Warm welcome: Bho Hoong villagers dance in front of a traditional guol house.

Joining the ranks of Hoi An Old Square and World Heritage site Phong Nha-Ke Bang, the village in mountainous Dong Giang District offers tourists the chance to be in the shoes of the local Katu ethnic group.

Official tours were kicked off on May 20 by the provincial department of Culture, Information and Tourism in co-operation with Dong Giang District’s People’s Committee and the Le Nguyen Travel Company.

The idea to start organising tours to the area has been in the pipeline since the province’s Tourism Year in 2006, says Le Ho Phuoc Vinh, director of the company.

"We conducted a lot of research in preparation for the tours, " he said.

"In the beginning, we will run one weekly tour on Saturday then the tours will be held regularly according to demand. The overnight trip to the village costs US$60 per head."

Real deal

Bho Hoong Village is the smallest community of the Katu. Nearby is the famous 100m-high Grang Waterfall and legendary Truong Son Trail. Another defining feature of the landscape are the Katu’s wooden guol houses. Guol houses are five houses built in an oval-shape. Each one is painted with different symbols, including a rooster and a pheasant. Buffalo horns are also used to decorate the roof. Floors and columns are often carved with images such as a woman and baby, a buffalo or a cow.

"Guol houses are always welcome places, " one local man says. "Everyone is equal in a guol house. We only have one rule, no one is allowed to argue in one."

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These communal houses are where tourists will spend the night. During the day, tourists will get to see some of the traditional activities of the local people, tour operator Vu Duc Truc says.

"Visitors will get to weave brocade, join traditional festivals, dance and eat specialities such as com lam (bamboo-tube rice), forest vegetables and drink ruou can (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes) with the friendly locals."

The tour will also include other insights into the local area, Truc says. "Many foreigners know about Quang Nam’s tea but they don’t know how it is cultivated. Our tour will include a trip to the Quyet Thang Tea Plantation, where visitors can pick tea leaves and visit the production line."

Protecting the past

About 600 people live in the village, most of whom make a living from making brocade and weaving rattan. The success of this trade is partly thanks to village elder 71-year-old Briu Pram, who founded a group of weavers in 1996.

The new tour will also help boost local living standards, says Dinh Hai, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Information and Tourism. Also to enhance visitors experience of the village, the local People’s Committee has pumped money into training a gong group to perform.

"Tourism will help preserve the unique cultural features of the area and local people can make more money from their traditional trades, " he says. "It’s important that the local People’s Committee make sure villagers know the benefits and are polite and friendly."

The tour was a hit with Japanese tourist Reiko Yazawa, who says she really enjoyed the traditional dancing and music. "I danced with the locals but it was quite difficult, " Reiko confesses.

"I really enjoyed seeing how local people make their clothes. I think it’s important for foreigners to see so they can understand the amount of work that’s gone into making the goods when they bargain for them."

Australian tourist Matthew Watt agrees, "Katu women should offer brocade embroidery classes."

The trip to Bho Hoong Village was unforgettable, the two insist. "Seeing how the Katu people lived was really fascinating, " Matthew says. "I planted a souvenir tree at the village so I will definitely come back to see how much it’s grown."

(Source: Viet Nam News)