Chi commune is a favorite destination for visitors to Ha Giang province. (Photo: vtv.vn)

 Chi commune’s mountains and green paddy fields, and colorful ethnic culture draws many visitors.

Clean spacious houses line the shady road leading to the village. We visited Hoang Van Nghi as his family prepared food for some homestay guests from France. Nghi said that in recent years, more and more tourists have been coming to Chi and Xuan Giang commune and staying longer.

10 households in the village are currently involved in community-based tourism. Each family has enough blankets, bed sheets, pillows, cushions, and curtains to serve up to 40 guests.

Nghi said: “My family began receiving tourists in 2015. First we learned from other families. We try to offer tourists the best transportation, meals, and accommodations. Most visitors come to Chi commune for its scenery and cool climate.”

Chi commune is home to 3 ethnic minority groups – Tay, Nung, and Dao. 96% are Tay.

“When there are visitors, we put on a show of Then singing and traditional Tay dances, and tell them about Tay stilt houses with their decorative motifs,” said Nghi.

Chi commune has a 20-member art troupe that demonstrate traditional Tay art forms like Then singing, Coi singing, playing the Tinh gourd lute, and weaving. The village has built a showroom for displaying costumes, musical instruments, farm tools, and traditional folk games.

Traditional Tay dishes like Com lam (steamed sticky rice in a bamboo tube), bamboo shoots, smoked buffalo meat and pork, and corn wine make visit to Xuan Giang unforgettable.

Hoang Thi Lieu, a Chi villager, said: “We prepare typically Tay dishes and so far the visitors seem very satisfied with the food.”

To attract more visitors to Chi commune, Xuan Giang village is working with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to create training courses on tourism and homestay services. Fact finding tours have been organized for families engaged in community-based tourism to learn from the experience of other localities.

Xuan Giang authorities have also worked with the district Center for Culture, Sports and Tourism to introduce tours and preserve and promote traditional Tay culture through the “Long tong” or “Going to the field” festival, brocade weaving, Then singing, Tinh playing, and trade fairs.

Hoang Van Thach, an official of Xuan Giang village, said: “Chi commune has focused on helping households maintain the roads and take responsibility for the development of the model. Now each family engaged in tourism is loaned 2,600 USD a year and given personnel support. Special support has been given to the commune’s art troupe.” 

Since the beginning of this year, Chi commune has welcomed nearly 100 groups of domestic and foreign tourists.