Fostering National Identity and Enhancing Tourism Attraction

To have sustainable tourism, Son La province always pays attention to preserving the natural landscape, preserving its original identity to create distinctive experiences to attract tourists.

Son La - Huaphan Cultural Tourism Festival (Laos) 2024

Son La province, including Moc Chau district, has a lot of potential advantages in both nature and culture for tourism development. This place is blessed by nature with unique charming landscapes, caves, waterfalls, and majestic mountain and forest landscapes. Scenic locations include Roi (Bat) Cave, Ban On Five Caves, Dai Yem Waterfall, Tat Nang Waterfall, Nang Tien Waterfall; Ban Ang Pine Forest, Pha Luong Mountain and hot spring system in Phu Mau village. Moc Chau is also famous for a variety of flowers like peach blossoms, plum flowers and white mustard flowers. Lush green tea hills are also of interest to tourists.

Furthermore, the plateau also contains rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage values. In Moc Chau National Tourist Area, there are currently four national relics and nearly 20 provincial relics. This place also preserves many unique cultural values of Thai, Mong, Dao, Xinh Mun, La Ha, Muong and other peoples, shaping seven national intangible cultural heritages.

Hang Tau (Tau Cave) in Moc Chau District, Son La Province is dubbed as a "primeval village”

Mr. Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Son La province said: Natural and cultural tourism resources have become the strength of Moc Chau tourism, a driving force for growth and sustainable tourism development. This is also consistent with global tourist trends of exploring pristine natural landscapes and intact culture.

Lying in Moc Chau and Van Ho districts, Moc Chau National Tourist Area covers 206,150 ha. The tourist area, about 150km from Hanoi, is both the gateway to Son La province and a bridge to connect the tourism of Hanoi and the Red River Delta region with Northwest provinces. This is one of the most important national tourist areas on the Northwest Tourist Corridor along National Highway 6.

Many mountainous ethnic villages and hamlets retain traditional cultural values. Among them, housing architectures of ethnic minorities and traditional crafts are resources that can be well tapped for tourism development, especially community tourism.

The Bach Long Glass-Bottom Bridge in Moc Chau, Son La, Vietnam, holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest of its kind

Recently, the infrastructure of Moc Chau National Tourist Area has been developed rapidly and sustainably, with 324 accommodation facilities, including 54 star-rated facilities certified to meet tourist service standards. It also has 395 food service facilities and 58 shopping units for tourists. Many tourist areas, beauty spots and service facilities have been invested with synchronous infrastructure, with many attractive tourism products such as Moc Chau Island Tourist Area, Ban Ang Pine Forest, Dai Yem Waterfall, Happy Land Moc Chau and A Chu Homestay.

On April 22, 2024, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision 1077/QD-BVHTTDL recognizing Moc Chau National Tourist Area. The decision not only affirms the stature of upland tourism but also is significant in elevating its position, restructuring the economy and boosting local tourism development.

To build Moc Chau National Tourist Area into an attractive destination for tourists, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will further strengthen tourism management and tourism development planning management, harmonize tourism development with the environment, and keep natural landscapes unspoiled. The department will develop tourism service facilities, and boost tourism promotion.

By Le Nam, Vietnam Business Forum