Cultural Features and Some Traditional Products

rest stop for cadres who went abroad to direct the Soviet - Nghe Tinh movement. The relic of Mr. Vi Van Khang's house is a 3-room stilt house made of Lim wood, covered with thick palm leaves, built in 1919 by Mr. Vi Van Khang's father. The house is located on a large rectangular piece of land, facing Southeast, surrounded by many residents and surrounded by mountains and forests.

In addition to the above 3 relics, Pu Mat National Park also has a number of other unique relics with tourism value such as: Ong Trang cave (where 600 years ago Trang Bung - Phung Khac Khoan was exiled); Con Chua banyan tree (where witnessed the birth of the first Party cell in Western Nghe An and the Soviet - Nghe Tinh movement); Ma Nhai stele (where 700 years ago, the Tran army and people achieved a dangerous feat engraved in stone at the border), or a number of temples and shrines such as: Duc Ong temple, Duc Ba temple, Tam Toa temple (worshiping Ly Nhat Quang in Bong Khe, Cua Luy temple worshiping Bach Y princess in Yen Khe, temples worshiping Thai chieftains who helped Le Loi defeat the Ming army in Mon Son, Luc Da, temple worshiping King Tran Minh Tong in Chi Khe...)

3.2.2.3 Cultural characteristics and some traditional products

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a. Typical ethnic culture

The folk culture of the ethnic groups in Pu Mat National Park is a valuable heritage crystallized over many generations. It reflects life in a truthful, vivid and pure way. These are unique and attractive tourism products that need to be exploited. However, in the process of exploitation, attention should be paid to preserving and developing the unique culture of the indigenous peoples.

- Thai ethnic culture: The ancestors of the Thai people originated from China, they migrated to our country about 1,000 years ago. At first they lived in the Northwest, the majority stayed there, a part continued to migrate to Laos, down to Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, and then to the Western region of Nghe An. The majority of Thai people live along rivers, streams, and valleys. They know how to work in the forest, raise livestock, weave brocade and grow rice. The Thai people are long-standing residents.

the most and also the most populous in Pu Mat National Park. Due to living conditions and activities, they have unique identities and customs:

+ Regarding house architecture and living style: Thai people live in stilt houses, with thatched roofs shaped like turtle shells, and two upper rafters protruding a bit, called "khau cut" in Thai. Thai stilt houses do not have separate rooms but are only divided into cells. The layout includes 2 entrances at 2 gables with stairs up and down with 9 or 11 steps (according to the Thai people's concept of sacred odd numbers), and many windows on both sides of the house.

+ Regarding cuisine: Thai people's meals are mainly starchy with vegetables and meat. Sticky rice is a traditional food. The daily meals of Thai people are often not without Cheo (salt, chili with garlic, herbs, onions, coriander, can add chicken liver or grilled fish intestines). Besides, there is also Nam Pia dipping sauce (bitter milk of small intestines of livestock mixed with garlic, chili and vinegar). The type of alcohol that Thai people often use is Ruou Can. In addition, there is white wine distilled from rice, cassava, corn, and yeast leaves.

+ About clothes and jewelry:

Costumes show many of the talents of the Thai people, especially women's costumes. Women's costumes usually include skirts, shirts, belts, piêu scarves and jewelry. Thai women's skirts are mainly black or indigo, embroidered with many patterns and decorative motifs; shirts are often sewn with long sleeves, tight-fitting and highlighted with rows of silver buttons in the shape of butterflies, cicadas or flower petals; belts are usually made of green dyed silk, with two pieces of red fabric embroidered with three-sided fringes at both ends. The belt is rolled up to hold the waistband of the skirt, with two pieces of fabric so that the two ends are tucked in front of the belly or on both sides of the hips; the piêu scarves are usually made of indigo dyed cotton, with many patterns embroidered at both ends, used to cover the head and to distinguish whether a woman is married or not; Thai women's jewelry includes hairpins, earrings, necklaces, and elaborately carved silver pendants.

+ Regarding customs and festivals: The Thai people have some unique customs such as the custom of "poking the floor" (the boy uses a stick to poke the floor of the house of the girl he likes; the girl wakes up, opens the door and talks to the boy on the stairs. After a period of getting to know each other, if the two are compatible, they will get married). The Thai people also have festivals such as Xang Khan, Xen Ban - Xen Muong held in early spring along with many other unique wedding and funeral customs...

