Echoes of cultural festival associated with tourism development of May waterfall

Starting from Thanh Hoa city, after nearly 2 hours, we arrived on Ho Chi Minh road, the northern gateway of Thach Thanh district. From Ho Chi Minh road to May waterfall, in Dang Thuong village, Thach Lam commune (Thach Thanh) is nearly 10km. On both sides of the road, there are resting places and shops of local households, convenient for tourists to rest and admire the majestic mountains. This is the 3rd year that Thach Lam commune has organized the May waterfall cultural, sports and tourism festival.

Muong ethnic women compete in the bamboo rafting competition at the May Waterfall Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival 2024. Photo: TN

Exciting festival

In the mountainous landscape, the sound of gongs and drums resounds. In the yard of Dang Thuong village's cultural house, cheers for volleyball and ram teams... During the cultural, sports and tourism festival of May waterfall, people and tourists can visit and experience many interesting activities such as cultural exchanges, participating in folk games; throwing con and ram; enjoying local specialties and exploring May waterfall - one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam.

Thach Lam is the gateway land of Thach Thanh district, in the buffer zone of Cuc Phuong National Park and is the place of cultural exchange and interaction with regions such as Ba Thuoc, Hoa Binh and Ninh Binh provinces. Mentioning Thach Lam is mentioning the land with many unique tangible and intangible cultural features of the Muong ethnic group that are still preserved. The Muong people in Thach Lam still preserve rich cultural values, with their own unique cultural nuances, such as: "Com do, nha stilt, nuoc gac, heo quay"; folk performances such as gongs, lullabies, sac tau, mo Muong...; folk games such as playing mat, throwing con, shooting crossbows, swinging...; good customs and practices; special traditional dishes such as sticky rice, hill chicken, buffalo meat with lom leaves, fish from Ngang river, bitter leaf soup, stone snails, bitter bamboo shoots...; brocade costumes and Muong dresses. In particular, Thach Lam still preserves a typical stilt house system with over 85% being traditional stilt houses of the Muong ethnic group, this is a particularly valuable cultural asset, contributing significantly to the indigenous culture. Thach Lam also has a favorable geographical location to connect with regions across the country via the Ho Chi Minh road. In recent years, with the attention and investment of the state and the joint efforts of the people, the infrastructure system of the commune has been gradually improved, many projects have been completed, contributing to the overall improvement of the locality, facilitating trade and connection between regions, helping to reduce the distance between localities in the district.

Awakening the potential of tourism development

In recent years, based on existing potential strengths, Thach Lam has gradually preserved and exploited cultural values ​​associated with administrative reform, digital transformation, and new rural development, thereby attracting local investment resources to create opportunities for people and businesses to develop. The highlight of the potential strengths for tourism development in Thach Lam is that nature has favored the wild and majestic May waterfall. In addition, the commune also has beautiful check-in spots such as Ngang River, Buoi River, Cuc Phuong IV Bridge, and Doi village suspension bridge. Along with the natural beauty, the traditional cultural values ​​​​still preserved in Thach Lam land are favorable conditions to promote local tourism development. Many households in Dang Thuong village in particular, Thach Lam commune in general, have been and are starting to do community tourism, including young people who dare to think, dare to do, and dare to boldly invest in tourism development. In particular, since 2022, Thach Lam has organized a cultural, sports and tourism festival associated with the opening of May waterfall tourism and has been maintained until now. In 2023, May waterfall welcomed over 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists to visit and experience.

May Waterfall attracts tourists to visit, experience and bathe. Photo: TN

Mr. Phan Van Manh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thach Lam commune, shared: 2024 is the third year that Thach Lam organizes the May Waterfall Cultural, Sports and Tourism Festival. This is an important event, demonstrating the determination and overcoming difficulties of the Party Committee, government and people in the commune. Through the activities of the festival, Thach Lam wishes to introduce and promote the unique cultural and tourism features of the locality to tourists from all over the country; create conditions for cooperation in the cultural field associated with promoting tourism development, strengthening tour and route connections, attracting tourists. At the same time, it is an opportunity for Thach Lam commune to connect with tourist destinations inside and outside the province; attract investors in technical infrastructure, trade and service investment and construction in Thach Lam commune. Thereby contributing to promoting socio-economic development, enhancing the position and image of the cultural land and people of Thach Lam to friends, people and tourists from all over the world. In order to exploit the advantages of the natural landscape of the area, form models of eco-tourism, resort tourism, community tourism, experience exploring mountains and rivers, enjoy traditional culture and people of Thach Lam in a systematic way worthy of the value bestowed by nature, in the coming time, Thach Lam will focus resources, create all conditions for people and businesses to invest and develop. Gradually transform resources in the form of potential according to the planning zoning orientation into unique tourism products, contributing to the completion of the key program goals set out in the Resolution of the 25th Thach Thanh District Party Congress, the 22nd Thach Lam Commune Party Congress, term 2020-2025.

Grassland

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/am-vang-ngay-hoi-van-hoa-gan-voi-phat-trien-nbsp-du-lich-thac-may-217278.htm