Locals and tourists participate in the experience of picking mangoes from ancient trees in Thín Khá village, Yên Châu commune.

Arriving at Thin Kha village, located nearly 10 km from the commune center along National Highway 6, visitors can easily find traditional stilt houses nestled amidst lush, ancient mango orchards. There, the simple life of the Thai people remains intertwined with folk songs, traditional musical instruments, weaving, embroidery of scarves, making baskets and fish traps... These cultural features, preserved through generations, are becoming valuable resources for the development of community and rural tourism. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in the local culture, enjoy traditional dishes, watch traditional dances like the Xoe dance and the Sap dance, learn about handicrafts, and listen to locals tell stories about ancient mango trees, stilt houses, or how the Thai people prepare their dishes.

Along the village roads, agricultural products and local produce are displayed and sold, creating a welcoming atmosphere like a small market. Mr. Hoang Van Kho, a respected figure in Thin Kha village, shared: "The village has 180 households, all of whom are Thai ethnic people. The villagers are regularly encouraged to maintain environmental hygiene, tidy up their houses, preserve stilt houses, and preserve traditional customs and cultural features. When visitors arrive, families welcome them warmly, introducing the culture and products of their homeland. Each family working together will make the village cleaner, more beautiful, and more civilized, preserving its identity while also generating income from tourism."

Not far from Thín Khá, the Thai Cultural Preservation House in Bản Đán offers another space for visitors to learn more about the life and customs of the Thai people. It preserves many traditional costumes, musical instruments, and household items; it also organizes cultural exchanges, introduces folk songs, folk dances, traditional musical instruments, handicrafts, and cuisine.

The harvest festival of the Thai ethnic people in Yen Chau commune.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thoat, Head of the Thai Culture Preservation Club, said: "The preservation house is open to visitors for experiential activities on Saturdays and Sundays. Last July, the club collaborated with the Women's Union of Yen Chau commune to establish a women's brocade weaving group with 11 members. The members maintain weaving, embroidery, and making cushions, blankets, sheets, and pillows to showcase and sell to tourists. Visitors can also directly experience weaving on looms at the homes of the members."

Yen Chau is home to the Thai, Kinh, Mong, and Kho Mu ethnic groups, creating a diverse indigenous cultural landscape. Along with a climate and soil suitable for fruit trees, the area also boasts a system of historical sites and scenic spots, most notably the site where President Ho Chi Minh visited and spoke with the people of Yen Chau; the Yen Chau Iron Bridge historical site; the Chieng Dong Victory Monument; the Chieng Khoi Lake national scenic spot; the Yen Chau round mango geographical indication area; and the community tourism and rural tourism model of Thin Kha village.

Locals and tourists participate in the Xoe dance at the Yen Chau Commune Mango Festival in 2026.

This is a resource for the locality to connect history, culture, and landscape with agricultural production, gradually forming distinctive experiential tourism products. Instead of just selling mangoes, bananas, or other agricultural products, people can take tourists to the orchards to visit, experience harvesting, and enjoy the products; combining this with learning about local culture, cuisine, and traditional crafts. Mango festivals, activities such as harvesting ancient mangoes, traditional dances, and bamboo pole dancing... are therefore not simply cultural activities, but also contribute to promoting agricultural products and the image of Yen Chau.

Recognizing the local people as the main stakeholders, Yen Chau commune is orienting its development towards community-based tourism, focusing on cultural, agricultural, ecological, and historical experiences. The emphasis is on preserving the village space, stilt houses, customs, festivals, and traditional crafts of the Thai ethnic group; linking these with the region's fruit trees and distinctive local products to create unique products.

People experience the traditional bamboo pole dance at the Yen Chau Mango Festival in 2026.

Mr. Lo Duc Viet, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Chau commune, said: Yen Chau's tourism is still in the early stages of exploiting its potential. Recognizing that tourism development must be based on the unique values ​​of the locality, using culture, landscapes, and agricultural products as a foundation, the commune will focus on perfecting community tourism products, improving service quality, training human resources, strengthening promotion, and linking with travel businesses to form tours and routes. Most importantly, the goal is to ensure that local people directly participate in and benefit from tourism, thereby preserving cultural identity while creating livelihoods and increasing income.

Agricultural products, village landscapes, stilt houses, cuisine, folk songs, folk dances, and festivals provide Yen Chau with the conditions to develop distinctive tourism products. When connected with production activities and the participation of the people, these values ​​can contribute to expanding the market for agricultural products, creating additional livelihoods, and supporting cultural preservation in the villages.

Text and photos: Phan Thảo