We, along with over 50 travel and tourism businesses, have just participated in the Famtrip Program “survey, introduce destinations, and connect tours and travel routes in Son La province.” The program was organized by the Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Center of Son La province in collaboration with the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club. The Famtrip group’s journey took us to Thuan Chau and Quynh Nhai districts, two adjacent districts in the farthest northwest of Son La province.
PHA DIN PASS WITH ITS RICH HISTORICAL EVIDENCE
Our first stop was the Ho Chi Minh Memorial House in Thuan Chau district. This memorial house was inaugurated in 2018. Nearly 65 years ago, on May 7, 1959, President Ho Chi Minh visited and talked to the ethnic people of the Northwest in Thuan Chau district. He instructed the officials and people to unite, compete in labor and production, eradicate hunger and reduce poverty, and actively learn to overcome illiteracy and backwardness, building a peaceful and prosperous hometown…
Then, our group headed up to Pha Din Pass, nicknamed one of the “four great peaks” of the Northwest region, blessed with a pristine climate and majestic nature. In 2024, the People’s Committee of Thuan Chau district issued Resolution No. 11 approving the 1/500 detailed planning project for the Pha Din historical-cultural area.
We stopped at the highest point of the pass, 1,648 meters above sea level, to pay our respects at the Martyrs’ Temple. The temple was inaugurated on April 26, 2024, as a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory. Here, visitors can discover local agricultural specialties, capture moments among colorful flower gardens, and learn about the historical role of Pha Din Pass during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.
Mr. Bui Ngoc Thang, Director of the Cooperative, emphasized, “Pha Din Pass possesses not only historical value but also unique geographical features. Therefore, we decided to invest in developing tourism on a 9.6-hectare scale, including an eco-garden, a flower garden, dining and accommodation services, creating a highlight for tourists. In 2024, Pha Din Tourism Cooperative welcomed hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors.”
Moving on to Quynh Nhai district, we visited the Son La Hydropower Lake. Right next to the boat station is the Pa Uon Bridge, like a long silk scarf spanning the vast river. With a length of 918 meters and a pillar height of 98.6 meters, it holds the record for the tallest bridge in Vietnam across the Da River.
Reflected on the lake’s surface, spanning over 10,500 hectares, are majestic mountain ranges and large and small islands with boats lurking behind the mist. We explored captivating spots on the lake, including the Pa Uon Ecolakes tourist site, Heart Island, Binh Yen Bay, Pu Dan Island, the Quynh Nhai cultural-spiritual tourism area, eco-tourism sites, and community-based tourism in Bon village…
“Currently, Quynh Nhai Travel Cooperative receives an average of nearly 1,000 visitors per month to experience the activities in the bay.”
Mr. La Van Phong, Chairman of the Board of Management of Quynh Nhai Travel Cooperative.
Uy Phong Bay (in Khoang village, Pa Ma Pha Khinh commune) is surrounded by picturesque mountains. The floating houses in Uy Phong Bay, covering nearly 1,000 square meters, were built by Quynh Nhai Travel Cooperative in 2018, along with other facilities such as a restaurant, an underwater volleyball court, and a boat racing area…
Mr. La Van Phong, an ethnic Thai and Chairman of the Board of Management of Quynh Nhai Travel Cooperative, shared that the cooperative was established in 2017. Initially, they only utilized the local people’s boats to take visitors on lake tours. As the number of tourists increased, the cooperative invested in two passenger boats with capacities of 40 and 60 people each, forming tours and experiences on the lake.
CRUISING ON QUYNH NHAI RIVER
Introducing us to the Son La Hydropower Lake tourist site, Ms. Lu Thi Nhan, a Thai ethnic tour guide, said that visitors could not only discover the beauty of nature but also had the opportunity to explore the unique culture and cuisine of the seven ethnic groups living there.
