The first rays of the morning sun had just risen, and pink clouds lingered on the top of Hich hill, silently descending on the small alley leading to Lap Thang village, Thach Lap commune, Ngoc Lac district (Thanh Hoa).

The bustling sound of gongs and the colorful brocade costumes of the Muong mothers and sisters appearing in the middle of the small valley make any visitor feel moved.

Lap Thang is located at the intersection between Ngoc Lac town and Dong Tam area (Ba Thuoc district), possessing rich natural advantages with Hich, Bung, Trem hills - considered as ideal natural "observatories".

This place also has a system of pristine caves such as Gio Cave, Quan Cave and Khe Cha Waterfall, ready to satisfy adventurous footsteps.

Revival from indigenous culture

With more than 93% of the population being Muong ethnic people, Thach Lap commune is a "treasure" of ethnic culture, where more than 700 traditional stilt houses are still preserved, many of which are over 100 years old.

People here still maintain unique cultural values ​​such as festivals, gongs, cuisine, folk songs, folk games...

According to Mr. Pham Van Hung, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thach Lap commune, a native of this land, "if everywhere were the same, people would not need to go anywhere."

Therefore, preserving the unique values ​​of the Muong people is not only to preserve identity but also the foundation for developing sustainable community tourism.

Just a few years ago, few people thought that the pure farmers in Lap Thang would one day become “homestay owners”, doing tourism, receiving guests from everywhere. But with determination and support from the government, that has become a reality.

Methodical investment, creating livelihoods from villages

From 2021, Thach Lap commune began implementing the Project "Preserving and developing traditional stilt houses of the Muong ethnic group associated with community tourism development", supported by Ngoc Lac district.

10 typical households in Lap Thang village have been selected as community tourism spots, renovating their houses, decorating the landscape and getting ready to welcome guests.

Mr. Pham Van Canh - Head of Lap Thang village, who has more than 20 years of "eating rice from village work" is one of the pioneers in homestay.

“Doing tourism is not something that can be done overnight. If you just start a business following the trend, sooner or later you will give up,” he said.

Each household was supported with 20 million VND to replace the roof, build toilets, and renovate the stilt house to serve guests.

According to statistics, Lap Thang has 141 households, of which 118 households own stilt houses with about 80 houses that can be restored to serve community tourism.

The village currently has a 60-person art troupe that regularly performs for tourists.

In 2024 alone, the team performed 68 times, earning about 70 million VND.

The People's Committee of Thach Lap commune also coordinated with specialized units to organize 9 training courses on tourism, cooking, hospitality skills, cultural preservation..., attracting 460 people to participate.

From peaceful village to new destination of green tourism

From 2021 to present, Lap Thang has welcomed 76 groups of visitors with more than 3,000 people. Total revenue from tourism reached about 320 million VND.

The 2025 tourist season marks the second time the community here has truly opened its doors to visitors in a more proactive and professional manner.

Homestay owners now know how to prepare local dishes to suit tourists' tastes, guide visitors to explore nature, learn about Muong culture, and even participate in local social and volunteer activities.

Developing community tourism is contributing to creating sustainable livelihoods for Lap Thang people.

Not only does it help increase income, but it also contributes to preserving cultural values ​​that are at risk of being lost in the modernization process.

Lap Thang today is gradually becoming a model of how to "awaken" the village with its own inherent values. No need for concretization, no need for bustling services, just need to preserve the cultural soul - the ancient Muong village is truly "reviving".

“Identity is an asset, a difference for sustainable development”, that message is clearly present in every stilt house, every gong sound, every step that visitors take and are reluctant to leave.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/ngoi-lang-muong-co-hoi-sinh-nho-du-lich-cong-dong-post401178.html