Hai Son develops community tourism

As a highland border commune with nearly 87% of the population being ethnic minorities, in recent years Hai Son commune (Mong Cai city) has been known as an attractive community tourism destination.

Mong Cai City leaders visit booths selling typical products at Po Hen Market. Photo: Huu Viet

In the past, Hai Son has   effectively exploit the advantages of the locality with unique tourism products. Mr. Ninh Van Sang, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: Tourism in Hai Son commune has always received the attention of the city in recent years. The commune directs the construction, propaganda and promotion of tourism, in which spiritual tourism leads community tourism and experiential tourism.

Coming to Hai Son, visitors can go from the Po Hen National Historical Site to the Po Hen Mural Village, which is resplendent in the Northeast mountains and forests with colorful natural paintings, houses of the Dao ethnic group, the majestic 72-chamber waterfall, Panai Mountain, Ma Thau Son...; enjoy extremely rustic dishes, such as stream fish, black goose meat, ca sai (duck-goose hybrid), sticky rice cake, brocade, wild honey, salted galangal, salted wild bamboo shoots, sim wine...

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Hai Son Commune focuses on building a community tourism model. Photo: Thu Hang (Contributor)

Hai Son commune community tourism was approved by the province in the Project on sustainable community tourism development in the province (Decision No. 4839/QD-UBND dated December 29, 2020). Since 2021, the city has invested, renovated, and renovated facilities with a budget of over 700 million VND; community tourism has initially attracted tourists.

Among the 4 routes and 15 tourist attractions of Mong Cai City, Hai Son is in route 3: Mong Cai City Center - Po Hen Memorial (including tourist attractions: Mong Cai International Border Gate, Bac Luan Bridge, Landmark 1369, Memorial site for heroic martyrs of Po Hen Station, Xa Tac Temple, shopping at markets and commercial centers).

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Hai Son Commune promotes the typical values of Quang Ninh province and the values of Quang Ninh people. Photo: Thu Hang (Contributor)

Po Hen Historical Relic Site is one of the relics with special typical values, playing an important role in the cultural and spiritual life of the city's people. The relic site is managed and promoted by the City People's Committee in coordination with the Provincial Border Guard Command, becoming a strong cultural , historical and spiritual tourist destination of the city. The Border Sim Flower Festival has been held three times so far (the first time in May 2022) and has become a unique destination in the unique Mong Cai tourism picture, attracting tens of thousands of people and tourists, opening up great opportunities for the development of community tourism, contributing to improving people's lives. In October 2023, Hai Son restored Po Hen Market, a long-standing traditional market, a place for people in the region to exchange goods and trade with Than San village (China).

From the beginning of 2024 to September 15, there were over 150,000 visitors to Hai Son commune. Mr. Ninh Van Sang added: In the coming time, the commune will continue to promote propaganda and mobilize people to create livestock and crop products to serve tourists; build and renovate houses and gardens, create green, clean and beautiful landscapes; create beautiful scenes for tourists to take photos; strengthen the team of tour guides and propagandists (the core is young people); a team of collaborators to carry out propaganda and advertising work on cyberspace; preserve, conserve and promote the cultural identity of ethnic groups in the area: Wedding procedures of the Dao and San Chi people; the Dao's coming-of-age ceremony, the San Chi's praying for a good harvest; the Dao's village festival; the San Chi's going-to-the-field ceremony; typical culinary products (banh chung, banh tro, banh nhan dien, banh day, five-color sticky rice, smoked pork, grilled stream fish, stream fish cooked with sour bamboo shoots, stream fish with betel leaves, salted and chili bamboo shoots, grilled chicken with cinnamon leaves, grilled roast meat with nhoi leaves...); love songs (antiphonal singing of the Dao people; Soong co of the San Chi people...); folk games, traditional sports ; maintaining the wearing of traditional costumes...