Regular activities of the ethnic groups have significantly contributed to attracting visitors to the village. (Photo: Vietnamplus) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Son Tay town's Dong Mo on the outskirts of Hanoi has brought together 15 ethnic minority groups during the 2015-2020 period.
They are Tay, Nung, Dao, Mong, Muong, Thai, Kho Mu, Ta Oi, Ba Na, Xo Dang, Co Tu, Raglai, E De, Khmer and Bru-Van Kieu.
Common house of ethnic groups
Speaking at a meeting on April 16, Trinh Ngoc Chung, acting head of the village’s management board, said regular activities of the ethnic groups have significantly contributed to attracting visitors to the village.
The number of visitors to the village doubled from 250,000 in 2015 to 500,000 in 2019. Last year, due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it stood at only 170,000, he added.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VietnamPlus) The management board has paid due attention to small ethnic minority groups, each with a population of less than 10,000, and has coordinated with localities to gather them in the village, according to Chung.
The groups have introduced their daily activities and culture, and engaged in exchanges with tourists, he said, adding that their diverse culture has created the attractiveness of the village, making it become a centre of culture and tourism.
The management board also pointed out difficulties facing the village during its operation, including financial issues.
Y Sinh, an artisan of the Xo Dang ethnic group from the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum (Photo: VietnamPlus) Y Sinh, an artisan of the Xo Dang ethnic group from the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, said it is hard to encourage local residents to move to the village.
The artisan, who has settled in the village since 2018, is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional culture.
Seeking ways towards sustainability
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung lauded achievements the village has recorded over the past five years.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said the village should be a “red address” for 54 ethnic groups. (Photo: VietnamPlus) It is necessary to raise proposals to Party and State leaders to complete institutions and infrastructure in the village, the minister said.
He asked localities to closely coordinate with the management board to provide better care for ethnic minorities in the village, step up activities and promote products, especially traditional crafts that are standing on the edge of oblivion.
Ethnic groups at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism (Photo: VietnamPlus) Pham Van Thuy, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of the northern Son La province, suggested organising tours to the village for students in Hanoi, and inviting artisans to city events.
Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, deputy head of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, also suggested creating sustainable livelihoods for the groups, and forming value chains for their activities.
“The village should be their new homeland,” she stressed.
Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups, each of which has its own unique cultural identity. At the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, ethnic minority people join State agencies and experts in preserving and introducing their communities’ cultural values to visitors.
The village has a total area of 1,544ha with seven functional zones. Among them, the zone for ethnic minority villages is considered the heart of the culture-tourism village.
In 2018, more than 560 ethnic minority people from 39 localities along with 14 groups of ethnic communities from the northwestern, Central Highlands and southwestern regions recreated 22 traditional festivals at the village. The participation of nearly 500 theatre artists contributed to creating a picture of cultural diversity at the “common cultural house./.
