Cultural preservation associated with tourism development in ethnic minority areas

Although accounting for only 12.31% of the province's population, ethnic minorities in Quang Ninh live in almost all 13 districts, towns and cities in the area. In recent times, the province has had many solutions to promote socio -economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; including preserving and promoting good traditional cultural values associated with tourism development.

From 2020 to now, Quang Ninh has implemented a series of projects to promote traditional cultural values associated with the development of tourism in ethnic minority areas in the area, such as: Project on sustainable community tourism development, focusing on and prioritizing ethnic minority and mountainous areas, border areas, and islands; Project on preserving and promoting the values of folk songs, dances, and music of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development in the period 2021-2030; Project on preserving, restoring, and promoting ethnic sports in Quang Ninh province in the period 2020-2025, with a vision to 2030; Project on managing and organizing festivals in Quang Ninh province in the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030...

Then singing of the Tay ethnic group at the Golden Season Festival of Binh Lieu district in 2023.

The province is piloting the construction, preservation and promotion of cultural identity values of 4 ethnic minority villages associated with community tourism development in mountainous areas of Quang Ninh province, period 2023-2025, including: Tay village in Cau village, Luc Hon commune and San Chi village in Luc Ngu village, Huc Dong commune of Binh Lieu district; Dao Thanh Y village in Po Hen village, Hai Son commune, Mong Cai city; San Diu village in Binh Dan commune, Van Don district.

In particular, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 17-NQ/TU dated October 30, 2023 on "Building and promoting cultural values and human strength of Quang Ninh to become endogenous resources and driving forces for rapid and sustainable development"; this is an important basis and foundation to effectively carry out the work of preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities, associated with the development of tourism in ethnic minority and mountainous areas and border areas in the area.

Accordingly, localities have promoted the construction of grassroots cultural institutions in ethnic minority and mountainous areas to create places for recreation, community activities, and organize cultural activities for people. In 2024 alone, localities have allocated capital to invest in the construction, repair, and addition of 13 projects and works in the cultural field, serving to improve the cultural and spiritual life of the people. Up to now, in the province, there are 51 communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas with independent cultural houses, the remaining 12 communes share the communal People's Committee Hall and the village cultural house; 100% of villages and hamlets in ethnic minority areas have cultural houses.

Women's football is an activity that attracts a large number of tourists at the Soong Co Festival held annually in Huc Dong commune (Binh Lieu). Photo: Dao Linh — Women's football is an activity that attracts a large number of tourists at the Soong Co Festival held annually in Huc Dong commune (Binh Lieu). *Photo: Dao Linh*

Localities also proactively approved and basically completed general construction plans and detailed construction plans at a scale of 1/500 for communes with 4 ethnic minority villages under the approved Project; built environmental landscapes to ensure the traditional characteristics of each village associated with building a new model rural area; carried out well the propaganda and mobilization work for people as an important subject in building ethnic minority villages associated with developing community tourism in the mountainous areas of Quang Ninh province, period 2023-2025.

Typically, Van Don district has carried out propaganda and mobilized people to preserve the language, costumes, rituals and traditional culture of the San Diu people; Binh Lieu district has informed and propagated the Project to preserve and promote the typical cultural values of the Tay ethnic group in Binh Lieu to serve the development of community tourism; Mong Cai city has mobilized people of Po Hen village to be the core to proactively provide tourism services based on indigenous culture...

Localities have identified and promoted the cultural values of ethnic minorities, the beautiful natural values of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, and the border areas; have a direction to combine the preservation of traditional culture with the development of sustainable community tourism, turning the culture of ethnic minorities into attractive, distinctive, and unique tourism products of the province; such as: San Chi women's football in Binh Lieu, Tien Yen; customs and practices of the Dao, Tay, San Chi, San Diu; folk songs and dances of ethnic minorities... have created unique tourism products of Quang Ninh.

The coming-of-age ceremony of the Dao Thanh Phan people in Khe Vang village, Don Dac commune, Ba Che. Photo: Nguyen Kim Tuyen (Department of Culture and Information of Ba Che district) — The coming-of-age ceremony of the Dao Thanh Phan people in Khe Vang village, Don Dac commune, Ba Che. *Photo: Nguyen Tuyen (Department of Culture and Information of Ba Che district)*

Up to now, the culture of ethnic minorities in the province has been restored, preserved and promoted in association with tourism development. Currently, Quang Ninh has 362 intangible cultural heritages. Many intangible cultural heritages have been evaluated, recognized and ranked such as: The Cap Sap ritual of the Dao people; Dai Phan of the San Diu ethnic group, Soong Co festival of the San Chi people, the Wind Abstinence festival of the Dao Thanh Phan people, Long Tong festival of the Tay people in Ba Che,... Including the Then heritage of the Tay people. Quang Ninh is one of 11 provinces with Then Tay, Nung, Thai Vietnam listed by UNESCO in the list of representative intangible cultural heritages of humanity; The New Rice Celebration of the Tay people in Quang Ninh province has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage for the period 2022-2025.

Through the preservation and promotion of cultural values, the cultural and spiritual life of ethnic minority people in the province is increasingly improved. Ethnic people actively and proactively carry out cultural, artistic and sports movements; club models are consolidated and expanded towards quality, depth and efficiency, attracting a large number of people to participate and enjoy. The rate of people participating in activities at cultural and sports centers is 50%; the rate of people participating in sports practice is 40%.

Source