Dong Giang shapes its tourism development
Drawing on its natural landscapes, the cultural identity of ethnic minority communities and revolutionary historical heritage, Dong Giang Commune is gradually shaping its tourism development, helping diversify livelihoods and improve local living standards.
Potential for heritage tourism
Located along Provincial Road 714, which connects Da Lat with communes and wards in eastern Lam Dong, Dong Giang has considerable potential for tourism development.
Far from the bustle of urban life, the area retains a peaceful atmosphere, with clear rivers and streams winding through villages and forested mountains rising through the morning mist. Its largely untouched natural scenery offers strong potential for ecotourism and experiential travel.
Beyond its natural assets, Dong Giang also preserves distinctive cultural traditions of the K'ho ethnic community. K Van Phiep, a village elder in Trung Lam Hamlet, said spiritual beliefs play an important role in community life. On major occasions such as planting crops, weddings, and funerals, local people often hold rituals to pray to the deities for peace and good fortune.
During festivals, particularly the New Rice Celebration, traditional musical instruments such as gongs, gourd-pipe instruments, bamboo tube instruments, and drums remain an important part of cultural life. They are used to accompany songs or in solo performances, creating a distinctive feature of community celebrations.
During the agricultural off-season, residents also continue traditional basketry, making items such as trays, baskets and carrying baskets for farming and daily use. The craft provides additional income while helping preserve skills and cultural values passed down through generations.
Another major advantage is the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee Base Historical Site from the resistance war against the United States, located within the pristine Sa Luon Forest, known for its large old-growth trees and broad canopies.
The site serves as an important destination for educating officials, Party members, and the public about patriotism and revolutionary history, attracting many visitor groups from inside and outside the province.
Vo Cap, Head of the site's Management Board, said it welcomes nearly 30,000 visitors each year, most of them students, officials, Party members and representatives of government agencies and mass organizations.
In addition to sightseeing and research, many groups also organize Party activities and ceremonies to admit new Party members, Youth Union members and Young Pioneer members.
The site has also developed a heritage tourism route linking Da Lat, Bao Loc, Gia Nghia and Phan Thiet. Since late last year, many departments, agencies and schools from Da Lat, Gia Nghia and Bao Loc have organized trips to the site. Some groups travel from Gia Nghia through Bao Loc and La Da before reaching Dong Giang.
Building on local strengths for sustainable development
Drawing on its existing potential, Dong Giang is gradually shaping a clear direction for tourism development. By 2030, the locality aims to make effective use of its natural landscapes, historical sites and cultural identity to develop distinctive tourism products, attract investment and support socio-economic growth.
In recent years, the locality has also focused on high-tech agriculture, encouraging and supporting residents to replace low-value crops with higher-value fruit trees.
At the same time, Dong Giang is gradually investing in traditional cultural facilities and developing new visitor experiences linked to the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee Base Historical Site, ethnic minority community life, and local ecological, cultural and spiritual attractions.
The Commune Party Committee and People's Committee have directed relevant departments to help informal tourism businesses along rivers and streams complete land procedures and business licensing, access capital and establish enterprises, with the goal of ensuring sustainable operations in accordance with local planning.
Pham Duy Hien, Secretary of the Dong Giang Commune Party Committee and Chairman of the Commune People's Council
Pham Duy Hien said the locality is implementing coordinated socio-economic development measures in line with the resolutions of the provincial and commune Party congresses for the 2025-2030 term.
Priorities include infrastructure investment, planning land for commercial and service activities along rivers and streams with tourism potential, promoting high-tech agriculture, attracting investors and helping informal tourism businesses complete land procedures, obtain business licenses, access financing and establish enterprises.
These measures are intended to gradually bring tourism activities under more structured management while ensuring consistency with local planning and sustainable development goals.
Environmental protection is also considered an important part of tourism development. Preserving natural landscapes, maintaining environmental cleanliness and improving service quality will help protect the locality's image while making it more attractive to visitors and encouraging longer stays.
With the commitment of local authorities, support from residents, and participation of businesses, Dong Giang is gradually turning its potential into distinctive tourism products. The approach is expected to create new livelihoods, raise local incomes, and establish Dong Giang as a culturally distinctive destination on Lam Dong's tourism map.