Trà Leng is a land that converges many unique cultural values of the Ca Dong, Xơ Đăng, and Mơ Nông ethnic minorities, along with a pristine forest ecosystem, the Quế Trà My cinnamon region, and many precious products from the western mountainous area of Da Nang city. In the context of tourism increasingly moving towards authentic and sustainable experiences, Trà Leng possesses many conditions to develop community-based tourism associated with indigenous culture, contributing to creating livelihoods for local people and preserving traditional values.
The appeal of Trà Leng lies not in modern constructions but in its slow pace of life, the stories preserved through generations, and the close bond between people and the mountains and forests. This is an important foundation for the locality to gradually build a tourism model with its own unique identity.
Indigenous culture is a valuable resource for community-based tourism
Each community in Trà Leng preserves unique cultural values formed over many generations. The sound of gongs echoing during festivals, traditional dances, brocade weaving, basketry, community rituals, and rustic dishes like cơm lam (bamboo-tube rice), forest vegetables, and local products all reflect a cultural life closely tied to nature.
For tourists, these values offer a different experience compared to typical resort destinations. Instead of just sightseeing, they can directly observe locals weaving brocade, learn about the process of making gùi (backpacks), enjoy local cuisine, hear stories about the region's history, or participate in community cultural activities. This interaction makes the trip more profound and creates unforgettable memories.
In recent years, events such as the Lễ hội Hương Quế Trà Leng (Trà Leng Cinnamon Fragrance Festival) have demonstrated the appeal of indigenous culture, with many experiential spaces organized, from the cinnamon market and OCOP product display areas to traditional craft demonstrations and folk games. This serves as a premise for Trà Leng to continue developing community-based tourism products in a more professional direction in the future.
Nature and livelihoods offer many unique experiences
Trà Leng's nature boasts the distinctive beauty of a high mountainous region with pristine forests, vast cinnamon forests, streams, waterfalls, and a cool climate. These are favorable conditions for developing ecotourism activities, trekking, agricultural experiences, and exploring mountain life.
One of Trà Leng's outstanding advantages is the Quế Trà My raw material area and the Sâm Ngọc Linh cultivation area under the forest canopy. If organized appropriately, these areas can become destinations for tourists to learn about the cinnamon cultivation process, harvesting cinnamon leaves, distilling essential oils, visiting nurseries, or discovering the story of indigenous medicinal herbs. These are educational experiences that contribute to raising awareness about forest protection and green economic development.
In addition, local OCOP products such as cinnamon sticks, cinnamon essential oil, forest honey, or handicrafts made from cinnamon wood can also become a bridge between tourists and locals. When each product is associated with a story about the land, about the people who make the product, and about local culture, their value will extend beyond mere commercial significance.
Developing community-based tourism associated with cultural preservation
For community-based tourism to develop sustainably, the most important factor is to preserve the inherent identity of Trà Leng. Culture truly thrives when it remains present in the daily lives of the community, rather than becoming isolated performances for tourists.
This requires the direct participation of local people in the process of building tourism products. When locals become the subjects who introduce culture, tell stories about their homeland, guide tourists in experiencing traditional crafts, or introduce local products, tourism will provide income while also creating additional motivation to preserve the values passed down through many generations.
Parallel to this is investing in appropriate infrastructure, training tourism skills, building brands for indigenous products, and strengthening links with businesses and travel agencies. When these factors are synchronously connected, Trà Leng will have the conditions to form unique experiential tourism routes, creating long-term value for the community.
With a rich cultural foundation, pristine natural landscapes, and valuable indigenous resources, Trà Leng stands before many opportunities to develop community-based tourism in a sustainable direction. Each step in this journey contributes to improving the lives of local people and helps the cultural values of the highlands continue to be preserved and spread to many domestic and international tourists.
