Exploiting the strengths of night tourism in the highlands

Tua Chua highlanders sell goods by livestreaming on smartphones.

The uniqueness and difference of the highland village space always brings a strange attraction to tourists, thereby promoting cultural promotion activities, tourism , agricultural product consumption... as well as increasing income for people.

Choose to buy a branch of wild orchids in the middle of the vast space of the mountains and forests at night; immerse yourself in the music with the sound of the panpipe, the captivating dance; stay up all night watching people livestream selling agricultural products..., all of these unique and distinctive features can only be found at Tua Chua night market (Tua Chua commune, Dien Bien province). Therefore, this is considered one of the most special markets in the Northwest highlands.

Tua Chua Night Market officially put into operation from October 2022, serving the trading and cultural exchange needs of ethnic minorities in the area, aiming to become a unique tourist destination, attracting visitors. To avoid being stereotyped like many other night markets, the management board of Tua Chua market has chosen a unique and different way. Every Saturday night, when the market takes place, each commune will prepare a performance program associated with the cultural identity of its ethnic group to promote and introduce to tourists.

In addition, many high schools in the area also participate in the performance, so the performances are very diverse and rarely duplicated. With the participation of many art clubs in the area, each Tua Chua night market is like a unique cultural festival. Notably, here visitors can immerse themselves in the music and dances of the ethnic minorities here. The later it gets, the busier the market becomes, at this time many people from far away villages have time to bring goods to sell.

The uniqueness and difference of the highland village space always brings a strange attraction to tourists, thereby promoting cultural promotion, tourism, agricultural product consumption... as well as increasing income for the people.

Although it is a highland market, the way people here sell their goods has caught up with modern trends with online forms. Ms. Le Huyen Trang, a long-time online seller at Tua Chua night market, shared: We often livestream to sell goods via social networks such as Zalo, Facebook, TikTok. The goods sold are very diverse, from herbs, honey, wild orchids, to local agricultural products. Many people live far away, when they arrive at the market it is very late, so we livestream to sell goods all night.

There are about 10 people who regularly sell online like Ms. Trang. Everyone uses several smartphones connected to the internet to livestream their sales. With this method, Tua Chua night market is also known as the famous 4.0 market on social networks and is sought out by many tourists to explore .

Besides the urgent sales atmosphere through livestream sessions, many people still choose to display agricultural products in the traditional way to customers present at the market. They sit quietly, and only when someone comes to buy do they shyly speak in Kinh language, which is still a bit slurred. Under the cold night mist of the mountains and forests, many babies still sleep peacefully in their mothers' arms. All of this creates a market with many emotional levels, both modern but still imbued with the rustic nature of the mountains and forests.

Tua Chua is gradually becoming a favorite destination. If in 2022 there were about 6,720 visitors, then by 2024 there were more than 25,000 visitors to these highland communes. It can be seen that night tourism is an effective way to diversify tourism products; attract tourists, extend their stay and contribute significantly to economic development, increase income for people.

The White Highlands (formerly Bac Ha District), Lao Cai Province, has recently been considered a locality with many breakthroughs in tourism development. Not only is it famous for its traditional horse racing, but all four seasons of the year are filled with festivals. And to continue to realize the goal of making tourism a key economic sector, authorities at all levels have focused on investing in and building many new tourism products to attract tourists, including night tourism.

Mr. Bui Van Vinh, former Head of the Department of Culture, Science and Information of the old Bac Ha district said: To To develop night tourism, we have planned and created a space complex, including a night market and a walking street. Coming here, visitors can watch special art performances, cultural exchanges; enjoy many traditional dishes; visit and buy local specialties, or traditional handicrafts of the people, such as brocade, skirts, shirts, souvenirs... Since the walking street and night market were established, the length of stay of tourists has been longer, and the consumption of traditional products of the people has also been better.

“Associating tourism with cultural preservation”, “turning heritage into assets”, that is the way that ethnic minorities in highland communes are aiming for. Therefore, in the space of walking streets and night markets, each ethnic group with their traditional dances and songs has brought visitors an unforgettable impression of cultural diversity.

Mr. Giang A Hai, Chairman of Hong Mi Folk Arts Club, shared: Music is the fastest way to connect people's souls. Every time we perform, tourists also join in dancing. Since the development of night tourism, we have had more shows, and the number of members in the club has also increased, including some middle and high school students. These young people often perform on weekends, which is a very encouraging activity, because they not only have extra income to help their families, but also nurture and spread their love for their ethnic culture.

With the contribution of night tourism, the white plateau is gradually asserting its position on the northern mountainous tourism map. According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Science and Information of the old Bac Ha district, in 2015, the whole district had only 45 motels, hotels, and homestays, but by 2025 there were 125 accommodation establishments. As of May 2025, the locality has welcomed more than 480,000 visitors, and it is estimated that the whole year will reach the target of 1 million visitors, a dream number for a land with many difficulties.

Developing night tourism in the highlands not only expands the space and time for tourists to experience, but also contributes to preserving indigenous culture. Therefore, to be successful, it is necessary to create a mark and difference, along with perfecting mechanisms, policies, and systematic planning. Localities need to choose the strengths of each region to focus on exploiting, creating unique products with strong identities. Only then will night tourism truly become a "gold mine" for socio-economic development, bringing jobs with stable income to people in the highlands.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/khai-thac-the-manh-du-lich-dem-o-vung-cao-3364967.html