On December 6, 2024, Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 3262/QD-UBND approving the Project to develop Bac Ha district into a special destination of Lao Cai province and the Northwest region in the period of 2024-2030, with a vision to 2050 to become a national tourist area. The project sets the goal: By 2030, Bac Ha tourism will become a spearhead economic sector and an economic breakthrough; Bac Ha will become a special destination of Lao Cai province and the Northwest region; Bac Ha town will truly become a tourist center of the northeastern mountainous region of Lao Cai province. By 2050, Bac Ha will become a green destination and a national tourist area imbued with national cultural identity.

Prioritizing the development of unique tourism products

Bac Ha is famous for its vast white plum hills in spring, which draws a poetic landscape that captivates visitors. In addition, destinations such as Hoang A Tuong Palace, Bac Ha market, Bac Ha temple, Ba Me Con mountain, Coc Ly flower valley, etc. are all attractive highlights. In particular, Bac Ha market is considered one of the most unique highland markets in the Northwest. Not only is it a place for trading but it is also a unique cultural space, a gathering point for many ethnic groups including Mong, Dao, Tay, Nung, etc. with colorful costumes, diverse products and traditional customs preserved intact.

To promote its existing potential, Bac Ha district has been implementing many synchronous solutions to build a local tourism brand associated with sustainable development. In particular, organizing annual cultural and tourism festivals such as the Bac Ha White Plateau Festival, Traditional Horse Racing, trekking tours to explore villages, homestay experiences... are important highlights, contributing to promoting the image of Bac Ha to a large number of tourists.

Bac Ha white plateau

To make Bac Ha a special destination of Lao Cai province, from now until 2030, Bac Ha district prioritizes the development of 05 special tourism products, including: Bac Ha White Plateau tourism product; Bac Ha Market tourism product; Hoang A Tuong Palace tourism product; Bac Ha traditional horse racing tourism product; Bac H'adventure comprehensive sports tourism. In which, concentration is put on developing the Bac Ha White Plateau Festival to become a cultural tourism event in the Northwest region; organizing a white flower road festival; planting plums, pears, apricots, etc., and renovating and embellishing the landscape of the route Ban Pho - Hoang Thu Pho - Ta Van Chu - Lung Phinh. The district also focus on developing resort tourism products, experiencing "cloud hunting" associated with the unique landscape of the Bac Ha white plateau; developing agricultural tourism with activities to experience plum farms and medicinal herb production areas (visiting the Balloon Flower season, enjoying dishes made from medicinal and herbal products; experiencing care, harvesting, distilling essential oils and other service activities); building OCOP products associated with tourism.

The authority also plans to build “Bac Ha Market” with the brand name “Sunday on the Plateau” to become a prominent cultural experience point in the Northwest region, associated with rich and unique themes; to organize unique folk art programs; to preserve and perform Bac Ha Dog; to organize traditional cultural festivals of ethnic groups, culinary culture (Bac Ha rice trays, green rice, thang co, and so on), etc.; to launch fairs to display and introduce local products.

The district simultaneously focuses on developing the unique art tourism product "Legendary Plateau" associated with "Legendary Dinh Hoang A Tuong" into a program to introduce Bac Ha tourism, a special program to welcome delegates and visitors. This process is planned to be conducted through artistic activities to express the history of the land, people, architectural works, traditional crafts, customs and unique traditional culture of ethnic minorities. The locality also intends to organize night experience services, recreating the daily life of the Hoang family.

It is also headed to develop horse racing tourism in a diverse direction in terms of experiences, services. Horse races will be organized with the following themes: Endurance horse racing; off-road horse racing through forests and mountains; costume horse racing (horses and jockeys are dressed in historical costumes or special themes); night horse racing with special lighting and accompanying entertainment activities; charity horse racing to raise funds for charities or community projects; ...

Preserving and promoting cultural heritage values

In addition, Bac Ha focuses on preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, encouraging people to participate in community tourism, linking tourism development with new rural construction, OCOP and developing sustainable livelihoods for local people.

