Co Tu ethnic people with community tourism services

Co Tu women spin fiber into yarn for weaving brocade at Zo Ra cooperative in Ta Bhing Commune

Po Loong Hon, chairman of Ta Bhing Commune People’s Committee, said the commune has implemented a community tourism project supported by Japan’s Foundation for International Development, a non-governmental organization founded in 1990 to promote international cooperation.

The foundation has since 2012 helped create jobs for hundreds of Co Tu households in the commune and at the same time, preserve and develop Co Tu people’s traditional cultural values.

Co Tu women are seen weaving brocade - PHOTOS: TIEN SA

Ta Bhing is home to over 560 families with more than 2,320 people, with Co Tu people making up a majority.

So far, the commune has developed 20 products for visitors, including gong and folk music performances, traditional food such as com lam (rice cooked in bamboo tubes) and wine from forest trees, brocade and woven products, and musical instruments, he said.

The interesting part of the project is the participation of all Co Tu people, which means local people normally work on the field and in the forest but when visitors come, they will serve as tour guides to introduce Co Tu culture, traditions and products made by Co Tu people.

From April 2012, when the project was launched, to April last year, Ta Bhing attracted more than 380 visitors and earned over VND200 million (US$8,819) from their community tourism services.

Normally, each tour to Ta Bhing lasts five hours and includes access to traditional dance performance, lunch with traditional dishes of Co Tu people, Co Tu women’s demonstration of brocade weaving at Zo Ra Village, and exchange with local people.

Woven products from Zo Ra Village have found their way to other Vietnamese cities like Hanoi, HCMC and Danang, as well as Japan and several European countries.

Zo Ra weaving cooperative now has around 20 women working with a unique set of loom which can only be found in Zo Ra.

Artisan Nguyen Thi Kim Lan said working at Zo Ra weaving cooperative helps Co Tu women earn VND500,000-800,000 a month.