Decoding the “Phenomenon” of community tourism in Tha village

Among hundreds of community-based tourism villages across the country, Tha village doesn't possess any particularly unique characteristics. The village has 150 households, with 100% of the population being of the Tay ethnic group. Currently, the entire village has 122 stilt houses, built of wood and thatched with palm leaves, scattered amidst rice fields and lush green forests. 

The lifestyle of the Tay people here is basically not much different from 800 years ago, when their ancestors first cleared the land and established the village. The people have preserved the traditional values ​​of their ethnic group intact, from clothing and customs to daily life practices. Visitors here have the opportunity to learn about daily activities such as brocade weaving, traditional baking and making handicrafts. The difference that today's generation has achieved is transforming Tha village into a model community tourism destination, attracting the most visitors in the country by 2025. The question many people are currently seeking an answer to is: where does the success of Tha village come from? The answer lies in how Tha village preserves, organizes and promotes the cultural values ​​of its ethnic group.

Preserving the “core” of cultural identity

The first noteworthy point is the almost perfectly preserved state of Tha village. The Tay ethnic community here lives in concentrated settlements, with a system of traditional stilt houses still widely maintained. The village space, from housing structure, landscape to pace of life, has not been disrupted by concrete or modern tourist projects.

While many places develop tourism by “rejuvenating” their identity, Tha village chooses the opposite approach: preserving and enriching the old. This is what makes it attractive to tourists, especially international visitors, who seek authentic experiences rather than staged products.

The entire community is involved in tourism

One of the decisive differences is the organizational model. In many places, community tourism is limited to just a few households. Meanwhile, Tha village is developing in a way that involves the entire village in tourism, creating a relatively complete service ecosystem. Tourists truly experience the atmosphere of an entire community. This approach not only enhances the quality of the experience but also ensuring that benefits are distributed relatively evenly - a key element for a sustainable development model.

Saying no to “staged” performances

One noteworthy aspect of Tha village is its approach to tourism. The Tay people here don’t treat their culture as mere performance art. Tourists come here not to watch, but to participate. They can join the locals in planting rice, cooking, learning traditional folk songs, and living in stilt houses. These activities are not staged according to a script, but are part of everyday life.

It is this unscripted nature that gives the experience depth. While many places are falling into the trend of “theatricalizing” culture, Tha village has preserved its naturalness, an element that creates lasting distinction.

Near the city center but not affected by urbanization

Tha village is not far from the center of Ha Giang 1 ward, near the Thanh Thuy international border gate, making it convenient for tourists to access. Despite being close to the city, the village has preserved its ecological space and traditional structure. This is a double advantage: it’s easy to tap into the tourist market while maintaining its unique identity. In reality, many community-based tourism destinations fail because they don’t balance these two factors.

From the above factors, it can be seen that the success of Tha village is the result of the synergy of many elements: cultural preservation, community organization, governance capacity and the right development orientation. It is worth noting that these factors are not exclusive to Tha village. Many other localities have similar conditions, but not all of them have achieved the same results. The phenomenon of Tha village has been deciphered by adopting a community-centered approach, using identity as a foundation and setting sustainability as the goal. It is precisely this persistent, slow-paced approach that is the shortest and most sustainable path for the village to establish its name on the national and international tourism map./.