The Thai ethnic cultural space was recreated at the Quỳnh Nhai District Culture, Sports and Tourism Week 2024.

Since ancient times, people of various ethnic groups have lived in village communities. This has fostered a sense of community and the creation of cultural spaces that reflect the unique characteristics of each ethnic group. These are traditional values ​​preserved and passed down by the people, including culture, customs, beliefs, folk knowledge, architecture, traditional clothing, and more. All of these are formed and preserved within an environment characterized by village cohesion and a shared community spirit and belief system.

After many years of research on the culture of the ethnic groups in Son La, Mr. Dinh Van Lien, Chairman of the Provincial Folk Arts Association, shared: Each ethnic group in Son La has its own unique cultural characteristics, thus forming the diversity and richness in the culture of the ethnic groups, creating the attractiveness of the land and people of Son La.

Recreating the daily life of the Hmong people.

Shared cultural spaces help to converge and spread the values ​​and beauty of religious practices, spiritual life, and community culture. The Thai ethnic group's cultural space features stilt houses with rhythmic Xoe dances, the resonant sound of the Tinh lute, the Inh La folk songs, and traditional clothing like the Com and Pieu scarves. The Mong ethnic group's cultural space boasts the Khen dance, the Tha Kenh dance, vibrant costumes, and the culture of flax weaving. The Dao people have unique beliefs and distinctive traditional rituals, from weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies to the art of dyeing and beeswax pattern drawing. The highland ethnic groups share a common belief in worshipping river, mountain, and forest gods, with harvest festivals reflecting their reverence for supernatural beings, formed from their long-standing connection with the mountains. It can be said that the 12 ethnic groups in Son La, with their unique and distinct cultures, blend together to create a colorful, humanistic, and captivating cultural space in the Northwest highlands, imbued with ancestral values.

The unique cultural spaces of ethnic groups also represent potential for developing cultural tourism linked to natural landscapes. Son La tourism is increasingly focusing on preserving, promoting, and exploiting the potential of traditional ethnic cultures. A prime example is community-based tourism, which involves the formation of tourism villages reflecting the unique identities of ethnic groups, restoring traditional architecture, preserving the natural environment and landscape, maintaining cultural practices, and offering attractive experiences for tourists. Among these, notable community-based tourism destinations with distinctive cultural spaces of each ethnic group include: experiencing the cultural space of the Thai ethnic group in Ang village – Dong Sang commune, Doi village – Tan Lap commune (Moc Chau); Bon village – Muong Chien commune (Quynh Nhai); Hum village – Chieng Xom commune (Son La City); and Kha village – Sap Vat commune (Yen Chau). Discover the unique cultural space of the Mong ethnic group at community tourism destinations such as Hua Tat village, Van Ho commune (Van Ho district); Ta So village, Chieng Hac commune (Moc Chau)...

Experiencing the Dao ethnic culture at the Provincial Museum.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Moc Chau District, said: Preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups is an important solution for Moc Chau to develop tourism in a sustainable direction. Therefore, the district always prioritizes the dissemination and preservation of traditional culture, organizing activities to revive festivals and cultural spaces of ethnic groups, and preserving and promoting the 11 national intangible cultural heritage sites recognized in the district as driving forces and attractive factors to attract tourists to Moc Chau.

At cultural and tourism events in the province and localities, ethnic cultural spaces are always recreated to showcase the unique features of the diverse cultural landscape of various ethnic groups. From architectural spaces and daily life to people, costumes, festivals, and traditional beliefs, everything is vividly recreated, allowing viewers to fully explore, appreciate, and experience the folk culture of these ethnic groups, and appreciate the captivating traditional values ​​of the highland communities.

Reenacting a traditional ritual of the Red Dao ethnic group.

Participating in a destination survey trip to Moc Chau National Tourist Area, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director of Dynamic Travel, Hanoi City, assessed: Son La not only has attractive natural landscapes, but the appeal of tourism here lies in the unique culture of the ethnic minorities. The architectural spaces, traditional culture, and landscapes in many villages still retain their pristine beauty. This is a value and tourism potential that needs to be preserved and protected to create an attraction for tourists.

The cultural space of Son La's ethnic groups is also showcased at large-scale cultural and tourism events organized in major cities across the country. These include annual cultural promotion activities at the Vietnam Ethnic Groups Cultural Village (Hanoi); the "Colors of Son La - Northwest" tourism event during the Ho Chi Minh City and Northwest Provinces Tourism Week in Ho Chi Minh City in 2023; the Northwest Culture and Tourism Week in Luang Prabang province, Lao People's Democratic Republic in 2023; and the Son La - Hua Phan Cultural Tourism Festival in 2024… These are opportunities to promote and introduce the rich culture of Son La's ethnic groups to friends and tourists both domestically and internationally, helping to honor and illuminate the culture, and evoking a sense of pride and honor in the cultural traditions of each ethnic group, those who are preserving this national heritage.

The national cultural space was recreated on the stage of the tour guide competition.

Mr. Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: According to the general orientation, Son La focuses on developing tourism rapidly and sustainably, linked to the preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of ethnic groups and cultural heritage; protecting and enhancing the landscape and environment. This includes focusing on building unique tourism products for each locality in the province, linked to potential and landscapes, creating linkages between different types of tourism to develop unique, distinctive, and professional Son La tourism products. At the same time, organizing events to promote and introduce tourism products, cultural products, and local specialties to attract tourists.

Preserving the traditional cultural spaces of ethnic groups is not only the responsibility of the community to safeguard the values ​​of their roots, but also an important solution to enrich and beautify the humanistic tourism resources of Son La province, creating an attraction for the province's tourism to develop sustainably.

Thanh Dao, Hoang Giang