Ha Long Bay is not only well-known for its beauty but also its unique cultural space in which natural landscape combines with traces of indigenous people' lives over the centuries. This is great potential for sustainable development of Ha Long Bay tourism.
To date, 50 archeological sites have been discovered on islands and along Ha Long Bay’s coastal line, including Tien Ong Cave – home to ancient Ha Long people. In November, 2011, the cave opened to tourists and then has become an interesting attraction for those who wish to get more understanding of the residential history of ancient Ha Long people on Ha Long Bay.
Cua Van Floating Culture Center also displays a varietyof pictures, objects and artifacts reflecting folklore knowledge, both traditional and modern festivals, fishing tools, and fishermen’s life on Ha Long Bay.
Mr. Pham Dinh Huy, Deputy Manager of Ha Long Bay Management Board, said “Ha Long Bay embraces Cai Beo Culture, Soi Nhu Culture and Ha Long Culture. Fishermen’s life on boats from generations before moving onshore in 2014 is an attractive story for tourists to discover. We try to turn those cultural values into appealing tourism products”.
In order to diversify tourism products on Ha Long Bay and offer tourists more hand-on experiences, Ha Long Bay Management Board has opened short-time training courses on making fishing cages, weaving net, and repairing fishing tools for tourists at Cua Van Floating Culture Center when they visit the site.
Training courses on dual love song singing and human resource are also held at Cua Van Floating Culture Center to serve tourism development. The courses attract the participation of Ha Long Bay Management Board’s staff who are working at Cua Van Floating Culture Center and other conservation centers on the bay as well as fishermen’s offspring.
These activities are within the project of preserving and promoting fishing villages’ typical cultural values on Ha Long Bay. The project has been implemented by Ha Long Bay Management Board since 2019.
The precious cultural values have contributed to improving the magnet of tourist attractions on Ha Long Bay and are now being completed to become attractive tourism products for tourists to enjoy.
Translated by Quynh Trang