- Khmu ethnic culture:

The Khmu are the second most populous ethnic group in the Pu Mat National Park area. This ethnic group also has many unique cultural features and customs:

+ Housing: The main type of house of the Khmu people is a half-floor, half-ground house. The house usually consists of 1 main room - 2 lean-tos, 2 main rooms - 2 lean-tos or 3 main rooms - 2 lean-tos. The walls are usually made of woven bamboo, the floor is usually made of rattan or bamboo from a whole, crushed tree. Very few houses have windows. Each house has a staircase. The house frame structure is quite simple, including columns, rafters, beams, rafters, and levers made of whole, unpeeled wood.

+ Regarding cuisine: The Khmu mainly eat sticky rice. They often like to eat grilled foods and spicy stir-fried dishes. Some typical dishes of this ethnic group are lam nhooc meat, sour meat with a smell, meat buried in ash, grilled meat, sour fish, dried fish hung on the kitchen, fish intestines buried in ash... Some commonly used vegetables are boiled bamboo shoots, grilled bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot salad, papaya salad. The Khmu like to drink rice wine like the Thai, especially during festivals. Especially before each meal, the Khmu often pray to their ancestors.

+ About costumes: Khmu women's costumes are quite similar to Thai women's costumes. The most obvious difference is in the shirt, Khmu women's shirts have short wings, heart-shaped collars, chest slits with rows of silver or rectangular aluminum buttons; both sides of the shirt flap are lined with strips of fabric of different colors with silver or rectangular aluminum buttons attached.

round running from top to bottom. Khmu men's costumes are exactly the same as Thai men's costumes.

+ Festivals: The Khmu also have a number of unique rituals and festivals such as: grain-growing ceremony, rice-soul worship ceremony, rain-praying ceremony, new rice celebration ceremony... In addition, there are many typical traditional musical instruments such as: drums, jew's harp, stringed instruments, flutes, etc.

- Dan Lai culture:

Historical records show that the Dan Lai people from Thanh Chuong fled upstream due to exploitation and turmoil. Currently, most of them live in the upstream of Khe Khang (Mon Son), Khe Nong (Chau Khe), Khe Moi (Luc Da). This ethnic group has a habit of living mainly by farming and hunting. They also live in stilt houses, but they are very makeshift. The most unique feature of the Dan Lai lifestyle is the habit of sleeping sitting up. This habit was formed during the process of constantly having to flee from wild animals and enemies. When sleeping, they often light a fire, to avoid falling into the fire, they use a stick to prop their chin, and from there they formed the habit of sleeping sitting up.

b. Some outstanding traditional products

- Traditional musical instruments: Originating from the rich spiritual life and traditional festivals, local people have created many unique musical instruments. The stringed instruments include the “đàn tập tinh” (a type of musical instrument) and the “đàn xì xo” (a type of musical instrument); the “bò” (a type of musical instrument) includes gongs, cymbals, drums, and “mỏ Khắc luong” (a type of musical instrument); the wind instruments include flutes, leaf trumpets, and trumpets… The sounds of these instruments, when played, all carry the sound of the mountains and forests, of birds chirping, gibbons singing, streams murmuring, and rice pounding… both wild, poetic, and passionate and solemn, captivating people’s hearts.

- Brocade fabric or brocade products: With skillful hands, diligence, rich imagination and the secret of creating natural colors... the indigenous people have woven brocade products with rich identity. Products from

Brocades such as scarves, shirts, pillows, blankets... with many sophisticated patterns are not only consumer products of local residents but also valuable gifts for tourists.

- Culinary culture: Local people know how to prepare many dishes rich in natural flavors, notably: Ke Qua bamboo rice, Giang river cool fish, Lap Pa, sour meat, bitter bamboo shoot soup, bon soup, rice husk wine...

3.2.3 Infrastructure, facilities and techniques for tourism

3.2.3.1 Infrastructure

- Transportation: Pu Mat National Park's transportation is quite convenient, including both road and water transportation:

+ Road: In the buffer zone of Pu Mat National Park, National Highway 7 is the main route connecting the lowlands with the highlands and going to Laos. This national highway has created extremely favorable conditions for the economic development of the region, including tourism activities. In addition, in the Pu Mat National Park area, there is a dense network of inter-village and inter-commune roads that are being invested in and upgraded. Most of these roads have been concreted or paved at the main points of the park to serve the transportation of visitors and services for Pu Mat National Park. Besides, there are trails that people often use to serve tourists visiting the National Park.

+ Waterway: The two major rivers in the area, the Ca River and the Giang River, have created an important waterway network. There are passenger and cargo transportation services by motorboats and small boats of local people. Due to the complex terrain and steep slopes, waterway transportation is difficult, especially during the flood season. Therefore, during the flood season, only adventurous tourists need river transportation services.

