Located right at the foot of the Lung Cu National Flagpole, Lung Cu commune (Dong Van, Ha Giang), Mong Then Pa village still retains almost intact many traditional features of the Mong people such as lifestyle, walled houses with tiled roofs. yin and yang… This village for hundreds of years lies quietly next to Dragon’s Eye Lake, becoming an ideal destination for tourists who love peace, getting rid of all the hustle and bustle of life.
Looking down from the Lung Cu National Flagpole, Then Pa village appears poetic and peaceful, nestled between sharp rocky slopes. Then Pa village is a small group, with 11 households of the Vang family, all brothers in a large family who have lived together for a long time, in Then Pa village, Lung Cu commune. Then Pa in the local language means “big field”. Therefore, Then Pa is a rare, vast and flat field on the Stone Plateau.
At the foot of Dragon Mountain, there are two freshwater lakes called Dragon’s eyes by local people. The water in the lake never dries up all year round. If tourists are very familiar with Lo Lo Chai village with the characteristics of the Lo Lo ethnic group, then Then Pa village has the typical imprint of the Mong people. 2 villages, 2 cultures of 2 ethnic groups located next to 2 Dragon Eye lakes create a very special impression. The most special thing here is the rare peace. Some tourists commented: “In Then Pa, people are awakened by the sunshine and the sound of roosters crowing signaling a new day, not the sound of crowded car horns like in urban areas.”
According to Lung Cu commune leaders, the entire Then Pa village is located in the Lung Cu National Flagpole belt area, so all houses are repaired to ensure that traditional cultural values are maintained. Since 2021, many families have renovated their houses to combine them with homestays to serve tourists. In particular, many households build bungalows according to Mong ethnic architecture to welcome guests. Of 11 households in the village, currently 5 households have participated in community tourism. Among them, there are 3 households that directly brew wine, make linen, and cook men men. Visitors coming here will be able to experience firsthand the activities of making corn wine, Dong Nhon wine and making men men. In particular, the village has established a Management Board to purchase and control the quality of products that people make, and to help distribute and consume products.
Mr. Vang Sinh Lung’s family is one of the leading households in building bungalows for community tourism in Then Pa village. Currently, his family has a community house with a capacity of 10 people and 8 bungalows. Mr. Lung’s family resort has only been in operation for about 3 months. Mr. Lung said: Born and raised on “sacred” land, this place is blessed by nature with a climate and beautiful scenery that is extremely suitable for tourism development. In particular, realizing that tourism development associated with preserving traditional culture is the task and responsibility of the next generation, therefore, after the province and district have guidelines and policies to support tourism development. During the past year, my family and other families in the village boldly renovated the old house. Because it is located in a protected area, the households renovated but still kept the traditional cultural identity, using friendly materials. It is known that after going into operation, Mr. Lung’s family currently has an income of about 15 million VND/month. Mostly foreign visitors love to experience the cultural activities of the ethnic people here.
It can be seen that many villages on the Stone Plateau, thanks to the acumen in tourism thinking of the people and the orientation of local party committees and authorities, have so far had certain achievements, becoming tourist destinations. not to be missed by tourists. With Then Pa village, although it has just come into operation, according to assessments, the village is still ensuring to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of the Mong ethnic people. This is the premise to be able to bring economic value, while developing sustainable tourism, improving the quality of life for people.
