Houses on stilts of Muong people are located on hillsides in Van Son Commune, Tan Lac District. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Hai

Tan Lac is an ideal destination for those who both love Muong culture and want to enjoy a peaceful life away from the hustle and bustle of cities.

Located at the gateway of the northwest region, about 100km from Ha Noi, the district has a large, fresh and airy space with preserved traditional values such as Mo Muong - a popular ritual ceremony which has become the unique cultural heritage of the Muong ethnicity, Muong gongs and many unique traditional handicraft products such as hand-loom weaving, knitting, can wine (rice wine stored in a big jar and drunk with long bamboo stems) and folk festivals.

Along with that are 11 scenic spots, archaeological relics at the provincial and national levels as well as spiritual sites such as But, Muong Chieng and Nam Son caves.

The ancient Hoa Binh area consists of four Muong regions arranged in the order of "first is Bi, second is Vang, third is Thang and fourth is Dong", in which Muong Bi is the largest and richest. Today, the land of Muong Bi is Tan Lac District, the land of rich valleys with rice fields, gardens, and fruit trees.

The highland area of Tan Lac includes Van Son, Ngo Luong and Quyet Chien communes adjacent to the primaeval forest area. On hot summer days, the weather here is very cool. The people here are honest, kind and still preserve the ancient Muong culture.

Overcoming the mists on the winding road, the valley of Van Son, or Lung Van, gradually appears with natural landscapes and a fresh, cool climate.

Located at an altitude of 1,200m above sea level, surrounded by Trau, Co and Tien mountains, Lung Van is surrounded by clouds all year round. It is also known as the "valley of clouds".

With the beautiful natural landscape and endless terraced rice fields, in recent years, the commune has opened several homestays to serve tourists.

Ha Thi Tham, owner of Hai Than homestay in Chien Hamlet, Van Son Commune said: "When the COVID-19 pandemic was basically under control, in the past few months, my homestay welcomed many groups of tourists. They are satisfied with the resort space, cool climate and the friendliness, enthusiasm and hospitality of the local people. For some international guests, they are very impressed with adventurous trekking routes, discovering the mysterious beauty of Nam Son Cave.”

Ha Thi Tham, owner of Hai Than homestay, prepares accommodation for tourists. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Hai

We also had the opportunity to visit Luy Ai Village, Phong Phu Commune - one of the ancient Muong villages. Our first impression is the peace of houses on stilts hidden under the shady trees, and the peaceful arches with beautiful flower trellis.

But perhaps the attraction and retention of tourists when coming to Luy Ai is the cultural identity that is expressed right in the words and voices of the people here, visitors will always receive greetings with a friendly smile.

Inside the traditional wooden houses, every object has its own story, associated with the traditions of the family and the village. It can be seen in the Muong gongs set on the wall, the traditional costumes worn exclusively for the festival and the bundle of bamboo poles at the foot of the house ready for bamboo dances.

It is a pleasure to go to a place where all doors are open to welcome and the people are hospitable, willing to go with you to the forest to pick bamboo shoots, or the stream to catch fish and gather together for a warm meal.

In addition to Luy Ai Village, Tan Lac has many destinations with national cultural identity.

The Da River reservoir, or Hoa Binh Lake, area in Suoi Hoa Commune is planned as the core region of the province's  national tourism, with great potential for developing various types of eco-tourism, convalescence and cultural tourism.

Ngoi Village in Suoi Hoa Commune is one of the lakeside villages with pristine caves. Although it is only a small village, it is still considered one of the most beautiful villages of Hoa Binh like a "hidden gem in the rock".

We immediately felt the clear, pure and cool atmosphere of green trees covering the whole village, right next to it is a huge clear lake sparkling in the sun and surrounded by majestic mountains.

The village still retains the original features with the houses on stilts roofed with palm leaves preserved according to the culture of the Muong.

We immersed ourselves in the cool water of Hoa Binh Lake and played games at the floating water park here.

A homestay in Ngoi Village, one of the lakeside villages in Tan Lac District. Photo moitruongdulich.vn

According to Dinh Son Tung, head of the Culture and Sports Department of Tan Lact, the district actively invests in order to maintain and constantly promote the good cultural traditions of the ethnic communities in the area.

With the available potential and strengths, Tan Lac promises to be a successful destination for investors in the fields of eco-tourism development, resort tourism and experience tourism, associated with the development of commercial services and clean agriculture.

These days, Hoa Binh Province is expected to attract more tourists as it is one of the localities in the country hosting the ongoing SEA Games 31.

It is ready to host the mountain biking on May 14-17 and road cycling on May 19-22 with the participation of about 400 athletes and officials. 

Thanh Nga