Water world: A river in Bắc Sơn District. – VNA/VNS Photo Đình Huệ Viet Nam News Trần Nam When visiting the northern province of Lạng Sơn, Bắc Sơn District’s Quỳnh Sơn Commune is often the first stop for tourists who wish to experience local life through homestays. Located some 170km northeast of Hà Nội, Lạng Sơn played a role in the historic Bắc Sơn Uprising against the French in 1940. The area has not only beautiful natural landscapes but also traditional cultural values highlighted by tours to the village. Chu Thị Thu Phương, director of Quỳnh Sơn Commune’s Homestay Management Board, said the commune has 460 families with 1,800 people residing in six villages, 90 per cent of whom are part of the Tày ethnic group. After a 2010 survey, concerned agencies decided to set up the first five homestay services in five family homes. There are now eight families offering the service and 20 other households are preparing to register. Life on stilts: Simple houses on stilts roofed with yin-yan baked clay tiles at Quỳnh Sơn Village. – Photo youvivu.com Dương Công Chài, who was among the first five families hosting guests, said he now has eight rooms for guests to stay overnight. “Each year, I receive nearly 800 guests, 15-20 per cent of whom are foreigners,” he said. In the first eight months of this year, Chài received 60 groups of visitors with 500 people staying overnight. From a nearby mountain peak, one can see the whole Bắc… [Read full story]
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