Visitors to Bao Ha village are amazed by the ancient statues and the local puppet shows and they love to visit workshops that produce puppets or a wide range of statues. Head of Dong Minh commune’s Culture Department, Dao Manh Tuan said “Bao Ha village has been making statues for more than 500 years. Local products are statues made from wood or lacquered wood that are highly appreciated by both local and international tourists”.

The village has opened many shops to sell statues, fine art products and lacquer paintings to serve the tourist market. Tourists can also order custom-made items. The owner of a workshop in the village Mr Do Van Mang said “In recent months, we have received many foreign tourists. They highly appreciated our products and placed many orders. Since the beginning of February, I have sold 20 statues in addition to many wooden paintings and statuettes”.

The development of the statue carving craft has brought wealth to the local people and many who previously left the village to earn a living elsewhere are now returning home. The villagers are now joining forces to promote their village as an attractive tourist destination.

“The development of the tourism promotion programme has helped local people increase their incomes”, Mr Dao Tuan said. They now closely coordinate with local authorities to promote tourism. The face of the village and the lives of the villagers have much improved. Tourists value our products and the development of our craft”.

Since the Rural exploration Tour opened, Bao Ha village has received more than 20 groups of visitors from Britain, France, the US and the Republic of Korea as well as an increasing number of domestic tourists who come to observe local artistry and explore business opportunities.