AsemconnectVietnam - Gia Lam district, located at the gateway to the east of Hanoi, has developed new tourism practices involving agriculture and craft villages.

 The move is thanks to the area's strong tradition of craft villages converging from generation to generation as well as its proximity to the beautiful landscapes along the Hong (Red) River and Duong River.

Nguyen Xuan Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hiep Thu Agricultural Development and Commercial Service Cooperative, said that while following the National Target Programme on building new-style rural areas in the district, the cooperative has also deployed tourism services in agricultural production and environment by investing in the construction of Phu Dong Green Park - an ecological zone with a scale of 15.6 ha in Phu Dong commune.

Initially, the cooperative only wanted to deploy a project to treat waste from cows by raising earthworms to protect the environment, he said.

"The cooperative realised the area has many advantages to develop models of agricultural tourism and provide experiences for students, so we built Phu Dong Green Park," he said.

Tran Xuan Tinh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Dong commune, said the project on developing agricultural production under specialised agricultural areas in the commune has led to it converting dozens of hectares of inefficient rice fields to planting fruit trees, flowers, ornamental plants, gardens and ponds.

The commune has also grown an eggplant garden associated with the legend of Saint Gióng and a vegetable production area in Dong Vien village, he said.

Saint Giong, one of Vietnam's four 'immortal heroes,' was a little boy from Hanoi's Phu Dong village who helped bring peace to the country by defeating the An invaders in the 6th Hung King Dynasty. According to legend, Saint Giong's mother put her feet on God's footsteps in an eggplant garden and then gave birth to Saint Giong.

In Bat Trang commune, already famous for its ceramic village, the Chairman of the People's Committee said since 2020, they have operated tourism products such as a cycling tour from the inner city to the commune and a tour connecting it several destinations from Hung Yen province.

Cycling tours have voice narration in Vietnamese and English for tourists. The tour is very popular among foreign tourists currently, he said.

In addition, the commune has continued to decorate local streets, calling on households to design beautiful shops with flowers creating a green and clean landscape for tourists, he added.

It is estimated that the commune welcomes about 3,000-5,000 tourists every weekend thanks to the development of activities in the area, he said.

Phung Thi Hoai Huong, Head of the district’s Culture and Information Office, said it has great potential to develop more agriculture and craft villages which will subsequently further boost tourism.

The district will continue to develop key tourism products, which will focus on three key areas, she said.

The three areas consist of the Hong (Red) River area with tourist attractions including Kim Lan Ceramic Village, Bat Trang Ceramic Village and Van Duc agricultural experience; the area around the Duong River with spiritual and cultural tourism at Nguyen Phi Y Lan Temple, and the home of the poet Cao Ba Quat in Phu Thi commune. There's also a manmade beach in the Ocean Park gated community, riverside experiences in Kim Son commune; and the Saint Giong Temple and Ninh Hiep traditional medicine village.

Ta Van Tuong, Deputy Director of the city’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said that the growth of agriculture and craft villages is a new direction that is improving the income of people in rural areas, as well as developing the rural economy.

Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Chief of the New Rural Development Programme’s Coordination Office in Hanoi, said that developing agriculture and craft villages in association with tourism is now popular with many localities, including Gia Lam district.

The operation of agricultural tourism, craft villages, and educational experiences boosts the cultural value of each locality has gradually created more jobs and brought stable incomes for people in rural areas, he said.

In Gia Lam district, preserving and promoting the value of traditional craft villages is given significant attention by local administration, he said.

Traditional craft villages such as Kieu Kỵ Gold Laminating and Gilding Craft Village, Kim Lan Ceramic Village, and Bat Trang Ceramic Village have generated value and ensured sustainable tourism development, he said.

From positive innovations in the development of agriculture and craft villages, the district is expected to become an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists./.

Source: VNA