Homestays at the Hoa Tien village reflect strong local cultural identity. (Photo: Vinh Phong/VOV5)

Traveling along the national highway toward the western part of Nghe An province, past lush green hills and fertile fields, visitors arrive in picturesque Hoa Tien village, whose residents are nearly all ethnic Thai people who have preserved their traditional way of life, marked by water wheels along the Hieu River, stilt houses under perennial trees, and the clatter of hand-looms weaving fabric.

Visitors are welcomed at the gates of homestays with a traditional wrist-tying ceremony. In this ritual red threads are tied around each visitor’s wrist to wish them happiness, good health, and the strength to overcome difficulties. According to Thai beliefs, men have seven souls and women have nine, so seven threads are tied around a man’s left wrist, and nine threads are tied around a woman’s right wrist.

A tourist named Le Hieu said, “The culture of the Thai here is distinctive. Visitors are very interested in learning about the local cultural customs and activities.”

Visitors take part in the traditional wrist-tying ceremony. (Photo: Vinh Phong/VOV5)

One of the most popular activities in Hoa Tien is hands-on experience with brocade weaving. The fabric is produced from natural materials which, by the skilled hands of the artisans, is transformed into brocade products with intricate patterns and motifs that embody both ethnic identity and personal expression.

Tourists can join the locals in harvesting cotton, spinning yarn, weaving on a loom, and dyeing fabric using natural dyes - green from forest plants and pink, red, and yellow from wildflowers. After spinning, weaving and dyeing her own scarf, tourist Thanh Thuy from Truong Vinh ward, Nghe An province, said: “It’s an interesting experience. I wanted to learn how Thai people make these products. Then I tried to make my own scarf with patterns inspired by the mountain flowers of western Nghe An.”

Visitors enjoy hands-on experiences in craft work. (Photo: Vinh Phong/VOV5)

For dinner, visitors enjoy traditional Thai cuisine, which ranges from grilled fish from the Hieu River with stir-fried forest bamboo shoots to fragrant sticky rice and grilled chicken. Hosts and guests gather around a wood fire to drink rice liquor and chat. Drums and gongs resound as people hold hands and join in graceful xoe and bamboo dances in the flickering firelight.

Tourist Nguyen Thi Oanh from Dien Chau ward, Nghe An province, said, “It’s wonderful. All activities are deeply rooted in the traditions of the Thai. I hope these activities will continue to be preserved and promoted. Today’s experience made me very happy.”

Of the 300 stilt houses in Hoa Tien village, 10 are engaged in community-based tourism. Sam Thao Trang, manager of the Bich Trang homestay, said that four years ago her family began offering services to domestic and foreign tourists. “Hoa Tien is the cradle of the Thai weaving craft, which attracts visitors. We do community-based tourism to preserve and develop that tradition,” said Trang.

Thai women in Hoa Tien village perform folk songs and dances. (Photo: Vinh Phong/VOV5)

Sam Thi Huong, owner of the Minh Huong homestay, said, “My family has been running a homestay for nearly six years, and we have guests almost all the time. Tourists are interested in learning embroidery and weaving, trying Thai food, and taking part in folk dances. Whatever we cook, our guests always say it’s delicious.”

Each season in Hoa Tien offers a different attraction. At the spring Hang Bua Festival Thai men and women in colorful traditional costumes sing and dance through the night. In the summer, when the Hieu River runs clear and peaceful, people swim, paddle boats, and admire the sunset. In autumn, the Ta Chum fields turn golden. And in winter, a blanket of white clouds turns the village into a fairy land.

Vinh Phong