Vu Lang: Preserving traditional cultural identity associated with tourism

In recent years, with many practical and appropriate solutions, Vu Lang commune, Bac Son district has achieved many positive results in preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic minorities in association with local community tourism development.

Members of the lion-cat dance team of community tourism village in Vu Lang commune practice

Discovering and experiencing in Vu Lang community tourism village, Bac Son district at the beginning of April 2023, Nguyen Viet Chinh, a tourist from Ha Noi excitedly said: “I am very happy with such a fascinating and meaningful destination. Here, in addition to enjoying the fresh air with poetic scenery, rowing a boat on Vu Lang Lake, I can watch lion-cat dance, listen to then singing and enjoy many delicious traditional specialties such as grilled meat in bamboo tube, black banh chung… I will share with my friends about this tourist destination”.

Chinh’s feeling is similar to that of many other tourists when coming to the community tourist site of Vu Lang commune. It is known that Vu Lang commune is 20 km southwest of Bac Son district center. Here, Tay people preserve a rich and diverse cultural heritage system from traditional 4-roof stilt houses, traditional costumes, to then, luon, vi singings, and lion-cat dance … with typical culinary culture such as wild pork, roast pork, grilled fish, banh do, black banh chung, rice in bamboo tube…

From the above advantages, in 2018, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism directed the Tourism Promotion Center to coordinate with the Culture and Information Division of Bac Son district to build a model of community tourism in Vu Lang commune. With careful preparation and investment, in 2021, Vu Lang community tourist site was recognized by the Provincial People’s Committee and started operating with 2 restaurants providing food services, 5 households providing homestay services and 10 stilt houses to meet the capacity of 150 guests per day. Thereby, it attracts more tourist to come. It is known that from the beginning of 2022 until now, this tourist destination has welcomed 2,560 visitors.

With the above results, in addition to the attention, timely mechanisms and policies of the province, the local Party Committee, government and people have been very active in preserving the cultural identity associated with tourism development. Mr. Dang Minh Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Vu Lang Commune said: “We determine that the development of community tourism must be associated with the preservation and promotion of ethnic cultural identity value. Accordingly, since 2018, the commune has encouraged people to preserve and embellish the traditional 4-roof stilt houses, and cooperated with functional units to open classes on playing tinh lute, then singing, vi singing, and lion-cat dance … for people in the area. By 2020, the commune has established a lion-cat dance team with 7 members and a then singing club for community tourism with 35 members. Thereby, it can both preserve the traditional cultural values of the ethnic and serve tourists.”

Party committee and government of the commune regularly encourage people to actively promote traditional cultural values for tourists to practice and experience. Mr. Nguyen Van Lien, Trang Son village, Vu Lang commune said: “Everyone in my village actively preserves the cultural beauty of their ethnic. My family since 2018 has invested about 1 billion to repair our traditional stilt house, and actively innovated and decorated traditional dishes so that they become attractive and eye-catching to serve tourists. Many customers have ordered cakes and sticky rice as souvernirs. Since the beginning of 2023, my family has welcomed over 100 guests.”

In fact, the preservation of national cultural identity has been creating momentum for the stable and effective development of tourism in Vu Lang commune. As a result, many cultural values that were previously lost have been restored, such as knitting, traditional costume making of the Tay and Dao Lo Gang people. In the coming time, the commune government will add more activities including experience of traditional craft village,rental services of traditional costumes, and restoring some games and performances at the Lien Huong pagoda festival (on 11th-12th of the first lunar month every year) to increase the attraction of the destination.

With the efforts of the Party Committee, government of the commune and the consensus of the people, it is believed that in the coming time, the community tourism village of Vu Lang commune will continue to develop and become an ideal destination for tourists.