The locality pays attention to preserving and promoting intangible cultural values. This is carried out by maintaining the organization of festivals, preserving typical social customs of ethnic minorities to serve tourism development, typically the July Tet of the La Chi people, Bac Ha district and national intangible cultural heritages (Bac Ha horse racing festival and rituals of the Dao, Tay people, etc.); collecting and preserving intangible cultural heritages at risk of being lost of ethnic minorities, especially the White Mong group in Bac Ha district; Preserving and promoting traditional costumes of the Mong and La Chi people in Bac Ha district; Preserving and promoting traditional crafts of the Dao and Mong people in Bac Ha district; Restoring, preserving and promoting the Mong ethnic stick dance, the La Chi buffalo horn dance, the The art (xoe dance) of the Tay people; Bringing the art of panpipe dance of the Mong people and xoe dance of the Tay people into art performances at tourist attractions in Bac Ha district.

Bac Ha White Plateau Festival 2024 with the theme " Tilting into winter's embrace "

The district aims to preserve and promote the unique tangible cultural values of Bac Ha by preserving and promoting the values of national and provincial relics, in which priority is given to promoting and exploiting the architectural and artistic relic of Hoang A Tuong Palace to become a unique artistic and experiential tourism product; to conserve villages that still retain the original architecture and traditional cultural characteristics of ethnic minorities in the highlands, typically Doi 3 village (Ban Lien commune), Ta Chai village (Lung Phinh commune), La Di Thang village (Ta Van Chu commune), Coc Sam village (Coc Ly commune), Tong Thuong village (Nam Det commune), Trung Do village (Bao Nhai commune) and Ban Pho 2 village (Ban Pho commune). In particular, concentration is directed at investing in Trung Do village (Bao Nhai commune), Doi 3 village (Ban Lien commune) to become a typical cultural tourism village of the Tay people, and Ban Pho 2 village (Ban Pho commune) to become a typical cultural tourism village of the Mong people.

The focus is on developing eco-tourism, resort and entertainment destinations associated with forest management, protection and conservation and promotion of traditional cultural values. By 2030, it is expected that 05 additional provincial-level tourist destinations will be recognized, including: Co Tien Mountain (Bac Ha town); Coc Ly Market, Coc Ly commune; Song Lam Waterfall, Ta Cu Ty commune; 1000-year-old Nghien tree complex in Coc Ly commune; Ancient tea hill, Hoang Thu Pho commune. It is also aware of developing 08 eco-tourism, resort and entertainment destinations associated with forest management, protection and conservation and promotion of traditional cultural values, including: Tourist center (Bac Ha town); Pine Forest eco-tourism and resort destination (Thai Giang Pho commune and Lung Phinh commune); Chay River - Tien Cave eco-tourism and resort destination (Bao Nhai commune); Dragon Mountain eco-tourism and resort destination (Lung Cai commune); Bac Ha Ecolodge eco-tourism and resort destination (Lung Phinh commune); Queen Peak tourist attraction (Lung Phinh commune); Co May Hill tourist attraction (Coc Ly commune); Nam Cay waterfall eco-tourism and resort destination (Ban Lien commune).

Infrastructure investment and regional connectivity

The district is also increasing investment in infrastructure and transportation connecting tourist destinations, while focusing on training tourism human resources and building a friendly and professional tourism ecosystem. The connection among Bac Ha tourism and other destinations such as Sa Pa, Y Ty, Si Ma Cai, Bat Xat, etc. also contributes to creating rich and attractive tourist routes.

The locality sets the goal to upgrade and build tourism infrastructure, including developing a number of facilities that meet ASEAN tourism standards. They will focus on upgrading and investing in hotel facilities construction, concentrating in the district center and possessing at least 01 ASEAN green hotel. It is also requested to upgrade and build new homestay facilities, prioritizing improvement in the service quality of existing homestays in Doi 3 village (Ban Lien commune) and Ban Pho 2 village (Ban Pho commune). The goal will contribute to building a community tourism model that meets the conditions of provincial-level tourist destinations.

Besides, promotional activities in important markets are focused on closely linking with localities and tourism businesses in Lao Cai City, Sa Pa and Hanoi. Famtrip groups for travel companies and Press trips to introduce resources and connect tourism programs will be organized, all for expanding international market promotion.

With a clear orientation, active participation of the government and consensus of the people, Bac Ha is growing strongly to become one of the unique destinations that imbues the identity of the Northwest highlands. This is not only a place for tourists to find nature and culture, but also a symbol of the harmonious blend between preserving tradition and modern development.