Quang Ngai: Preserving traditional salt fields associated with developing community tourism

Quang Ngai province wants to preserve traditional salt fields, promote Sa Huynh culture and develop community tourism in Pho Thanh ward, Duc Pho town.

Recently, the Standing Vice Chairman in charge of the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province, Tran Hoang Tuan, has just issued a decision approving the Technical Support Project Document "Conserving traditional salt fields associated with developing community tourism in Pho Thanh ward, Duc Pho town, Quang Ngai province" funded by the United Nations Development Program, the Small Projects Grant Program - Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF SGP).

Accordingly, the total investment for the project is nearly 2 billion VND, funded by the United Nations Development Program, the Small Projects Grant Program - Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF-SGP); Pho Thanh Ward Farmers' Association is the project owner; implementation period is from May 2024 to the end of October 2025.

Sa Huynh salt field is the largest salt granary in the Central region.

The project's goal is to preserve traditional salt fields, promote Sa Huynh culture and develop community tourism. Specifically, raise people's awareness to preserve salt fields, the impact of garbage, the importance of mangrove ecosystems; develop traditional Sa Huynh salt on the basis of promoting traditional cultural values associated with environmental protection, mangrove ecosystems; turn Sa Huynh into a destination for experiencing the salt industry, a community learning tourism destination connecting Sa Huynh culture with ecosystems. Notably, in the project implementation, there is an activity of registering for 3-4 star OCOP certification for Sa Huynh Salt Tourism. To complete this goal, the project owner will coordinate with departments, branches and sectors in the OCOP support policy for community tourism associated with Sa Huynh salt fields. Develop community tourism by building an environmentally friendly lifestyle homestay model, minimizing and not using plastic bags and disposable plastic products; Eco-friendly agriculture without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers; marine conservation, mangrove restoration, water-retaining hills; in the homestay garden, you can see birds, butterflies, and insects. In addition, survey and select beautiful, impressive, and unique locations to promote check-in destinations; introduce tourist attractions, historical sites, and craft villages on the Sa Huynh tourism map... to create highlights and check-in for visitors when they come here.

According to historians, the Sa Huynh salt industry (Pho Thanh ward, Duc Pho town) was formed in the 19th century and has been continued through generations, preserved to this day, becoming a typical traditional profession of Sa Huynh residents. With an area of about 105 hectares, Sa Huynh salt fields are the largest salt granaries in the Central region, creating livelihoods for more than 500 salt farmers in 3 residential groups: Tan Diem, Thach Duc 1 and Long Thanh 1 with an output supplying the market from 6,000 - 6,500 tons of salt/year. Currently, the salt industry has built a brand, has an abundant labor force, and Sa Huynh salt farmers are diligent and hard-working. Infrastructure systems serving the salt fields such as sea dykes, roads, water supply and drainage systems, etc. have been invested in and basically built.

Ha Vi

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