Ban Hon – where imprints Lu ethnic culture features

With the advantage of locating on “Northwest Arc” tourist route and existing unique culture identity of Lu ethnic group, Ban Hon Commune (Tam Duong District, Lai Chau Province) has become a community-based tourism destination attracting a large number of international and domestic tourists.
From Lai Chau Town, along to National Highway No.4D about 20km to the southeast, tourists will arrive to Ban Hon. Spreading over the area of ​​53.99 km², Ban Hon Commune is home to Mong and Lu ethnic groups, of which 90% are Lu ethnic people (or Lao, Nhuon, Duon).
Lu people settle near rivers, streams and live by planting wet rice, growing livestock, knitting textile, embroidery fabric... Life of Lu people is simple but exquisite expressed evidently through architecture of stilts houses, handicrafts, traditional costumes and custom of dyeing black teeth...
Lu's stilt houses always face the north and made of wood, houses’ roofs are covered by grasses. Especially, there are two fire cookers in Lu’s houses, one is used to cook for their family and other is used to heat water for guest.
Planting mulberry, raising silkworm, weaving fabric and knitting are developing crafts in Ban Hon. Each Lu family has several looms. Lu women are very proficient in making exquisite handicraft products as dresses, handkerchief with patterns by brocade yarns, kinds of baskets...
Lu people’s costumes are very unique with vivid patterns. Women often dress black indigo skirts with many layers. To be more beautiful, Lu women also wear silver necklace, put leaves and flowers in their hair, dye black teeth. Unlike women, Lu men often wear black indigo shirts and trousers having many pockets.
Along with above specific culture characteristics, cuisine culture, traditional festivals, folk songs, musical instruments, folk games have created a unique culture treasure of Lu people.
In the recent years, Lai Chau Province in combination with local people have planned to develop community-based tourism program in Ban Hon; cooperated with many localities, travel agencies nationwide and the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) to publish tourism publications, websites to attract tourists to Ban Hon. So far, villagers mastered in welcoming, processing food, performing folk arts as hat khap (khap singing), thoi sao (playing flute), thoi khen (playing khen), choi dan nhi (playing two-stringed lute), choi trong (playing drums), keo co (tug-of-war)… to serve tourists.
With the policy of developing community-based tourism but not losing the beauty of traditional village culture, Ban Hon has become one of ideal destinations for tourists on the journey to discovery “Northwest Arc” of Viet Nam.