Developing Spiritual Tourism into a Year-Round Destination

Phu Tho, known as the sacred ancestral land, boasts a rich system of historical sites, temples, and pagodas, along with unique cultural values. With its abundant potential, the province has significant advantages in developing spiritual tourism and attracting visitors throughout the year. The strategic vision of transforming Phu Tho into a four-season destination by integrating spiritual tourism with cultural, ecological, and festival experiences is essential. This approach will help preserve heritage values and elevate the tourism brand of the ancestral land.

Over thousands of years of history, Phu Tho has preserved and promoted the value of 1,372 historical sites. Among them, the Hung Kings Temple Historical Site has been classified as a special national historical and cultural site. Additionally, 73 sites are ranked as national relics, 12 as historical sites, and 207 as architectural and artistic relics recognized at the provincial level.

On average, Phu Tho welcomes more than 6 million visitors annually for sightseeing and relaxation. The Hung Kings Temple Historical Site alone attracts around 5 million visitors each year, with peak numbers reaching approximately 3 million during the main festival. However, not only Hung Kings Temple but also other spiritual tourism destinations mainly see crowds during major festivals and the early spring period. Outside these peak times, visitor numbers drop significantly.

Visitors Experience the Sacred Water Procession to Tam Giang Temple in Bach Hac Ward, Viet Tri City

In response to this trend, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (VH-TT&DL) has implemented various solutions to develop spiritual tourism into a year-round destination. The department has strengthened collaboration with travel agencies to design spiritual tourism packages tailored to different visitor groups, especially international tourists and young travelers.

The diversification of spiritual tourism products has been developed by exploiting attractive tourism routes such as: Lac Long Quan National Ancestor Temple – Hung Kings Historic Relic Site – Lai Len Temple – Hung Lo Ancient Village; Hung Kings Historic Relic Site – Hung Lo Ancient Village – Xuan Son National Park – Thanh Thuy Hot Mineral Spring Resort; Hung Kings Historic Relic Site – Tam Giang Temple Complex – Dai Bi Pagoda – Au Co Mother Temple in Ha Hoa.

Historical and cultural relics associated with national intangible cultural heritage within the cultural space of the Hung Kings Worship Belief have become highlights of distinctive spiritual and cultural tours, such as: Hung Kings Historic Relic Site associated with the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary and Hung Kings Temple Festival; Au Co Mother Temple in Ha Hoa District with the worship of Mother Au Co; the sacred water procession ritual at the river confluence at Tam Giang Temple, Bach Hac Ward; Hung Lo Communal House Relic Site in Viet Tri City.

The Phu Tho Tourism Information and Promotion Center, in collaboration with travel agencies inside and outside the province, has developed tourism programs that include various promotional packages, discounts, and free gifts for visitors exploring Phu Tho’s destinations and heritage sites, such as: One-day tour: Hung Kings Temple – Hung Lo Communal House – Hung Lo Ancient Village; 2-day, 1-night tour: Hung Kings Temple – Hung Lo Ancient Communal House – Tam Giang Temple – Long Coc Tea Hills – Wyndham Lynn Times Thanh Thuy Hot Spring Complex; 3-day, 2-night tour: Hung Kings Temple – Xoan Singing in the Ancient Village – Long Coc Tea Hills – Xuan Son National Park; 5-day interprovincial tour: Return to the Ancestral Land – Hanoi – Phu Tho – Yen Bai – Lao Cai.

Experiential activities are integrated into spiritual tourism routes to enhance the value of destinations, such as cooking Banh Chung (square sticky rice cake), pounding Banh Day (round sticky rice cake), making rice noodles, weaving conical hats, and enjoying Xoan Singing performances. Artistic programs, small festivals, and unique spiritual activities are organized throughout all seasons of the year. In addition, special attention is paid to training and developing a team of professional tour guides to convey the content and significance of the heritage sites to visitors.

In 2025, Phu Tho’s tourism sector is expected to welcome 6.65 million visitors, with projected revenue of VND 4.5 trillion.

Nguyen Dac Thuy, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, stated: “To stimulate tourism, the province has implemented various measures to attract visitors, with a particular focus on spiritual tourism. Localities are actively promoting spiritual destinations, upgrading infrastructure, organizing large-scale festivals, and integrating traditional cultural experiences. At the same time, spiritual tourism tours combined with sightseeing at scenic spots are being developed, creating diversity for visitors. The preservation of heritage values, improvement of service quality, and application of technology in tourism promotion will make spiritual tourism a highlight to attract tourists.”

Quoc An