Going against time
Amidst the immense flow and alluvial luution of the Hau River, over the years, Con Son (Binh Thuy Ward, Can Tho City) has emerged as a blue snail, completely separate from the noise and bustle of Tay Do town.
Going back in time to the previous days, Con Son in the memories of local people is a "four no's" land: no electricity, no clean water, no schools and no proper health stations. That day, life passed like a big flood, pure water and was a bit boring.
To survive, people almost have to rely on "the sky", which is fish in the river, snails in ditches and a few hectares of diverse gardens to grow all kinds of fruit. In general, they are precarious and depend entirely on nature. If there is a good season, it loses value, if there is a good price, it loses value, the slogan continues to repeat itself. Young people on the islet have therefore gone to the Southeast to work as workers, leaving the village even more deserted. Day by day, geographical isolation has made Con Son more and more remote in the region's economic development spirit.
However, thanks to the suggestion of community tourism ideas, everything has changed. Fate began to change in May 2025 with the initiator being Ms. Le Thi Be Bay (working in the tourism sector in Can Tho City). Ms. Bay was not born here, but she loves this land like her second hometown. Seeing the hidden beauty of wildness, of the people's generosity and hospitality, she believes that tourism will be the key for people to escape poverty.
For 3 months, Ms. Be Bay traveled around Con Son to greet and get acquainted with each house and each farmer, convincing them to participate in agricultural tourism right on the alluvial land.
Fortunately, at that time, I had the opportunity to meet and get acquainted with journalist Hoang Tuyen, director Do Khue, director Nguyen Ai Nam, journalist Le Thanh Nguyen and many other journalists. It was the brothers and sisters who encouraged, fostered the spirit, as well as enthusiastically guided, inspired and accompanied us little by little" - Ms. Be Bay shared.
Journalist Hoang Tuyen recalls that at that time, he and journalist Le Thanh Nguyen - former Head of the Representative Office of Lao Dong Newspaper in the Mekong Delta - often shared a lot with each other about the community tourism model.
"Mr. Le Thanh Nguyen confided to me that I hope to see a place where there is still village solidarity, where people still live well together, where the houses do not have borders, where there are open doors, an open village..." - journalist Hoang Tuyen said.
pioneering whole life
So the journey started from there, a lot of hardship but in return, many smiles. In the early days, Ms. Be Bay tirelessly took a boat to the river, walking through muddy roads to knock on every door. The daughter of a wealthy family confided and expressed her desire for a day when Con Son is bustling with tourists.
Sometimes, Ms. Bay received suspicious looks from farmers, who have only known how to hold hoes and spread nets all their lives. Now they heard that they had to open fences and open kitchens for strangers to come and watch, then collect money, so they were also "hampered" and "hampered".
"I was afraid that I wouldn't know how to speak, afraid that my house would be scolded. But in general, I was also wondering, why not just live like that and get well-off" - said Ms. Phan Kim Ngan (commonly known as Bay Muon), one of the first people to participate in tourism, now the Head of Con Son Agricultural Tourism Cooperative.
Recalling those unstable early days, Ms. Phan Kim Phuoc (commonly known as Nam Phuoc, owner of Song Khanh garden) said back: "At that time, when Mrs. Bay was in mobilization, I was very worried. I told Ms. Bay that there is nothing to do with tourism, there are some shrimp trees with a fish pond, who would be interested in seeing them. But Ms. Bay encouraged them, saying that the city residents needed this peaceful atmosphere. Then I tried cooking, Ms. Bay praised it as delicious, so I took the risk to do it right away.
Joining hands with "homegrown trees"
The tourism model in the early days was simple and truly "homegrown". whose house the customer comes to, the whole family will treat that dish. Some chickens grilled chickens, some snakehead fish cooked porridge, some boiled vegetables, vegetables, and fruits picked in the garden to invite customers to eat herbs. The easiest way to imagine it is to help visitors experience it in the following way: on the weekend back to their hometown to play.
"I made a rustic village cake that customers expressed their interest in, so I was happy. After that, I taught them to do it. Gradually learn how to receive guests, how to walk, how to speak properly... Then, step by step, we escaped poverty without any problems," said Ms. Bay Muon.
Ms. Bay Muon revealed that due to difficulties, in 2004, her family borrowed 10 million VND from the bank to make ends meet. It was not until 2018, after working in tourism, that her family was able to repay all the debt. This story is often told by Mrs. Bay Muon as a spread of effort and growth.
It is that rusticity and sincerity that is the sharpest "weapon" to conquer the hearts of tourists. The first guests left with satisfying smiles and promises of returning have strengthened the people's trust. The good news spread far and wide, and the number of visitors to Con Son increased day by day.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ly Van Bon - owner of Bay Bon fish raft, one of the pioneers, is a vivid testament to the change of life thanks to new thinking. Previously, he was just a fish farmer raising fish on the Hau River, his life wasotling with water, his income was somewhat unstable due to rising fish prices.
When he was encouraged to do tourism, he re-lands the raft, collecting more rare fish species of the Mekong River to preserve and introduce to tourists. His fish belly has become a famous tourist destination, bringing a stable source of double income.
"Since Con Son started working in tourism, I have been willing to share the fish farming profession with tourists, if anyone wants to learn, I will guide them" - the U70 farmer shared.
Wearing a new shirt
Con Son has since put on a new, brilliant and vibrant coat. The dirt roads are gradually being paved with flat, clean, and covered with green trees and flowers on both sides to welcome visitors. Day by day, the sound of laughter became more bustling, the economy developed, and the material and spiritual life of the people was significantly improved.
No longer having to run around eating every meal, people have food and provisions, and their children can study wherever they go. Now, Mrs. Bay Muon is confident in standing in front of dozens of Western tourists, our guests to instruct them on how to pour banh xeo and make banh klip. Mrs. Nam Phuoc always studies more delicious dishes to include in the hospitality menu. Mr. Bay Bon continues to create more jobs for many workers.
Looking back on the past, Ms. Be Bay could not hide her emotions: Seeing the people change their lives, I was filled with tears. The greatest thing in Con Son is not money, but the increasingly close village-to-ness. Tourism has brought a new vitality, helping people realize the value of the land they are living in".
