Thach Lap cultural tourism fair - the colors of the mountains and forests

Art performances imbued with traditional Muong ethnic culture at the Thach Lap cultural tourism fair, Thach Lap commune.

Implementing the policy of developing community tourism associated with preserving and promoting traditional cultural identity, Thach Lap commune organized the opening of Thach Lap cultural tourism fair in early 2025 at Lap Thang village community tourism site. The fair has about 10 stalls, each stall has its own interesting features, from traditional items such as brocade skirts and shirts to typical local agricultural products.

One of the unique features of the Thach Lap cultural tourism market is the diversity and abundance of local products. Before the market day, people in the commune spend time preparing goods to sell. Some wrap sticky rice cakes, honey cakes, and fragrant sticky rice cakes, while others carry bags of new sticky rice, bunches of wild vegetables, bunches of ripe bananas, or some grapefruits and oranges from the garden...

Coming to Thach Lap market, Ms. Pham Thi Oanh only brought a dozen chicken eggs and a few bunches of wild vegetables. She excitedly shared: "Even if I have a few bunches of vegetables, eggs, or chickens, I will still bring them to the market to sell. Coming here, I also get to meet people, ask about their health, and sometimes, the market also has foreign tourists, so it is very crowded!"

Unlike the daily markets, the Thach Lap cultural tourism market only meets every Saturday, so the locals are very excited. People coming to the market are of all ages, from children to the elderly, the atmosphere is bustling from morning to night. All create a picture of a market full of the flavor of the mountains and forests, both having economic and cultural significance, and contributing to promoting the image of the homeland to tourists from near and far.

Nowadays, the life of the Muong people here has been significantly improved. Coming to the Thach Lap cultural tourism market, visitors can not only enjoy local specialties but also immerse themselves in the Muong cultural space through special performances by cultural and artistic clubs in the commune. The "artists" participating in the market are not strangers but local people. They are members of cultural and artistic clubs in the commune. During the day, they are farmers familiar with farming, swidden fields, and small traders selling vegetables and fish in the market; are civil servants, public employees, or retired... At night, they put on colorful traditional costumes, becoming artists who wholeheartedly serve tourists and locals. Dances and songs praising the Party, Uncle Ho, the homeland, the country, the innovation and striving of ethnic minorities in the highlands, all have strong indigenous cultural nuances, making tourists from afar extremely excited.

Although the dance movements and singing were not as smooth, concise and standard as professional singers, everyone present at the market could feel the dedication of the village artists. It was the passion and intense love for traditional culture and arts that "passed the fire" to the simple farmers of the mountains and forests.

In the bright lights, amidst the bustling laughter and the passionate aroma of the mountains and forests, the market has added a unique highlight to the picture of community tourism in Thach Lap. It can be seen that the organization and maintenance of the Thach Lap cultural tourism market model has affirmed its necessity and correctness, not only contributing to increasing the income of the people, but also meeting the needs of tourists, becoming a meeting place of humanity, of the cultural colors of the mountainous region. We believe that, with the attention, investment and consensus of the local government and people, the Thach Lap cultural tourism market will become an attractive destination, attracting tourists from near and far.

Article and photos: Ha Hong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cho-phien-van-hoa-du-lich-thach-lap-nbsp-huong-sac-nui-rung-260681.htm