The colors of Dong Van

Tapping potential

Dong Van, together with other districts of Ha Giang Province (Quan Ba, Yen Minh and Meo Vac), forms the core of a geopark with well-known tourist sites such as the Vuong residence palace - an art and architectural relic, Lung Cu Flag Tower, Dong Van Old Quarter, and Van Chai primeval forest.

Under local government guidance, Dong Van District has achieved significant results in tourism development. So far, seven tourist sites in the district have been recognized and ranked at a provincial level; 16 historical and cultural relic and heritage sites have been recognized, including four national-level relics, eight provincial-level relics, and four national-level intangible cultural heritages. The district currently has 245 tourist accommodation facilities, including 20 hotels, 31 guest houses, 194 homestay facilities, and 72 restaurants.

Dong Van District is home to more than 250,000 people from 17 ethnic groups, among them the Mong, Na Chi, Pu Peo, Lo Lo, Nung, Hoa and Giay. Each group has distinctive customs and festivals, making Dong Van District rich in cultural heritage. Well-known ethnic festivals in the locality include the Khau Vai Love Market Festival and Gau Tao Festival of the Mong, the forest god worship festival of the Pu Peo, and the Cap Sac (naming) ceremony of the Dao.

With COVID-19 controlled, Dong Van District’s tourism sector is recovering and creating livelihoods for residents, increasing their incomes and promoting socioeconomic development.

Dong Van District is an attractive tourist destination in Ha Giang Province

The district has intensified information dissemination to promote its image among domestic and foreign travel companies. It also participated in tourism demand stimulus programs to attract domestic and foreign visitors.

Diversifying tourism products

Despite its efforts, Dong Van’s tourism development remains incommensurate with its potential. Tourism infrastructure, as well as investment in tourism development, is still inadequate. Tourism products remain limited in nature and scope.

To boost its tourism industry, Dong Van has set targets for 2025. Specifically, it expects to have more than 10 tourist sites recognized by the provincial people’s committee; welcome more than 2.6 million visitors, including about 600,000 foreign ones; create revenue of over VND2.6 trillion; and generate jobs for nearly 1,000 workers. By 2030, the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark is expected to be recognized as a national tourist site, and the district hopes to attract more than 4.5 million visitors, create revenue of over VND5 trillion, and generate jobs for nearly 3,000 workers.

To achieve these targets, Dong Van District continues to improve community awareness of tourism development, while at the same time restructuring the tourism sector according to market economy rules, increasing investment in infrastructure, and diversifying tourism products.