Quoc Oai District, located 30 kilometers southwest of Hanoi, is revitalizing its traditional tourism offerings. This includes investing in spiritual and cultural tourism and developing new tours connecting iconic destinations in the area.
| Thay Pagoda, soon to be recognized as a Special National Monument. Photo: Mai Huong |
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On April 21 and 22, the district hosted a cultural and historical tourism event, “Thay Pagoda Journey,” at the Thay Pagoda special national relic site and the surrounding Sai Son Mountain and Hoang Xa Cave area.
The opening ceremony on April 21 featured “A Day to Explore Quoc Oai,” celebrating the region’s intangible cultural heritage and promoting Hanoi’s cultural and historical attractions. Travel agencies introduced cultural-historical tours with coupons and promotions for visitors.
Visitors to Thay Pagoda experienced a culinary showcase with specialties and products from the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program and traditional local goods, handicrafts, and souvenirs.
The event also included a ceremony announcing the recognition of Thay Pagoda and Sai Son Rocky Mountain as Special National Monuments.
A series of activities were organized for the Thay Pagoda Festival from April 24 to 26 and the public holidays from April 30 to May 1, with folk games and traditional cultural performances, including water puppetry, gong shows, and Quan Ho love duet singing, a UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage.
| The highlight of the Thay Pagoda Festival: Quan Ho singing performance. Photo: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times |
With these initiatives, Quoc Oai District aims to attract 500,000 visitors in 2023, matching the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. In the first quarter of 2023, the district welcomed over 100,000 tourists, with more than 60,000 visiting Thay Pagoda.
Mai Huong, a resident of Thanh Xuan District and a frequent visitor to Thay Pagoda, shared her affinity for the destination: “My family and I often return to this place for its ancient pagoda architecture, beautiful mountain and cave scenery, and convenient surrounding facilities.”
| Mai Huong and her friends visited Thay Pagoda in March. |
The district’s semi-mountainous terrain offers magnificent natural sites ideal for cultural heritage and eco-tourism development. Authorities have focused on building special tourist areas, such as health resorts and community-based tourism sites, and piloted agricultural and rural tourism models linked to relics in several communes.
Hoang Nguyen Ung, Vice Chairman of the Quoc Oai District People’s Committee, emphasized their efforts: “We’ve invested in infrastructure, parking, lighting, and new tours at Thay Pagoda, and we’re offering diverse tourism products around the Day and Tich River areas, including a pilot system of electric vehicles.”
With convenient transportation and a range of attractions, Quoc Oai District aims to become a must-visit destination near Hanoi, contributing to the city’s goal of becoming a safe, friendly, and high-quality tourist hub.
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