2 more villages in northern Vietnam named among world’s best tourism destinations

At the Best Tourism Villages 2025 awards ceremony in China on Friday, UN Tourism recognized Lo Lo Chai Village in Tuyen Quang Province and Quynh Son Community-based Tourism Village in Lang Son Province for their outstanding contributions to sustainable rural tourism.

Both villages are well-known destinations for local and international travelers exploring Vietnam's northeastern highlands.

Lo Lo Chai, located at the foot of Lung Cu Flag Tower, captivates visitors with its traditional houses of the Lo Lo ethnic minority and the picturesque beauty of peach and pear blossoms in spring.

The village embodies the harmony between nature and culture, offering a glimpse into the daily life and rich traditions of the Lo Lo people.

In recent years, Lo Lo Chai has developed a community-based tourism model, giving visitors the opportunity to explore local culture, experience traditional customs and cuisine, and observe the daily life of residents in this remote border village near China.

Many homestays have been established while preserving its authentic cultural space and pristine landscape, contributing to sustainable tourism development.

Meanwhile, Quynh Son Village lies within the national special relic site of the Bac Son Uprising (1940) and the UNESCO Global Geopark in Lang Son Province.

Famous for its more than 400 wooden houses with yin-yang tile roofs, all facing the same direction, the village showcases a distinctive architectural style that has become a symbol of local heritage and community unity.

It is also known for its stunning natural scenery and rich cultural identity, particularly the culture of the Tay ethnic minority, which is well preserved and vividly reflected in the community's daily life.

The community-based tourism model in Quynh Son allows visitors to immerse themselves in local culture, stay in traditional stilt houses, join farming activities, experience fabric weaving, and savor local cuisine.

The Best Tourism Villages awards by UN Tourism highlight the role of tourism in preserving rural landscapes, cultural diversity, and traditional knowledge systems, while promoting local livelihoods in agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and gastronomy.

Villages selected for the honor must demonstrate outstanding natural and cultural assets, along with innovative approaches aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Besides Lo Lo Chai and Quynh Son, three other Vietnamese villages have also been recognized by UN Tourism as among the world's best: Tan Hoa in Quang Tri, Thai Hai in Thai Nguyen, and Tra Que in Da Nang.

Launched in 2021 as part of UN Tourism's Rural Development Program, the Best Tourism Villages initiative aims to enhance tourism's contribution to rural progress by recognizing and preserving villages, their landscapes, traditional knowledge, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.

Now in its fifth edition in 2025, the initiative honored 52 villages across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, selected from more than 270 applications submitted by 65 UN Tourism member states, including Vietnam.