Tourists visit Trà Quế village in Hội An. The village has been designed as a new tourist destination and gardening site. VNS Photo Công Thành

HỘI AN — Hội An will launch a new tourism destination and rural farming site at Trà Quế vegetable village on January 1.

The city said the 300-year-old village, 2.5km northeast of Hội An, is already popular with tourists and travel agencies, offering farming experience tours, a day working with farmers and exploring rural lifestyle.

Hội An will also celebrate the first tourist visiting the UNESCO-recognised world heritage site of the year at Trà Quế village on the morning of January 1.

The gardening trade, which provides incomes for nearly 3,000 residents, will be a feature of the community-based tourism programme to reduce overcrowding in the old quarter of Hội An.

Visitors try out farming skills at Trà Quế village. — VNS Photo Công Thành

The village’s garden will be used for organic vegetable farming, and the village’s herbs were recognised as a brand name by the Intellectual Property Rights Agency of Việt Nam in 2009.

Trà Quế village and other craft villages, including carpentry in Kim Bồng village, mat weaving in Bàn Thạch village, fishing in Trà Nhiêu village and rural lifestyle in Triêm Tây village, have emerged as experience sites outside of Hội An’s Old Quarter.

Hội An covers an area of 60sq.km, with 22.5sq.km of agriculture and forests and 11sq.km of lakes and canals.

To celebrate Christmas Day and the New Year, the Quảng Nam provincial tourism association will host the first Hội An Heritage Foods Market – Healthy Foods – at the city’s An Hội Sculpture Park on December 28-31.

A bowl of Mỳ Quảng, or Quảng Nam-based flat rice noodle, is a must-try food in Hội An. VNS Photo Công Thành

The market will introduce the specialties of Hội An and Quảng Nam at pavilions.

Chefs from home-stays and villas in the city will offer fruit and food for visitors at the three-day event.

A chef and bartender competition will be held along with outdoor concerts and folk games.

The association will also introduce a plastic-free tourism campaign at the park. — VNS