Preserving national culture associated with tourism development

Tourists experience sewing Mong ethnic clothes.

Over the years, Yen Bai has always focused on preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic groups in association with tourism development. This has helped people preserve their cultural identity and create momentum for tourism development, contributing to improving people's lives.

Colorful cultural picture

Yen Bai currently has 137 historical and cultural relics, over 40 traditional festivals and more than 510 intangible cultural heritages. Of which, the Thai Xoe art was recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity and festivals such as: Xen Dong, Gau Tao, Cung Rung, the art of the Mong panpipe, the art of using beeswax to create patterns on fabric were recognized as national intangible cultural heritages. Besides the festivals, cultural features in costumes, cuisine or rituals surrounding life are also being focused on by the people of Yen Bai to preserve for future generations.

In the mountainous district of Mu Cang Chai, over 90% of the Mong people live with many unique cultural features, creating the premise for tourism development. The people here gradually bring the cultural identity of the ethnic group to tourists and reach out to the European market.

From the Craft Link Research, Linkage and Development Center ordering skirts, shirts and brocades of the Mong people, women in Mu Cang Chai district established the Mong Brocade Group. Initially, the group had 10 members, then developed into the Mong Style Brocade Weaving and Embroidery Cooperative with nearly 50 members in the district.

Mong ethnic costumes are popular with tourists.

Ms. Ly Thi Ninh, Director of the Mong Style Brocade Weaving Cooperative, said that the brocade products of the Cooperative are present in the markets of Hanoi , Lao Cai, Ha Giang and countries such as France, the US, Japan, and Turkey. In particular, the Cooperative is currently diversifying its products according to the needs of tourists so that each time the district organizes events for tourists to visit and buy. This both preserves and promotes the brocade products of the Mong people and creates jobs and income for women. In 2024, the Cooperative earned nearly one billion VND, after deducting expenses, women have an average income of 3 - 5 million VND/month. This number is not large, but for Mong women here, it is the dream of many people.

However, currently, many Chinese products are sold in the district with rich designs and cheap prices, which is at risk of losing the traditional brocade craft. In order to preserve the brocade craft for future generations, Ms. Ly Thi Ninh regularly promotes and encourages women to teach their children and grandchildren the craft. At the same time, she cooperates with schools to teach students embroidery, on average, every year hundreds of students come to the Cooperative to experience embroidery.

Similarly, in the vast green Na Hau forest, Van Yen district (Yen Bai), people in Yen Bai province and tourists have long known about the sacred forest worship ceremony of the Mong people here.

Mr. Ly Ton Cau, Chairman of Na Hau Commune People's Committee, said that the Forest Worshiping Festival is held annually by Van Yen district on the last day of the first lunar month to both preserve cultural identity and promote tourism development. This is an opportunity for people to plan to protect forests in the new year. Through the festival, the commune has the opportunity to promote the cultural identity of the Mong ethnic group to tourists and create more income for the people.

Creating momentum for tourism

Tourists experience pounding sticky rice cake of the Mong people.

Rich, diverse, unique and distinctive traditional culture has opened up great potential and advantages for the development of cultural tourism in Yen Bai province. Community tourism sites regularly maintain cultural and folk activities and gradually create attractive tourism products, attracting visitors and learners.

With the goal of developing green tourism, attractive identity and becoming an important economic sector of the province, Yen Bai issued many policies to develop tourism associated with preserving and sustainably developing traditional culture such as: Resolution No. 28-NQ/TU dated February 24, 2021 of Yen Bai Provincial Party Committee on tourism development in Yen Bai province for the period 2021 - 2025, with a vision to 2030; Resolution No. 10/2021/NQ-HDND dated April 19, 2021 of the Provincial People's Council on stipulating a number of policies to support tourism development in Yen Bai province for the period 2021 - 2025; Decision No. 1648/QD-UBND dated September 15, 2023 of the People's Committee of Yen Bai province on approving the Project "Preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage values ​​associated with tourism development in Yen Bai province for the period 2022 - 2030".

Through festivals to preserve culture and create space for tourists to experience.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Yen Bai province, Vu Thi Mai Oanh, said that policies to promote tourism development associated with the preservation and sustainable development of traditional culture in Yen Bai province were issued promptly, creating incentive mechanisms for people and communities in the province. The implementation of these policies received close attention and direction from the province's leadership and effective coordination from local agencies and authorities, and active support and consensus from people of all ethnic groups.

In particular, taking cultural tourism as the foundation associated with resort tourism in the direction of focusing on customer experience and people as the main subject has created a new highlight for Yen Bai tourism. Thanks to that, in 2024, Yen Bai welcomed more than 2.2 million domestic and international tourists, with total tourism revenue reaching more than 1,900 billion VND (up 11.7% over the previous year).

In the coming time, Yen Bai will continue to pay attention to supporting human resource training to develop community tourism, building a team of officials to manage the conservation and promotion of cultural values, and tourism development. The province will promote and improve the quality of tourism services, closely coordinate with travel agencies to build tours, routes or tourism programs to attract tourists to ethnic minority areas for sightseeing and relaxation; encourage individuals and organizations to invest in the conservation and promotion of traditional culture associated with tourism development.

According to baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/bao-ton-van-hoa-dan-toc-gan-voi-phat-trien-du-lich-post399943.html