The cat-lion dance is a performance unique to artists in Kỳ Lừa Ward, Lạng Sơn Province. Photo vietnam.vn

Thanh Hà

LẠNG SƠN — Despite its myriad challenges, Kỳ Lừa Ward in Lạng Sơn Province will receive support and investment to become an attractive tourist destination in the near future, as the area shows great potential after last year's national administrative restructuring.

The ward is an important urban centre in Lạng Sơn with several distinctive cultural, historical and commercial features. Following Resolution 1672/NQ-UBTVQH15 on the merger of commune-level units in Lạng Sơn, Kỳ Lừa has expanded to encompass a combination of urban, suburban, ecological and traditional craft villages, creating a foundation for diverse development.

Among its many notable destinations are Tả Phủ and Mới Temple, Bắc Nga Pagoda and the Hoàng Văn Thụ Memorial House. The area is also home to unique festivals, such as the Kỳ Cùng - Tả Phủ and Bắc Nga Pagoda Festival, and folk art forms, such as Then and Sli singing and the traditional cat-lion dance.

In Kỳ Lừa, visitors get the opportunity to tour the Bắc Nga incense-making village, Háng Ngầu ancient town with its dried noodle craft and the Nùng Phàn Slình ethnic costume tailoring and embroidery village.

The Nùng Phàn Slình ethnic people still maintain their traditional method of cloth weaving. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Kim Thảo

Local authorities are determined to build Kỳ Lừa into a cultural and spiritual tourism destination, showing their resolve at a recent Tourism Product Development Conference.

Trần Thị Bích Hạnh, deputy director of the Lạng Sơn Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Agency, said that Lạng Sơn is in a position as an international trade gateway located on the Nanning - Lạng Sơn - Hà Nội - Hải Phòng economic corridor.

The province also has a lot of potential for developing tourism associated with trade, services, logistics and cultural exchange in the border region, she said.

Hạnh noted: "After the restructuring, Kỳ Lừa has become a new development space with high diversity in natural, cultural and socio-economic conditions. It is not only the urban centre of Lạng Sơn, but also a home to many historical relics, traditional crafts and stunning landscapes.

"All of this makes a crucial foundation for building a destination brand that reflects the unique cultural identity of the border region."

However, she added that tourism development in Kỳ Lừa still faces many limitations. 

Tourism products are scattered and lack connections. A deep and highly competitive product chain has yet to be formed. Tourism infrastructure is not synchronised, while promotional and marketing activities are poor, and the participation of the community and businesses in the tourism chain is not yet truly strong.

To overcome these challenges, People's Committee Chairwoman Vi Thị Quỳnh Mai said that Kỳ Lừa plans to build its industry towards cultural and spiritual tourism, community-based tourism, ecotourism and the nighttime economy to effectively exploit existing potential and link tourism development with the preservation of traditional cultural values.

Agricultural tourism associated with vegetable farming villages and One Commune One Product (OCOP) goods will also receive strong support under the plan.

Kỳ Lừa's longstanding traditional market system and bustling pedestrian streets will be highlights. The Kỳ Lừa Market, established in the 17th century, was once a trading centre on the Việt Nam-China border. According to plans, the market will be upgraded to boost tourism. 

In addition, the Háng Ngầu Town and Bản Nga Market will be set up as attractions based on their ancient architecture and distinctive highland cultural identity. 

Artisans perform Then singing at a recent Tourism Product Development Conference in Lạng Sơn.

Experts and tourism industry representatives have been invited to take part in FAM trips to many potential destinations for surveys, to help build tours and routes.

Dr Đỗ Trần Phương, deputy head of the Hà Nội University of Culture's Tourism Faculty, said he was impressed with the Háng Ngầu Ancient Town. He noted that the town could become a cultural tourism space reflecting the Chinese and Nùng ethnic groups, combining homestays, cultural performances, cuisine and riverside light art.

The Bản Ngà Market could also be developed into a cultural tourism destination combining ethnic cuisine and OCOP products. Phương proposed developing the alluvial plain along the Kỳ Cùng River into an eco-camping site, with SUP paddling and outdoor community activities. Meanwhile, the Lệ Minh Lagoon could become an eco-tourism resort and entertainment area, he said.

However, to effectively exploit this potential, local authorities needed to invest in synchronised infrastructure, develop professional products and strengthen the role of the community in tourism development, Phương said.

Nguyễn Quang Trung, a lecturer at the Academy of Public Administration and Management, said that spiritual tourism is a suitable direction for Kỳ Lừa, given the locality's many culturally rich relics, festivals and religious spaces. 

The Kỳ Cùng - Tả Phủ Festival is one of the largest spiritual events in Lạng Sơn. — Photo tiengphong.vn

Trung commented: "Tả Phủ Temple and the Kỳ Cùng - Tả Phủ Festival should become the core of the local spiritual tourism brand. But for sustainable development, Kỳ Lừa needs to transform its cultural and spiritual values ​​into organised tourism products with compelling stories, supporting services and mechanisms for preserving sacred spaces, in which the local community plays a leading role."

Other experts agreed that the development of spiritual tourism should go hand in hand with the preservation of cultural spaces, festival commercialisation and the enhancement of the role of local communities in preserving heritage.

In particular, the application of digital technology in promotion, the creation of digital maps of historical sites and QR codes for explanations, and heritage storytelling tours are seen as necessary solutions to enhance the visitor experience. — VNS