Awakening" cultural strength for ethnic minorities to escape poverty
In early July 2026, tourists coming to Da Bac commune, Phu Tho province will not only relax in the green space of Hoa Binh lake but also experience Muong culture through stilt houses, cuisine and traditional folk songs.
Ms. Nguyen Thanh Binh, a tourist from Hanoi, shared that after busy working days in the city, the trip to the lake area brings a feeling of healing. According to her, the attractiveness of the destination is not only in the natural landscape but also in the culture of local people, from stilt house architecture, traditional cuisine to folk songs.
Attracted by the "đúm" singing performance, we met Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (born in 1990, Muong ethnicity), Head of the Ke hamlet art troupe, Da Bac commune. Ms. Thanh said that in the past, many people used to think "leaving the countryside is leaving the homeland". She herself had also left her hometown to industrial parks in Hanoi and Hung Yen to find work.
However, as local tourism developed, many people returned to their hometowns to start a career. Around 2024, from cultural activities serving the community, the Ke hamlet art troupe was established with 6-7 members. Members maintained 2-3 training sessions per week, then participated in performances at village and commune events. In 2025, during the Great National Unity Festival, the performance of the art troupe attracted the attention of some tourist establishments in the area. Since then, the troupe has been regularly invited to serve tourists.
Up to now, the art troupe has become a professional service force at tourist areas. Many members both perform art performances and participate in serving and cooking. The average income of each person is about more than 10 million VND/month" - Ms. Thanh said.
The business community, government, and mass organizations join in.
Traditional culture is becoming an important resource in economic development. For these values to be effectively promoted, the role of mobilizing and gathering the masses of the Fatherland Front (MTTQ) at all levels is indispensable.
Ms. Dinh Thi Khanh - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Da Bac commune, Phu Tho province - said that the locality currently has 4,867 households with more than 19,000 people living in 21 villages, with many ethnic groups living together such as Muong, Kinh, Dao, Tay...
Identifying cultural preservation as a long-term task, the Commune Fatherland Front has coordinated to build folk cultural clubs, maintain gong performances, folk songs, traditional dances, and at the same time teach cultural values to the younger generation. Through community activities, many cultural beauties are preserved and become highlights in festivals, Great National Unity Festivals as well as cultural events in the locality.
Conservation should not only stop at preserving old values but also need to promote them to suit modern life. Over the past time, the Fatherland Front Committee of Da Bac commune has promoted the campaign "All people unite to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas". The commune has mobilized people to eliminate backward customs and preserve the environment through movements such as "Green Sunday", "Women's Flower Street"...
Ms. Xa Thi Na - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tien Phong commune, Phu Tho province - also said that there are currently 6 art troupes in the area with mainly Dao and Muong people as members.
Through community activities, the Fatherland Front and member organizations have connected art troupes with tourism businesses, helping people have more job opportunities.
From a business perspective, Mr. Luu Anh Tu, owner of Xoan Retreat tourism facility, Da Bac commune, believes that ethnic minority culture is a special advantage to create a different tourism product. Tourists coming to the lake area not only seek beautiful scenery but also want to explore local life.
Traditional dishes, costumes, simple communication and folk tunes are values that no one can convey better than the local people themselves.
Currently, Mr. Tu's resort is creating jobs for about 20 workers, all of whom are Dao and Muong people in the locality, with an average income of about 8 million to 10 million VND/month.
When promoted in the right direction, culture is not only a community memory but also becomes a source of development, thanks to the connection between people, government, unions and businesses.
Mr. Bui Xuan Truong - Deputy Director of Phu Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism: Developing tourism economy from promoting cultural values
The province's point of view is to develop tourism associated with socio-economic development strategies, taking tourism as an important economic sector, while promoting cultural industry, heritage economy, trade and services. Tourism development must be based on the foundation of preserving and promoting cultural values, protecting the environment, green development, digital and sustainable development; taking businesses as the driving force, people as the subject and tourists as the center.
Phu Tho attracts more than 10.5 million visitors in the first 6 months of the year
Statistics from Phu Tho tourism industry show that in the first 6 months of 2026, the whole province welcomed more than 10.5 million visitors, with revenue reaching over 10,700 billion VND. These figures show that tourism is gradually becoming an important driving force in local economic development.
