On the weekend, Lao Bao mountain town, Huong Hoa district has become more bustling because of a new tourism product that has just been formed: the border market imbued with Vietnamese-Lao culture. After the pilot sessions, the border market has left a good impression on visitors. However, in order for the market to become a traditional address with a common influence on the East-West Economic Corridor, a specific legal mechanism is needed to maintain it.
The border market is held at the Lao Bao Trade Center yard - Photo: REVIEW LAO BAO
New tourism products are well received by tourists
The Lao Bao border market opened its first session on December 21, 2024. After 5 meetings on weekends, the market is a shopping and cultural and culinary experience destination for visitors from near and far. The market has about 50 stalls of traders from localities of Huong Hoa district and villages on the opposite side of Lao Bao International Border Gate such as Densavan, Phuong... in Se Pon district, Savannakhet province, Laos. The market's products include agricultural and forestry products, brocades, and local specialties at reasonable prices. In particular, the market is a place where Vietnamese and Lao cuisines converge. Coming to the market, in addition to shopping, visitors also have the opportunity to exchange and experience the culture of the border region.
Mr. Le Ba Hung, Chairman of Lao Bao Town People's Committee, said that with the advantage of being close to the Lao border, Lao Bao has long received attention and investment support from the Government. However, in recent years, the locality has encountered many difficulties, due to many different reasons, tourists no longer come to Lao Bao to shop like before. "To bring the Lao Bao "brand" back to its original state, we have tried every way to create "playgrounds" to attract and retain tourists. Tourism products such as Nguyen Hue walking street, dragon mascots... have also created a buzz but have not yet become established. And the border market is expected to be the most unique product when it comes to mountain town tourism", Mr. Hung shared. According to Mr. Hung, when forming this idea, the work was started with funding mostly from socialized sources. "With their love for their homeland, Lao Bao people have contributed each other to have funds to operate the recent markets. We expect the border market to become a traditional market,” said Mr. Hung.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Bang from Da Nang City said that he had the opportunity to visit a friend in Huong Hoa, which happened to be the weekend market, so he really wanted to experience it. He said that he had not had the opportunity to set foot in Laos, but at the Lao Bao market, he could meet and interact with Lao people; eat dishes with the rich flavor of the mountains and forests prepared by Lao girls. "Tourists can learn about the culinary culture of the border region right at the market with very cheap prices, abundant goods, and open and hospitable people. If this border market is not maintained, it would be a real loss for tourists," Mr. Bang said openly.
Once, when meeting poet Nguyen Huu Quy at Lao Bao market amidst the hustle and bustle of the market, the poet told us: That is a good sign that the locality is going in the right direction. Poet Nguyen Huu Quy asked: why has Lao Bao been located next to the "gold mine" - close to the Lao border but not exploited in this direction? "Laos' cultural and human resources are also a resource to support Lao Bao's tourism development. The border market is no longer a matter of buying and selling, but of cultural exchange. At this level, it is no longer a matter of two localities but becomes a matter of two countries. And it is naturally at an international level", poet Nguyen Huu Quy commented.
The market has resonated, breathing new life into the Lao Bao Trade Center, which has been quiet for many years. Ms. Nguyen Hoang Anh, a trader in electronics and cosmetics at A1 Pavilion, Lao Bao Trade Center, said that business in recent years has been sluggish, and out-of-town visitors have not visited as before. However, after the market was established in front of the center, many traders have benefited from the number of visitors. “The market has made us traders excited, and our business activities are more vibrant than before. I think we should maintain the market so that other services can exploit and share the profits. In particular, the traders in this center have the opportunity to revive and develop,” Ms. Hoang Anh said.
There needs to be appropriate policy mechanisms for border markets.
According to the leaders of Lao Bao town, to form a regular and systematic market requires a lot of funding and the participation of many departments and branches. Before implementing this idea, the leaders of Lao Bao town visited the markets in some northern localities. With advantages in transportation, infrastructure and local culture, Lao Bao town can promote its values through the formation of a traditional and orderly market.
Mr. Tran Dinh Dung, Secretary of Lao Bao Town Party Committee, said that currently, the locality mainly mobilizes social resources for the facilities from the booth system, electricity, water, lighting, advertising system...
“In order for the Lao Bao border market to operate regularly, on a stable scale, and be able to attract tourists, an initial investment of about 500-700 million VND is needed. Along with the infrastructure system, the border market needs a specific mechanism to ensure that traders and tourists on the Lao side can clear customs and enter the country quickly and with simple procedures. Along with that, we will build cultural and artistic products to serve regularly and professionally,” Mr. Dung shared.
Mr. Dung added that the formation of a border market imbued with Vietnamese-Lao culture in Lao Bao is no longer a story of the locality or of Huong Hoa district. For the Lao Bao border market to develop sustainably and effectively, it requires the participation of higher-level departments and branches to form a complete legal and financial framework, worthy of the potential of the urban area at the head of the East-West Economic Corridor. "We are currently preparing everything to submit to higher-level authorities for their attention and thorough support," Mr. Dung said.
According to Mr. Ho Van Hoan, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Tri province, the unit highly appreciated and supported the creative approach, creating new tourism products of Lao Bao town government. Lao Bao border market in the first sessions has left an impression on tourists inside and outside the province. This is a new model, initially showing effectiveness, creating positive effects; suitable for the scale and advantages of the border trade area; suitable for the tourism development planning of the province. The establishment of Lao Bao market will strengthen the friendship between Vietnam and Laos; create conditions for residents on both sides of the border to promote their advantages.
“The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Tri province will actively support in terms of facilities and premises, as well as coordinate with relevant units to create the best administrative conditions for traders and tourists from Laos to enter the country quickly and safely,” said Mr. Hoan. According to Mr. Hoan, the market management agency also needs to research and develop the market according to themes so that each market session has new elements, highlights, and is worth waiting for and participating in the experience for tourists.
Yen Ma Mountain
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/tin-hieu-moi-tu-mo-hinh-cho-phien-bien-gioi-lao-bao-191892.htm
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