Tan Son District focuses on preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups in association with tourism development

Tan Son is a mountainous district located in the southwest of Phu Tho province, established in 2007, on the basis of adjusting the administrative boundaries of Thanh Son district. The district has a population of 89 thousand people, of which 83.5% are ethnic minorities, Muong, Dao, Mong, ... living in 17 communes and 172 residential areas.

The traditional cultural beauty of Muong ethnic people in Tan Son district is introduced and promoted at the Hung Temple Festival.

Throughout the historical process of construction and development since the Hung Kings founded the country, through many changes in name and administrative boundaries, the ancient land of Tan Son has a long-standing and unique historical and cultural tradition. Originating from the daily life, labor, production, establishing Muong, and maintaining villages through thousands of years of history of ethnic minorities, a diverse and rich system of tangible and intangible cultural heritage has been created, imbued with the culture, beliefs, customs, and practices of the ethnic groups in the area such as: Language, housing, cuisine, Cham Duong folk performing arts, Vi singing, Rang singing, gongs, Moi dance, going to the fields festival, Doi New Year, rice procession ceremony, new rice offering custom, plowing and harrowing custom, traditional wedding and funeral customs of Muong ethnic people; folk performing arts of Chuong dance, Sinh Tien dance, Cap Sac ceremony, Nhay New Year, Pao Dung singing, traditional herbal remedies of Dao ethnic people; Khen dancing, Khen blowing, leaf trumpet, funeral and wedding customs of the Mong ethnic group...

Along with the unique traditional cultural heritage system, Tan Son is also endowed with many unique natural landscapes and scenic spots such as Xuan Son National Park—one of the 15 largest national parks in Vietnam with rich flora and fauna, primeval forests, caves, waterfalls, and majestic natural landscapes. Long Coc Tea Hill is known as one of the most beautiful tea hills in Vietnam; Minh Dai Youth Economic Zone, a provincial historical-cultural relic associated with the history of economic and social construction and development in the North in the 1970s; Giot Dong Son Cave; Con Thu Cuc Pass; Cua Thanh Temple, Dang Thach Kiet Stream; Mu Vo Traditional Tea Village, My Thuan Commune; Traditional Brocade Weaving Village, Chieng Hamlet, Kim Thuong Commune.

The treasure trove of cultural heritage and natural landscapes is a valuable resource, an advantage for Tan Son district to develop ecotourism, community tourism, spiritual tourism... Clearly identifying the potential and advantages of the locality, since its establishment, the Tan Son District Party Committee has proactively issued specialized resolutions, directives, and conclusions to lead and direct the implementation of the work of preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups associated with tourism development, in order to realize the goal of "Developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector, preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, creating momentum for sustainable socio-economic development.".

Tourists experience bamboo dance with Dao and Muong ethnic people. Photo: Ngoc Bich

With the goal of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values and creating momentum for sustainable socio-economic development, the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee has issued a resolution approving the plan to preserve and develop a number of unique cultural forms of ethnic minorities in Tan Son district for the period of 2019-2025.

The district has been synchronously implementing policies on training, coaching, and fostering ethnic minority cadres; opening ethnic minority language training and fostering classes for over 2,000 cadres, civil servants, and public employees; establishing traditional cultural, artistic, and sports clubs in 100% of residential areas and schools; launching and organizing traditional cultural, artistic, and sports movements; promoting the Movement of All People Uniting to Build a Cultural Life, Implementing Village and Residential Area Conventions; and widely propagating and promoting the typical traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities on social platforms.

Along with that, the district focuses on preserving, restoring, and maintaining the organization of traditional festivals of ethnic minorities such as the Going to the Fields Festival, Doi Festival, Thu Cuc Commune Rice Procession Festival, Cua Thanh Temple Festival in Thach Kiet Commune, Kiet Son Commune Rice Procession Festival, and Tan Phu Commune Traditional Culinary Culture Festival. Preserving and restoring the relics of Via Lua temple (Thu Cuc commune), Cua Thanh temple (Thach Kiet commune), Muong Kit temple (Kiet Son commune), and Tan temple (Minh Dai commune).

The district has coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to organize an inventory and prepare scientific dossiers to propose the classification of typical tangible and intangible cultural heritages in the district. Up to now, Tan Son district has 2 national intangible cultural heritages: the Coming of Age Ceremony of the Dao ethnic group and the traditional brocade weaving craft of the Muong ethnic group.

At the same time, with the capital from the National Target Program, the district budget and other legally mobilized sources, in the period from 2020 to 2024, the district has focused on allocating over 30 billion VND to prioritize the construction of a system of cultural and sports institutions to serve ethnic minorities, building 29 new cultural houses, repairing and upgrading 20 cultural houses, purchasing equipment for 60 cultural houses in residential areas; supporting training and purchasing equipment for activities, performance costumes for nearly 70 traditional art troupes; supporting outstanding ethnic minority artisans to open 6 classes to teach cultural heritage to their successors.

