As a land rich in cultural values of various ethnic groups, including unique groups found only in Lai Chau such as the Mang and La Hu, Lai Chau province has leveraged its existing advantages to develop and perfect distinctive tourism products.
Typical examples include the Sin Suoi Ho community tourism village, deeply rooted in the Hmong ethnic culture; the Si Thau Chai community tourism village, associated with the Dao ethnic culture; the Then Kin Pang and Nang Han festivals of the Thai ethnic group; the traditional New Year and Forest Worship ceremony of the Ha Nhi people; the Corn Festival of the Cong people; and the Bun Voc Nam (water splashing) and Su Khon Khoai (buffalo spirit worship) festivals of the Lu ethnic group…
Sin Suoi Ho is a nationally recognized model community tourism village and has also been recognised as an ASEAN community tourism destination. According to Head of Sin Suoi Ho village, Vang A Chinh commune, tourists come to the village and are delighted by the scenery, climate, and clean environment, and experience the rich local material and spiritual cultural values.
From the market atmosphere and enjoying the characteristic cuisine to participating in cultural and artistic activities… From the beginning of 2026 until now, the village has welcomed more than 32,000 tourists, providing the villagers with stable income, and agricultural products are also sold locally, he added.
In Khong Lao commune, considered the cradle of the White Thai ethnic culture in Lai Chau, the Then Kin Pang Festival alone welcomed more than 15,000 tourists. Most visitors come here to experience the unique cultural space and lifestyle of the locality with activities such as water splashing and throwing the ball; enjoying the 70-dish feast and discovering the beauty of the traditional culture of the Thai people.
Nguyen Van Long, a tourist from Tu Ky commune, Hai Phong city, shared: “This is my first time in Lai Chau, and it coincided with a festival of the Thai ethnic group. I found everything very new and unique, from the stream fishing competition and the reenactment of daily life activities related to rivers and streams to enjoying dishes like young cicadas, stone worms, and grilled stream moss… everything was very strange and interesting, something I had never experienced before.”
According to Khong Van Thien, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Khong Lao Commune, thanks to government support, the Then Kin Pang Festival has been elevated to a provincial-level festival, contributing to attracting a large number of tourists to the locality.
This not only promotes the image and cultural space but also creates momentum for socio-economic development. Not only during the festival, but also on ordinary days, many tourists come to enjoy the local cuisine, folk songs, folk dances, and learn about the local cultural beauty.
Not only in community tourism villages or traditional festivals, but also in large, well-invested tourist areas, local cultural elements are gradually being exploited to create unique tourism products, such as the Dragon Cloud Glass Bridge Tourist Area and the O Quy Ho Sky Gate Eco-tourism Area.
Miranda-Nicole, a Dutch tourist, said that besides the beautiful scenery and modern tourism products, she was particularly impressed with the stalls showcasing local cultural products and agricultural produce at the O Quy Ho Sky Gate Eco-tourism Area. However, activities offering experiences of local culture are still limited and do not fully meet the exploration needs of tourists.
To achieve the “dual goal” of both preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups and promoting tourism development, Lai Chau province issued Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU on preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups in conjunction with tourism development during the 2021-2025 period; simultaneously prioritising resources and integrating programmes and projects to achieve the set goals.
According to Tran Manh Hung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lai Chau province, during the 2021-2025 period, the province has developed 5 villages with advantages in natural landscapes and unique cultural identities to become typical community tourism products of the Thai, H’Mong, Dao, Giay, and Lu ethnic groups.
Among these, 3 products have achieved OCOP 3-star status. Lai Chau has been recognized as a model national community tourism destination and also as an ASEAN community tourism destination.
As a result, the number of tourists visiting Lai Chau has increased continuously over the years. During the period 2021-2025, Lai Chau welcomed over 5 million visitors, with an average growth rate of over 33% per year; total revenue reached over 3.8 trillion VND; and from the beginning of May 2026 to the present, Lai Chau has welcomed over 157,000 tourists, an increase of 8.5% compared to the same period, with estimated revenue of over 131 billion VND…
However, some difficulties remain, such as uneven levels of education among the population; the role of the people as cultural stakeholders in organising, operating, and providing tourism services has not been fully utilised; the tourism skills of the community, especially ethnic minorities and artisans, are still limited; and some outdated customs still persist.
In the coming period, Lai Chau will continue to promote awareness among all levels, sectors, and people, build mechanisms and policies, focus resources on conservation, train human resources in culture and tourism, support artisans and practitioners of heritage... and continue to develop distinctive tourism products associated with local cultural identity.
