The Red Dao community in Nam Hong develops tourism

Hidden on the slopes of the majestic Tay Con Linh Mountain in Thong Nguyen Commune, Nam Hong Community-Based Tourism Village has emerged as an increasingly popular destination, attracting visitors with its pristine natural landscapes, vast terraced rice fields and the distinctive cultural identity of the Red Dao ethnic community.

With its majestic natural landscapes and unique cultural heritage, Nam Hong Tourism Village has become an attractive destination for visitors.

Perched at a high elevation and surrounded by the forests and mountains of Tay Con Linh, Nam Hong boasts favorable conditions for developing ecotourism, resort tourism and experiential travel. The terraced rice fields take on different appearances throughout the year. During the flooding season, the terraces resemble a series of giant mirrors stretching across the mountainside. When the rice is young, the hills turn lush green, forming gentle, curving lines. By late September and early October, Nam Hong is blanketed in the brilliant golden hues of the harvest season.

Beyond its scenic beauty, Nam Hong is also endowed with a diverse ecosystem featuring forest trails, streams, tea plantations and highland villages. Visitors can go trekking, explore the forests, learn about the Tay Con Linh ecosystem or experience the daily life of local people amid the terraced fields.

The distinctive cultural identity of the Red Dao is another major attraction. Traditional costumes, cuisine, handicrafts, Shan Tuyet tea picking, herbal baths and traditional rituals, including the coming-of-age ceremony, New Rice ceremony, prayers for a bumper crop and Fire Dance ritual, have been developed into engaging tourism experiences.

The Red Dao Fire Dance Festival is an attractive tourism product in Nam Hong.

A turning point in Nam Hong's tourism development came in 2014, when a livelihood improvement project for ethnic minority people, funded by Helvetas, helped local households renovate their homes, upgrade facilities and receive tourism skills training. Starting with just a few households, local residents gradually realized that their homes, fields, cuisine and traditional culture could all become sources of income.

As visitor numbers grew, community-based cooperation gradually took shape. The Nam Hong Community Tourism Cooperative was established to connect local households and organize tourism services into a more structured value chain. The village now has 28 households directly involved in community-based tourism, with a capacity to serve around 400 visitors a day.

The benefits of tourism are also spreading to more households through the supply of food, agricultural products and handicrafts, as well as transportation, cooking, tour guiding and cultural performances. After more than a decade of development, Nam Hong has become a prominent Red Dao tourism village, earning a four-star OCOP rating. It welcomes around 5,000 visitors each year and generates more than VND 5 billion in annual revenue.

Tourists enjoy taking photos in Nam Hong.

Under the adjusted Tuyen Quang Provincial Master Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Thong Nguyen Commune is oriented toward developing a provincial-level resort tourism area, with Nam Hong identified as its core zone. The plan offers an opportunity for Nam Hong to further improve its accommodation and tourism services while strengthening connections with other destinations in the region.

From its generations-old terraced rice fields and traditional houses, the Red Dao community in Nam Hong is forging a new path for highland development, with cultural heritage, landscapes and traditional crafts serving as the foundation for sustainable tourism.

Bien Luan