Along with the concern for preserving and promoting cultural values, the district has focused on implementing the goal of developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector, creating a driving force for socio-economic development. Inheriting the results of the Economic Development Project for Tourism in the period of 2008-2015, with a vision to 2020, the District People’s Committee issued Plan No. 71/KH-UBND dated January 17, 2022, on tourism development in Tan Son district in the period of 2021-2025.

In which, attention is paid to implementing solutions to promote investment attraction in tourism infrastructure development associated with ecological environment protection; building and developing tourist attractions and tourism businesses; building typical tourism products; effectively innovating propaganda and promotion of Tan Son’s potential and tourist destinations, attracting tourists to stay; improving the quality of tourism human resources to meet development requirements.

From 2020 to present, the district has focused on integrating resources to prioritize investment in basic infrastructure systems (electricity, roads, schools, stations) in the core and buffer zone communes of Xuan Son National Park; invest in opening a number of traffic routes to contribute to tourism development, such as Long Coc - Xuan Dai Road, Tan Phu - Xuan Dai Road, Kiet Son - Xom Coi Road (going to Xuan Son tourist area from the Southwest), an internal road from the center of Xuan Son National Park to Xom Lap, a tourist road from Tho Than Cave to Na Cave and waterfall, and rural traffic roads in Lap, Coi, and Lang hamlets. The district has approved a detailed construction plan at a scale of 1/500 for the Du hamlet residential area, Xuan Son commune.

Along with that, the district has coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to implement the project on developing ecological community tourism in Xuan Son National Park until 2025. Focus on mobilizing resources to invest in Du hamlet community ecotourism infrastructure; build a number of models to create highlights for visitors, such as “Xuan Son Tourist Flower Street”; build a model to support households in Long Coc and Xuan Son communes to develop homestay community tourism associated with ecotourism; promote training to improve the quality of human resources; organize training courses; and provide tourism guidance to each member of the homestays.

In order to effectively exploit the potential and advantages of the locality to form a variety of tourism products, generate income, and improve the lives of the people, the district has been implementing the policy of closely connecting tourism development activities with the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values, building cultural products, agricultural economic products, and traditional handicraft products typical of tourism; supporting and guiding people to develop tourism according to a sustainable model, ethnic minority communities have the right to participate in and benefit from tourism activities; improving the landscape and environment of green-clean-beautiful villages; preserving traditional cultural identities. Currently, in Long Coc and Xuan Son communes, 17 homestays have been established by Muong and Dao ethnic households.

To develop typical products for tourism, the district is interested in effectively implementing agricultural production programs, building OCOP products such as programs for raising multi-spurred chickens, ri chickens, hill chickens, stream ducks, badger pigs, hybrid wild boars, and honey bees, and raising large cattle such as buffaloes, cows, and goats; producing high-quality green tea,...

Localities focus on preserving and processing traditional culinary products such as leaf feasts, bamboo rice, colorful sticky rice, moss, stream fish, sticky rice, sour meat, fish, corn wine, rice wine, deer wine, cam wine, and tube wine; banh u, banh nang, and banh trung kien; and focus on producing typical products with national identity from brocade weaving (pants, shirts, scarves, bags, blankets, pillows, mattresses...), hand-woven weaving, and production tools (backpacks, knife cases, baskets, crossbows, looms...) to serve tourism.

With specific solutions and measures, the work of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ​​associated with tourism development in Tan Son district has achieved important results. The district has built 3 provincial-level tourist destinations, including the Du village community tourism site, the Coi village community eco-tourism site, and the Ngoc waterfall eco-tourism site. The values and traditional tangible and intangible cultural heritages of ethnic minorities in the district are being preserved and promoted effectively; tourism activities are gradually becoming more systematic and effective, and the number of tourists to Tan Son district is continuously increasing, contributing to sustainable socio-economic development for local people.

Promoting the achieved results, in the coming time, the Party Committee and the government of Tan Son district will continue to promote the strength of the entire political system, the participation of all classes of people, and mobilize resources to effectively implement the work of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ​​and identities associated with tourism development. Strengthen propaganda work so that people are fully aware of the content, meaning, and benefits of preserving and promoting cultural heritage associated with tourism development for the cause of local socio-economic development. Improve the quality of human resources working in culture and tourism; enhance the application of modern science and technology in heritage conservation management and tourism development. Continue to mobilize resources for the restoration and embellishment of relics; improve the quality and efficiency of preserving, restoring, and promoting the value of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Pay attention to building and perfecting the planning of tourist areas and spots. Focus on investing in upgrading traffic infrastructure, technical infrastructure for trade, tourism, services, and environmental landscapes in a synchronous manner. Build and develop unique cultural tourism products, spiritual tourism associated with types of ecotourism, resorts, and exploration... Encourage businesses and communities to do tourism; promote attracting investment projects in tourism and culture, striving to build Xuan Son into a National Tourist Area by 2030.

Nguyen Xuan Toan

Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tan Son District