Dai Yem Waterfall Tourist Area, Muong Sang Commune.

Amidst the crowds eagerly welcoming spring on the plateau, I, like many other tourists, was captivated by the spring scenery on this beautiful highland. Winter gives way to spring, and it's also the time when various flowers on the plateau bloom in abundance. The plum blossoms of Moc Chau are beautiful not only for their delicate and pristine appearance, but also because when they bloom, they burst forth in abundance. The plum trees compete to show off their colors, the small blossoms covering the branches like a pure white cloak enveloping the entire area. In spring, visitors to Moc Chau plateau also encounter many other flowers such as: mustard flowers, buckwheat, wild sunflowers, peach blossoms, daisies, orchids, lilies, sunflowers, and countless other flowers vying for attention on the hillsides, valleys, and hidden among the villages, creating a vibrant display of colors to welcome the arrival of spring.

Tourist attractions such as Bản Áng pine forest, Dải Yếm waterfall, Happy Land, the pedestrian street, Mộc Châu night market, and Mộc Châu Island attract thousands of visitors every day. Particularly noteworthy is Mộc Châu Island in Mường Sang commune, a state-of-the-art amusement park in the Northwest region, featuring games never before seen in Sơn La. Most impressive is the Bạch Long Glass Bridge, which holds three world records recognized by three prestigious organizations: the world's longest cliffside walkway (GUINNESS World Records Organization - GWR); the world's longest glass-bottom bridge (WRA); and the European World Records Organization (OWR) as the world's longest glass bridge, measuring 632 meters. Along with the experience of crossing the glass bridge, visitors can enjoy thrilling activities like ziplining, rainbow sliding, and mini Formula 1 racing. The accommodation area features unique and novel architecture, such as a hotel modeled after a high-speed train amidst the picturesque mountains of Northwest Vietnam, or a glamping resort with a capacity of over 300 people based on the concept of planets in the galaxy...

Surprised by the beauty of Moc Chau Island Tourist Area, Ms. Le Lan Huong, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared: "Through information in the press and social media, we learned that Moc Chau is a top-ranked natural destination in the world, with the world's longest glass bridge, Bach Long, so we came to visit and experience it. Indeed, when walking on the bridge and looking around, we were very impressed by the pristine and majestic beauty of the mountains and forests. This was a very interesting, fun, and memorable spring trip."

Mr. Mai Tri Tue, Deputy General Director of 26 Moc Chau Tourism Joint Stock Company, informed: In addition to unique and distinctive architectural structures, Moc Chau Island places special emphasis on preserving, conserving, and honoring local cultural values, helping tourists learn about the culture of the ethnic groups in the Northwest. During Tet (Lunar New Year), visitors can immerse themselves in folk dances, community cultural activities, and especially the "Thai Xoe Dance," a representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; participate in folk games and the spring market to experience and better understand the culture and people of Moc Chau.

Moc Chau boasts not only beautiful natural scenery, but it is also the long-standing home of 12 ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture, festivals, and customs. All of these combine to create a distinctive tourism product that is uniquely Moc Chau. In Moc Chau, visitors can immerse themselves in the diverse cultural landscape of these ethnic groups, learning about their traditional values, characteristics, and typical features. This includes traditional housing, clothing, cuisine, festivals, and community cultural activities, especially the Thai Xoe dance; the Tha Kenh dance and Khen dance of the Mong people; the bell dance of the Dao people; and the handicrafts, brocade weaving, and rattan weaving of the ethnic groups. This is also a key advantage for Moc Chau in developing community-based tourism.

The community-based tourism destination of the Thai ethnic minority in Ang village, Dong Sang commune, impresses with its traditional stilt houses and the Het Cha Festival, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. Vat village, Muong Sang commune, boasts ancient stilt houses, traditional weaving and basketry crafts, and the sacred Vat Hong pagoda... Or Ta So village, Chieng Hac commune, with its distinctive traditional Mong ethnic minority wooden houses and the unique khene flute dance, attracts tourists and contributes to diversifying Moc Chau's tourism products.

Moc Chau's potential and strengths are linked to festivals held throughout the year. Over the past year, many typical festivals and cultural and artistic activities have been maintained and organized in Moc Chau, such as: the Het Cha Festival, the Rain Prayer Festival, the Fruit Harvesting Festival; the Vietnam Trail Marathon in Moc Chau district; the Son La Province Cultural Tourism Festival "World's Leading Natural Destination" in Moc Chau; the Moc Chau Culture and Tourism Week; the Dairy Cow Beauty Contest... These activities have contributed to promoting and showcasing Moc Chau tourism to domestic and international visitors.

The "World's Leading Regional Nature Destination" award has had a strong impact on the development of tourism in Son La province in general and Moc Chau in particular, attracting the attention of many tourism businesses and domestic and international tourists. The number of tourists visiting Son La continues to increase; in 2023, the total number of visitors was estimated at 4.5 million, equivalent to 136.4% of the same period the previous year; revenue was estimated at 4,700 billion VND, equivalent to 158.2% of the same period the previous year. Moc Chau alone received over 2.4 million tourists, exceeding the plan by 23%, with estimated social revenue of over 2,800 billion VND.

Comrade Tran Dan Khoi, Secretary of the Moc Chau District Party Committee, stated: The District Party Committee has issued a plan for the development of tourism in Moc Chau district until 2025, with a vision to 2030, aiming to develop Moc Chau tourism in proportion to its potential and advantages, becoming a safe and attractive destination for domestic and international tourists. The goal is to be recognized as a National Tourist Area by 2025. The Moc Chau District Party Committee and government have focused on leading and directing the implementation of many comprehensive solutions, primarily improving the business environment, enhancing competitiveness, and creating the most favorable conditions for investors to survey, plan, and implement projects in the area. They have proactively reviewed the current status of conditions met and not yet met for a national tourist area, and developed a plan to coordinate efforts to complete the criteria for national tourist area recognition.

Maintaining its title as a "World's Leading Natural Destination," Moc Chau district has planned and preserved its tea plantations, grasslands, and forest areas, ensuring they are protected and maintained in accordance with the plan to preserve the natural landscape. Currently, Moc Chau has basically met the conditions and criteria and is completing the application for recognition as a National Tourist Area. The district has 295 operating accommodation establishments, including 9 hotels (1-3 stars), 1 four-star hotel, and 1 resort; 400 food and beverage and shopping establishments; over 10 tourist areas, sites, and villages; and 12 tourism and travel service businesses. To date, Moc Chau district has 17 projects in the tourism and service sector, with a total investment of 3,761 billion VND. Five investment projects have been implemented in the Moc Chau National Tourist Area with a total investment of over 1,330 billion VND. Promotional efforts have been intensified, and to date, Moc Chau has completed and put into use a smart interactive 3D/360 tourism map, launched the "Moc Chau Tour" smart tourism application platform; and built and operates the tourism promotion website checkinmocchau.vn, making it easier for tourists to learn about Moc Chau before visiting.

With the arrival of spring, the highland region is infused with new vitality. Thanks to the correct and effective policies of the Party Committee and the proactive efforts of the government, Moc Chau tourism will continue to grow stronger, deserving its place as a leading natural destination in the world.

Viet Anh