- Electricity, water and communication supply systems:

+ Power supply system: Currently, Pu Mat National Park has its own transformer station to distribute electricity to areas in the park. The power source in the park is always stable. The power transmission line system and transformer stations have been extended to most communes in the park area. Currently, the government is building Ban Ve hydropower plant, which will help proactively provide electricity for the region in the next few years.

+ Clean water system: In the administrative area of Pu Mat National Park, a water plant has been built to supply domestic water for the staff of the Park, tourists and people in the surrounding area. However, in remote areas of the buffer zone, people still mainly use well water and rainwater.

+ Communication system: At the administrative center of Pu Mat National Park, the fixed and mobile phone networks have been installed and covered. In particular, the Internet and Wifi networks have been connected to serve the information needs of office staff and visitors. However, the telephone network has not yet covered the areas far from the park, and the Internet has not been installed.

3.2.3.2 Facilities and techniques

- Accommodation and dining facilities:

+ Accommodation: In general, accommodation facilities in Pu Mat National Park are relatively convenient. In the administrative area of the Park, there are 32 closed rooms with a maximum capacity of 81 guests. Including 2 dormitories, 1 high-class house designed in the style of the Thai ethnic stilt house. Room quality ranges from medium to high. Therefore, room rates also fluctuate from 120,000 VND/day to 200,000 VND/day. Basically, all rooms meet quality requirements: closed toilets, hot and cold showers, bedding, clean floors and electric fans or air conditioners... Some limitations are the lack of rooms, some rooms are old and the room usage efficiency is low. The next direction is to upgrade, renovate, and build new ones in the central area; build new rest huts at the tourist attractions of Kem waterfall and Pha Lai dam.

In addition to the Park's guest house system, the local housing system is also used to serve the needs of overnight visitors. Local houses are mainly traditional stilt houses, wooden houses, and thatched bamboo houses, so they are very popular with visitors. Currently, the number of local houses that can be used for homestay services is quite large. This is a potential to facilitate the implementation of community ecotourism models. However, facilities such as blankets, mosquito nets, and electric fans are still lacking, hygiene is not guaranteed, and accompanying services are still limited and monotonous.

+ Dining facilities: In the center of the park, there is a communal dining room that can serve from 100 to 120 people. Serving individual guests is more difficult. Meeting service centers, sports areas and performance stages: Pu Mat National Park currently has two large halls fully equipped with lighting, sound, tables and chairs... for meetings, conferences and receptions of all levels for visits and work. The sports area only has one volleyball court and one badminton court to serve the entertainment needs of staff in the park, to interact with delegations and local people. Next to the volleyball court, there is a stage for interaction, performing arts, lighting campfires and drinking rice wine.

In the community, some villages such as Khe Ran village, Nua village, Yen Thanh village, Lang Xieng village have many large and beautiful stilt houses that can participate in homestay services. These places can be places for guests to stay overnight. Food and drink can also be arranged with some typical dishes of the indigenous people and some common dishes to avoid guests not enjoying what they like. But in general, homestay services here are still relatively rudimentary, lacking in both accommodation organization for guests and facilities for overnight guests such as (blankets, mosquito nets, mats, fans, etc.).

3.2.4 Guidelines and policies for the development of community ecotourism

Currently, the development of sustainable tourism and community-based tourism is gradually being regulated in legal documents. Although it is not yet complete and adequate, it is also a

Evidence affirms that the development of ecotourism in national parks and nature reserves is appropriate. Specifically, there are the following documents:

- Law on Forest Protection and Development 2004.

- Law on Tourism 2006.

- Decree No. 23/2006/ND-CP of the Government on the implementation of the Law on Forest Protection and Development.

- Decision No. 186/2006/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister promulgating regulations on forest management.

- Decision No. 104/2007/QD-BNN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on promulgating regulations on management of ecotourism activities in national parks and nature reserves.

Specifically, these documents have adjustments such as: To serve the development of ecotourism, community ecotourism in national parks and nature reserves according to current legal regulations, it is stated that "Forest owners are allowed to organize or lease forests and forest environments to organizations, households, and individuals for landscape business, resort, ecotourism in the forest... " . Thus, in terms of law: it is allowed to organize tourism business in special-use forests, but tourism must be consistent with conservation goals, all tourism activities in national parks must not have a negative impact on biodiversity conservation, environmental protection and ecosystems (Article 53). Decree of the Government on the implementation of the Law on Forest Protection and Development (Article 55) and Decision No. 186/2006/QD-TTg dated August 14, 2006 of the Prime Minister on promulgating the Regulation on forest management (Article 22). Ecotourism activities must not pollute the environment and natural ecosystems in special-use forests.

In addition, in Decision No. 104/2007/QD-BNN, regulations on ecotourism development in national parks and nature reserves were issued.

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