thuong, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: “Hoa Tien is one of the attractive community tourism destinations for weekends with many interesting activities and relatively low costs. My trips to the village are usually with my family and friends. The best thing about coming here is enjoying the scenery around the lake, experiencing the culture of sleeping in stilt houses, enjoying ethnic folk performances, admiring the waterwheel, and also experiencing traditional craft village tourism activities…”

Unlike community-based tourism in many localities, in Hoa Tien, the main tourism products are still preserved, such as water wheels. This is a unique creation of the highland residents, occupying an important position and role in the agricultural production life of the people here.

Visiting Hoa Tien community tourism village, tourists will have the opportunity to stay in the village to enjoy the local culinary culture associated with unique and distinctive specialties of Quy Chau district such as: Muscovy duck, dried beef, meatballs, pickled bamboo shoots, ot soup, grilled fish, sour meat, sour fish, pickled vegetables in bamboo tubes, hill chicken, taro soup, sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes, various cheo dishes… Local tourism operators also develop tours guiding visitors in preparing dishes according to traditional culture, creating novelty for visitors, especially international tourists.

Experiencing community-based tourism in Hoa Tien village. Photo: PV

In 2021, Hoa Tien community tourism destination was recognized by the People's Committee of Nghe An province as a 4-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) village at the provincial level. In addition, Hoa Tien has long been famous for its magnificent Bua Cave and Chieng Ngam Temple, where King Bao Dai once stopped to admire the scenery. Therefore, it attracts tours from French and Belgian tourists, as well as individual visitors. Notably, recently, tourism activities in the area have continued to welcome many groups of visitors from various provinces and cities nationwide and internationally.

Developing tourism to a level commensurate with its potential.

In Quy Chau, tourists can not only experience life in the ancient Thai village of Hoa Tien but also visit the scenic Hang Bua cave in Chau Tien commune. The cave has two entrances: a large cave (Tham Om) located in the northwest and a smaller cave (Tham Noi) in the southeast. In front of the large cave entrance are two rocks resembling two frogs guarding the entrance. Deep inside the cave, visitors can admire the stalactites with their vivid shapes. Every spring, young and old, men and women from all over gather at Hang Bua to attend the festival and participate in activities such as throwing the "con" (a type of ball), bamboo dancing, archery, stilt walking, immersing themselves in the melodies of folk songs, and enjoying the unique dishes of the Phu Quy region.

Besides visiting the famous Bua Cave, tourists can also explore other scenic spots such as Chieng Ngam Temple; Tham Om Cave; the historical site of the apple tree and the tomb of General Lang Van Thiet; Khe Ban Waterfall; Ta Ngoi Waterfall; climbing Pha Xang Mountain; visiting the Quy Chau Ethnic Museum…

In particular, to facilitate tourists visiting attractive tourist destinations in the area, Quy Chau district has developed the "Returning to the Ancient Land of Quy Chau" tour. This 2-day, 1-night tour includes the following itinerary: Quy Chau Red Stone Region, Khe Ban Waterfall (Chau Binh commune) – Quy Chau District Museum of Ethnic Cultures (Tan Lac town) – Hoa Tien Community Tourism Village – Chieng Ngam Temple – Bua Cave (Chau Tien).

Hoa Tien village is renowned as one of the oldest and most famous centers for weaving and embroidering brocade among the Thai people in Nghe An province. (Photo courtesy of Thanh Phuc)

In addition, Quy Chau district focuses on investing in the development of tourism products, prioritizing products with distinctive characteristics and exploiting traditional cultural values. In 2021, trademarks were registered for 11 products, including: Pu Huong Mu Tun wine, Pu Huong Ganoderma lucidum mushroom wine, Pu Huong golden flower tea, Pu Huong natural honey, pickled bamboo shoots, dried bamboo shoots, sausage, dried beef, smoked buffalo meat, smoked pork, and fermented pork. Four products were registered for provincial-level OCOP product evaluation: Mu Tun wine, Ganoderma lucidum mushroom wine, golden flower tea, and Pu Huong natural honey.

Mr. Le Thanh Ha, Vice Chairman of the Quy Chau District People's Committee, said: "The Resolution of the Quy Chau District Party Congress for the 2021-2026 term emphasizes that tourism is identified as one of the 'three breakthroughs' of the district."

A view of Tan Lac town (Quy Chau). Photo: Ke Kien

Therefore, to develop tourism in Quy Chau to its full potential, the district will focus its resources on completing the Museum of Ethnic Cultures of Western Nghe An in Quy Chau district; investing in the initial infrastructure of several scenic areas such as Khe Ban Waterfall, Khe My Waterfall, and Hoa Tien Community Tourism Village to be ready to welcome tourists, thereby promoting the image and attracting investment for tourism; simultaneously investing in upgrading the Apple Tree Relic and the tomb of General Lang Van Thiet in Chau Hoi commune; reviewing the overall planning of the Hang Bua Relic and Chieng Ngam Temple to make appropriate adjustments and ensure good investment preparation.

In addition, the district is coordinating with local media outlets to develop promotional programs and build the district's tourism image; implementing training courses to improve tourism skills in the area; and continuing to develop local products to serve tourists visiting Quy Chau.