In the small house of Mrs. Vang Co Chan's family in Ban Pho village, Ta Van commune, laughter and talking with many sounds echoed by the fire.
Amidst the widely spread linen panels, Danish female tourist Sine Langskov carefully holds a crayon, slowly drawing the first patterns according to the host's instructions.
Not a handicraft class, it is the daily life experience of the H'Mong people in Ta Van.
I have been to many places, but this is the first time I have personally painted beeswax, dyed indigo and woven fabric. Everything is very realistic. The people are extremely friendly and I feel like I have truly become a part of life here," Sine Langskov shared.
Possessing poetic natural landscapes and unique cultural space of the H'Mong, Dao, Giay communities, Ta Van commune is becoming one of the bright spots of community tourism in the Northwest region.
What retains tourists are not only terraced fields or peaceful villages, but also vivid cultural experiences preserved through many generations.
At people's homestays, visitors are also instructed to draw beeswax patterns on linen fabric, dye indigo, weave fabric and listen to the meaning of each traditional motif.
And in Ta Van Giay village, in Mrs. San Thi Niem's house, traditional incense bundles fragrant with the scent of the mountains and forests are neatly arranged on the porch. The incense making profession passed down by mother used to only serve worship in the family.
But as community tourism developed, those incense sticks became a bridge bringing indigenous culture closer to international friends.
Since the village started community tourism, foreign tourists have regularly come to see and experience making incense. The family has both sold products and introduced the traditional craft of our ancestors," Ms. Niem said.
According to local people, what makes international visitors love Ta Van is not the luxurious services but the feeling of being immersed in local life.
They have a meal with the host family, learn how to make handicrafts, listen to cultural stories and experience the slow pace of life in the highlands.
Currently, Ta Van has more than 170 accommodation service businesses. Many households have combined homestay with traditional crafts, local cuisine and folk cultural activities, creating different tourism products.
In the period 2020-2025, the commune welcomed more than 500,000 visitors, including nearly 150,000 international visitors. Total revenue from tourism reached about 2,242 billion VND, of which international visitors contributed about 873 billion VND.
In the first 6 months of the year, Ta Van welcomed 242,001 visitors, including 20,839 international visitors. Revenue from tourism is estimated at more than 776 billion VND.
According to Mr. Tran Xuan Truong - Vice Chairman of Ta Van Commune People's Committee, community tourism not only brings revenue but also creates positive changes in people's awareness.
People can live on their own culture. When identity becomes a livelihood, preservation is no longer a responsibility but becomes an intrinsic need. That is also the most effective way to maintain tourism civilization and sustainable development," Mr. Truong shared.
