With typical cultural features of ethnic groups in the northern mountainous area, traditional festivals, romantic landscapes and hundred of historical relics, Tuyen Quang Province has become an alluring destination for both domestic and foreign visitors. Vu Thi Bich Viet, Deputy Chairwoman of Tuyen Quang Province People’s Committee gives an interview to VNP’s reporter.
VNP: Could you talk about the potential and strength of the tourism sector in Tuyen Quang Province?
Vu Thi Bich Viet: Tuyen Quang has a great tourism potential with more than 500 historical and cultural relics, including 398 revolutionary historical spots, which is an advantage for the Province to develop cultural and historical tourism. Some of them are must-visit destinations in a tour to the Province. They include Tan Trao Cultural, Historical and Ecological Tourism Area where President Ho Chi Minh and members of the Party Central Committee and most of all ministries, branches and central bodies worked during the resistance war against the French aggressors; Hong Thai Communal House where President Ho Chi Minh stayed when he came to Tan Trao from Pac Po (Cao Bang) on May 21, 1945; Na Lua Shack where President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked between late May and August, 1945; Tan Trao Communal House where the National Congress meeting took place on August 16-17, 1945; Tan Trao Banian Tree where General Vo Nguyen Giap read the military order No.1 of the Uprising Committee to command the Liberation Army to march towards Hanoi to liberate it on August 16, 1945.
In addition, Tuyen Quang Province boasts several romantic landscapes and primeval forests with rare and precious animals and plants, such as Tat Ke – Ban Bung, Cham Chu, many spectacular caves, waterfalls and lakes, such as Tien (Fairy) Cave, Thai Son Lake (in Ham Yen), Ban Ba Waterfall, Bo Ngoang Cave (in Chiem Hoa), Phieng Bung Plain, Pac Ta Mountain, primeval Nghien forest, etc. Particularly, Na Hang Lake is considered the most beautiful of its kind in Southeast Asia. The Province is also endowed by nature with a hot spring that has been famous nationwide for disease treatment and now developed into the convalescence tourist area.
Tuyen Quang is home to 22 ethnic groups and the land of legends, festivals, folk songs and dances, namely Long Tong (Going to the Field) festival, Cau Mua (praying for bumper crops) festival, Then and Coi dances of the Tay ethnic people, Sinh ca singing of Cao Lan ethnic group; the honour-conferring ceremony and Pao dung dance of the Dao ethnic people; and the door-blocking ceremony in the wedding of the San Diu ethnic people that are preserved and developed.
Tuyen Quang people have for a long time been famous for not only the beauty of their appearance but also the beauty of the kind-heartedness and hospitability.
VNP: With the above potential and strengths what does Tuyen Quang Province have in regards to policies and mechanisms to create conditions for tourism development?
Vu Thi Bich Viet: Recognizing the great potential in culture and tourism, over the years Tuyen Quang Province has made great efforts to build infrastructure, boost the planning work and establish the system of transport, electricity, information and communication, housing, restaurants, etc., to provide favourable conditions for tourism development. Additionally, the Province has made preferential policies and mechanisms to promote and call for investment, particularly investment for tourism development. The tourism management mechanism from the provincial level to the district and city is enforced and strengthened. Also, the Province promulgated policies on encouraging the development of home crafts and craft villages, policies on the time-limit and rental of land and land with water surface, supporting capital and interest of credit loan; human resource training and development; and tourism promotion. These policies have made important contributions to attracting investors to Tuyen Quang Province in general and its tourism sector in particular. In 2011, the Provincial People’s Committee will promulgate regulations on mechanism and policies to promote investment in tourism in the locality.
VNP: In what directions will the Province develop in Tuyen Quang in the next period?
Vu Thi Bich Viet: With its tourism potential and strengths, Tuyen Quang Province targets to develop three major tourism products, including historical and cultural tourism, eco-tourism and convalescent tourism. To fulfil this target, Tuyen Quang will continue tourist co-operation with domestic and international organizations to exploit effectively the current tourism source to create competitive, attractive and diverse tourism products. In the coming years, Tuyen Quang will continue expanding and developing Tan Trao Cultural, Historical and Ecological Tourism Area, and other tourism areas, such as My Tam Hot Spring Area, Na Hang Eco-Tourism Area and Cultural Tourism Area in the City. Also, the tourism sector in Tuyen Quang is determined to effectively organize tourist routes to create conditions for travel enterprises both at home and abroad to take more and more tourists to Tuyen Quang.
VNP: Thank you very much!
By Van Long