The Thai white people in Quynh Nhai are also known for the headwashing festival held on the 30th of the lunar month to commemorate Nàng Han, a female general who protected the village and drove away the bad luck of the old year to pray for a lucky new year. In 2020, the headwashing ritual (lung ta) of the Thai white people in Quynh Nhai was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
“Ethnic dishes such as khẩu lam, pa pỉnh tộp, gà mọc, and festivals like ‘Kin Pang Then’ and ‘Headwashing’ of the Thai people will be unforgettable experiences for all visitors.”
Lu Thi Nhan – Thai ethnic tour guide in Quynh Nhai.
Especially, the traditional boat racing festival in Quynh Nhai, held after the Lunar New Year, attracts thousands of tourists and is a prominent highlight for the region’s tourism, which is rich in cultural traditions.
In the spiritual life of the ethnic groups in the Northwest mountains, such as the Thai, Dao, Lu, and Mang, Nàng Han is a legendary figure, akin to Ba Trưng and Bà Triệu in the tales of the Kinh people.
THE TEMPLE OF THE THAI PEOPLE’S GODDESS
The story goes that when the enemy ravaged Mường So (Phong Thổ, Lai Châu), a handsome man from the south arrived, gathered local youths to fight, and won. After the victory, he organized a feast and bathed in the Pa So Na stream. Strangely, after the bath, the man did not return but left only a set of women’s clothes. The villagers believed that a goddess had possessed the man’s body to help them defeat the enemy.
The tale of Nàng Han is widely told in many lands, from Mường Than (Lai Châu), Mường Thanh (Điện Biên), Mường La (Sơn La) to Mường Lò (Yên Bái). The Thai people in the western districts of Thanh Hóa also worship and hold festivals for Nàng Han during the Lunar New Year. The elderly in Mường Lò (Yên Bái) believe that the 36 ancient Xoe dances originated from Nàng Han, symbolizing the unity of the Thai people.
Leaving the lake, we headed to the Linh Son – Thuy Tu Nàng Han spiritual-cultural tourism area. The complex is located on a peninsula surrounded by the Da River on three sides. Within the complex stands the Linh Son – Thuy Tu Temple and the Nàng Han Temple, inaugurated in 2012.
Passing the Nàng Han Temple, we found, at the back of the mountain, a colossal statue of Bodhisattva Quan Am, inaugurated in November 2020, standing 32 meters tall in a “leaning on the mountain, facing the water” pose. More than 17 years ago, the Thai people in Quynh Nhai held a Xoe festival to bid farewell to their old land, which would be submerged under the Son La Hydropower Lake. Today, the ancient land of Quynh Nhai lies under 9 billion cubic meters of water in the lake.
In the middle of the lake, on a tall mountain, Son La province built a monument to honor thousands of Thai people who gave up their land for the country’s electricity. Since then, on the afternoon of the 30th of the lunar month, Thai people from the new resettlement areas row boats to the monument in the middle of the vast lake, which is also the place to commemorate Nàng Han.
In 2012, Son La province built a temple dedicated to Nàng Han in Muong Giang, a new resettlement area for the Thai people by the lake. For over a decade, the province has also revived the headwashing festival in Phieng Lanh village, Muong Giang commune.
According to the leaders of Quynh Nhai district, with the goal of developing tourism as one of the three breakthrough strategies for the term 2020 – 2025, Quynh Nhai is striving to build infrastructure and unique tourism products to attract visitors.
Tourism development is becoming an important livelihood for many Thai households, in particular, and the seven ethnic groups, in general, in Quynh Nhai. The district aims to develop tourism into a provincial-level destination and a spearhead economic sector by 2030, contributing over 10% to the district’s GRDP and driving the growth of other economic sectors…
The full content of this article was published in the Vietnamese Economic Magazine, Issue 3-20245, released on January 20, 2025. Please visit the following link for the complete article: https://postenp.phaha.vn/chi-tiet-toa-soan/tap-chi-kinh-te-viet-nam
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