Van Don District: Preserving and promoting the value of ethnic minority cultural identity associated with community tourism development

In 2020, Van Don district built a communal Cultural and Sports Center combined with San Diu Traditional House in Vong Tre village, Binh Dan commune, on an area of nearly 800m2. After a period of operation, up to now, the project has greatly contributed to the results of the implementation of "Piloting the construction, preservation and promotion of cultural identity values of 4 ethnic minority villages associated with the development of community tourism in mountainous areas of Quang Ninh province, period 2023-2025".

The Commune Cultural and Sports Center, in combination with the Traditional House of Ethnic Groups, has contributed to helping the San Diu people promote and preserve their ethnic identity, while maintaining the development of the ethnic minority village here. Therefore, the preservation of the soong co melodies, folk games, folk literature and language, writing, traditional crafts, the cap sac ceremony, the hanh quang dance, folk songs, folk dances, Dai Phan festival... of the San Diu ethnic group in Binh Dan commune always retains its inherent characteristics.

Party Secretary and Chairman of Binh Dan Commune People's Committee To Van Luu said: The construction of the Commune Cultural and Sports Center in combination with the San Diu Traditional House in Vong Tre village has helped local people preserve the beauty of their ethnic group. In particular, the development of the ethnic minority village in Vong Tre village has attracted a number of tourists who want to learn and explore the lifestyle of the San Diu ethnic group, initially opening up a new form of economic development for Binh Dan.

Pole pushing competition at the Ethnic Minority Village of Binh Dan Commune (Van Don District). Photo: Tu Thi Sinh (Cultural officer of Binh Dan Commune)

To diversify the types of activities, create more tourism products to attract more tourists to the locality, Binh Dan commune also established a Soong Co singing club with 25 members. The club maintains activities at the Vong Tre ethnic minority village once a month, both building the movement and attracting young people to participate in activities to avoid being forgotten.

Soong Co singing artist To Thi Ta said: One good thing is that many young people are starting to learn about the soong co singing melodies of their ethnic group. Therefore, in the coming time, we will continue to expand the model of teaching and learning to sing this melodies, thereby not only preserving the unique cultural features of the ethnic group, but also creating a unique tourism product of Binh Dan commune in particular, and of the Van Don district ethnic minority village in general.

One of the strengths and attractions for tourists when coming to the Cultural and Sports Center of the commune combined with the San Diu Traditional House in Vong Tre village is that the people always have a sense of responsibility to preserve, maintain and promote the traditional cultural values of their people, such as: Traditional cuisine, ancestor worship rituals, weddings, moving into a new house... bringing a very unique appeal to the ethnic minority village, becoming a unique tourism product in Binh Dan that not every place has.

The Cultural and Sports Center combined with the San Diu Traditional House of Binh Dan Commune is being repaired and upgraded.

However, besides the advantages, promoting the effectiveness of the Commune Cultural and Sports Center in combination with the San Diu Traditional House and the Ethnic Minority Village associated with the development of community tourism in Binh Dan Commune also faces many difficulties. Specifically, people in the commune in general, and Vong Tre Village in particular, do not know foreign languages, opening restaurants and motels to serve tourists faces many obstacles due to large funding sources, households are not familiar with business... so most of them are afraid to contact strangers.

In addition, traditional games such as shuttlecock kicking, mandarin squares, cat and mouse chasing have been lost and are no longer original. Attracting young people to participate in performances with national cultural colors is increasingly difficult.

In order for the Commune Cultural and Sports Center, in combination with the San Diu Traditional House and the ethnic minority village in Binh Dan, to become an effective community tourism destination, the Party Committee and the commune government need to continue to consider this an important task in the socio-economic development of the locality. Each person needs to arouse pride in their ethnic culture, seize opportunities to improve the spiritual and material life of their family and community.

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