From a spontaneously-developing product to the pilot project

Community-based products (CBT) have never failed to help indulge tourists themselves in experiencing the particular features, bearing special characteristics of the regions. Besides the three cultural hamlets and villages with ethnic compatriots in the three mountainous districts, right in Tuy Hoa downtown, there is one village with the lifelong tradition of planting vegetables, flowers, and this is also the place preserving lots of cultural institutions. The village is now being constructed with one scheme for developing CBT, it’s Ngoc Lang hamlet (Binh Ngoc commune).

Ngoc Lang pavilion, preserving lots of imperial assignments and decrees, is the venue for tourists to learn about ancient culture

The ancient Ngoc Lang was formed on the earth-banked shores North of Da Rang estuary, South of Chua river (another branch of Da Rang estuary) with the initial name of Nguyet Tien Dong, Nguyet Lang before being changed into Ngoc Lang, meaning “shining pearl”. Seen from top of Nhan Mountain, Ngoc Lang is surrounded with two river branches, making it resemble a green islet right in the middle of the rural area which is rapidly urbanized. Chua river with small ships coming in and out early in the morning; the vegetable and flower fields along the hamlet and surrounding the households’ gardens are flush all year round, making it look like a Chinese in drawing, and this is the great advantage for the locality in terms of developing such service as CBT.

Here, the humane resources are also plentiful and special, like pagodas, village shrines, pavilions; the most typical is Ngoc Lang pavilion. According to historical writings, Ngoc Lang pavilion was built prior to 1852. The pavilion is within the area of 2,740m2 width, the façade heads to the South, the architecture is like the traditions of Vietnam pavilions and villages. The worshipped and prayed objects here are: village’s tutelary genies, Bach Ma deity, among whom, the first two were imperially appointed by Nguyen dynasty kings. The ancestors who are worshipped are Le Van Xuyen, Le Van Luu and Le Thi Loi, who made contributions to the Nation and locality during the cause of clearing land and resettling. Currently, Ngoc Lang pavilion still preserves the imperial assignment of Nguyen dynasty Kings.

Ngoc Lang pavilion is not only the unit for worshipping of the village but also the residential community’s cultural house. In April 2013, Ngoc Lang pavilion was ranked as the provincial level historical-cultural relics.

The traditional profession of planting vegetables and flowers in Ngoc Lang is one significant condition for forming the CTB products. The entire Binh Ngoc commune (including 3 hamlets: Ngoc Lang, Ngoc Phuoc 1, Ngoc Phuoc 2) has 42ha of vegetable-planting land, with 20ha planting safe vegetables, and this area has been issued certificate by the department of agriculture-rural development, with more than 230 families taking part in, planting various types of vegetables like cabbages, lettuce, shallots…The profession of planting chrysanthemum here has been connected with the local inhabitants for more than ten years. Besides, some households do such craft professions as making rice paper, processing footwear, catching aqua-culture products in Chua ricer (“lich” is the locality’s specialty)…

To develop the locality’s advantages, the construction of a scheme for developing a tourism culture village is of great necessity. Mr. Ho Van Tien, director of Phu Yen department of culture, sports and tourism, let known: emerging from the demands of the province’s tourism development, based on the practical potentials of the locality, the department has coordinated with the EU Project management board (Tourism General Bureau) to do survey and set up the scheme for developing CBT products in Ngoc Lang vegetable village. Through two seminars, directly listening to farmers’ ideas, the managing units of related sectors, locality and tourism experts, the department still continues to get ideas from related departments and sectors so as to complete and present to the PPC for approval and implementation in the year 2015.

Source: Phu Yen NewspaperTranslated by HAI LOAN

From a spontaneously-developing product to the pilot project Related image(s)