Hoi An goes green with sustainable eco-tourism

Hoi An Ancient City in the central coastal province of Quang Nam is home to a number of attractive destinations for visitors keen to explore a unique indigenous cultural experience.

Among the destinations, Tra Que Vegetable Village, which dates back to the 16th century, attracts many foreign tourists who want to enjoy traditional farming technique, local cuisine and peaceful scenery. In addition, foreign visitors can engage with local farmers to learn about rural Vietnamese life.

Melinda, a tourist from New Zealand, shared that she cycled to the village every morning during her stay, planting, watering, fertilizing, and tending vegetables. Such an interesting experience helped her have the chance to talk to local farmers and learn more about traditional farming practices.

Tra Que Vegetable Village spans 40 hectares, where local households plant more than 20 types of leafy vegetables and herbs. It is the largest vegetable farm in the Quang Nam - Da Nang area, specializing in providing fresh, organic vegetables year-round.

Not far from Tra Que is Kim Bong Carpentry Village in Cam Kim commune that has produced items used in temples, pagodas, wooden houses, leaving a distinct mark in Hoi An and Hue. Due to its proximity to the once-thriving Hoi An international trading port, the carpentry craft in Kim Bong village, particularly in boatbuilding for trade, was highly developed.

Today, along with boatbuilding and crafting wood for interior and exterior decoration, visitors to Kim Bong are also drawn to the intricate wooden statues and decorative items in various sizes.

Located three km from downtown Hoi An in Cam Thanh commune is the Bay Mau nipa palm forest spanning 10 hectares, another tourist destination in the heritage locality.  

In recent years, sitting on a round bamboo boat and rowing through the forest has become a popular activity for foreign tourists to enjoy. Each day the village attracts thousands of visitors from Russia, China, India, Thailand, and Japan.

After leaving the coconut forest, visitors can head to Thanh Ha – a pottery village established in the 16th century, known for its many ceramic products once used as tributes to the king. Over the years, despite many challenges, local villagers have preserved the essence of their craft and brought the beauty of Thanh Ha pottery back to life.

A distinctive feature of Thanh Ha pottery is its natural red colour from the clay, without any glaze or colour coating on the surface. However, to meet the demands of visitors, Tuan Pottery, a local workshop, buys acrylic paints to add colour to the decorative ceramic products. Thanks to the vibrant, long-lasting colours and a coat of glossy paint, Thanh Ha ceramic souvenirs have become eye-catching pieces of art, with prices ranging from VND50,000 to VND250,000 per item.

Over recent years, Hoi An has strived to become an eco-city on the back of its unique tradition, sustainability, and climate change resilience. Local authorities are keen to promote green and sustainable tourism with waste- and plastic free and low carbon policies, a cycling and non-smoking destination.

Recently, craftsmen in the Cam Thanh nipa-palm village turned to making sustainable and low carbon souvenirs and decorations, boosting the creation of water- and plastic free and recyclable products. These efforts have contributed to innovation efforts in making Hoi An a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in 2023.

Hoi An itself is seen as the most attractive destination in central Vietnam, hosting 4.4 million tourists in 2024, an annual increase of 6.58%. Of this figure, the central city welcomed 3.57 million foreign arrivals, up 11.43% from 2023.

With the eco-tourism promotion, Hoi An is expected to revive the tourism industry and regain its position as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Vietnam.