Located on the Pha Din pass road, Long village (Quei To commune, Dien Bien province) is home to 116 households, all of whom are H'Mong people. About 20km from the commune center, life here still bears a strong imprint of the highlands, from house architecture to customs and habits.
In recent years, along with the policy of economic development in the locality, the people of Long village have begun to get acquainted with a new direction: combining agricultural production with welcoming experienced visitors. However, according to Mr. Mua A Sinh - Head of the village Fatherland Front Committee, the biggest difficulty lies not in natural conditions but in changing long-standing living habits.
Since 2023, village meetings have been held regularly to mobilize people to renovate living space. Barns have been moved away from residential areas, and environmental sanitation has been given more attention. Initial changes encountered many obstacles, but gradually received consensus.
Currently, some households have proactively renovated their houses to welcome small-scale guests. This model still maintains traditional lifestyles, while creating additional income besides agricultural production, which is the main livelihood. Experiential activities such as visiting natural landscapes, working with people or community activities are initially formed.
This shift in direction does not lose the inherent identity, but on the contrary, contributes to arousing the awareness of preserving culture in the community. According to the government of Quai To commune, Long village has welcomed more than 1,000 visitors to visit and experience, opening up new development directions suitable to actual conditions.
From a highland village with many difficulties, Long village is now gradually finding ways to adapt, both maintaining traditional lifestyles and expanding livelihoods in a harmonious and sustainable way.
