Breathing New Life into Bac Bien Through Culture Tourism

Located on the left bank of the Red River, the ancient village of Bac Bien (Bo De ward) preserves a part of the historical image of Thang Long - Hanoi. Amidst the pressures of urbanization and future planning, the challenge of preserving the ancestral spirit while developing sustainable livelihoods for the local people is finding a solution right from the explorations of international tourists. Awakening the potential of community tourism and transforming heritage values into drivers of development is a sensible approach, guiding this thousand-year-old village steadily forward.

The "soul" of Thang Long in the riverside village
If you take Hanoi's Old Quarter as your center, simply crossing the Chuong Duong or Long Bien bridges to the left bank will immediately reveal a space completely separate from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is the ancient village of Phuc Xa - Bac Bien, a strip of alluvial land shaped like a peaceful "green oasis" embracing the swirling red waters of the Red River.

For tourists , especially high-end international groups - those staying in 5-star hotels in Hanoi and always seeking authentic cultural experiences - Bac Bien Village is a surprising and captivating discovery right in the heart of the capital city.

In early June 2026, we had the opportunity to visit Bac Bien village, following a group of five family members from Iceland to fully experience the unique charm of this riverside land. The journey began early in the morning with a cycling tour around the village. Under the guidance of our tour guide, Dan Tran, the group leisurely cycled through the moss-covered Phuc Xa village gate, where ancient Chinese characters praise the land's auspiciousness and talented people.

Amidst the refreshing morning air, visitors from afar marveled at the fascinating contrast: on one side, the Red River flowed endlessly, its waters swirling with red silt; on the other, the ancient village with its exposed brick houses covered in lush green vines.

The most profound highlight was the visit to a typical family with four generations living together in the village. Stepping across the rustic stone steps, the group was greeted by the host with warm smiles and handshakes. In the solemn main hall, where the ancestral altar is solemnly adorned with fragrant incense, visitors were introduced to the tradition of ancestor worship - a moral bond and a core spiritual aspect of Vietnamese culture.

The father in the Icelandic tour group emotionally shared that, in his industrialized country, generations often live separately; witnessing a large, multi-generational family living together and preserving their family traditions, as in Bac Bien, was an incredibly meaningful and inspiring experience.

After the tour, the whole group gathered around a wooden table to enjoy warm green tea and plates of ripe, early-season lychees. The conversations flowed, from the history of An Xá village's founding during the reign of King Ly Thai To, the story of the resilient people clinging to the river and land through floods, to the similarities and differences in climate and lifestyle between the two countries.

Visitors can visit a typical family with four generations living together in the village, chat with them, and learn about the local culture.

Dan Tran shared: "Western tourists, especially family groups, absolutely dislike commercially-oriented, pre-arranged tourist attractions. What they seek is authentic interaction with the local people. They want to cycle through winding alleys, smell the smoke from cooking fires, see elderly people chewing betel nut on their porches, and hear stories about their family history. Bac Bien Village has plenty of those vibrant elements. The strong family structure and the natural hospitality of the people are the most luxurious tourism resources that no modern theme park can replicate."

The satisfaction of visitors is not simply a random, spontaneous phenomenon. From a management perspective, it is the inevitable result when the original values of the ancient village align with the strategic direction and policy framework that the Hanoi government has been striving to build over the past period.

An Icelandic tourist family poses for a commemorative photo with a four-generation extended family of local residents in front of their home.

To transform this thousand-year-old heritage into a driving force for sustainable economic development, it is first necessary to decipher the unique cultural, historical, and geographical resources that Bac Bien possesses. This is not just an ordinary agricultural area, but a core heritage region with a structure closely connected to the history of Thang Long - Hanoi.

At the core of this resource system is a cluster of national-level historical and cultural relics including Phuc Xa communal house and Phuc Xa pagoda. The ancient Phuc Xa communal house is dedicated to the village's tutelary deities and the Grand Marshal Ly Thuong Kiet, the outstanding national hero who wrote the famous poem "Nam Quoc Son Ha" (Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country).

Meanwhile, the tranquil Phuc Xa Pagoda houses the ancient An Xa Bronze Bell - a National Treasure recognized in early 2026, with the heritage of nine engraved feudal royal decrees. The vitality of Bac Bien also lies in its traditional festival held from the 6th to the 10th of March in the lunar calendar , featuring a unique water procession ritual on the Mother River, along with the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship tradition, which has been recognized by UNESCO.

Assessing the inherent potential of the ancient village, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh - Director of Phuong Nam Trading and Service Joint Stock Company - analyzed: "The greatest strength of Bac Bien village is its unique geographical location and the original nature of its ancient village landscape. Located less than 10 minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake, yet upon entering the village gate, visitors feel as if they have stepped into another world . The village's potential lies in exploiting its inherent values. The presence of the National Monument cluster, the story of the hero Ly Thuong Kiet, and the National Treasure An Xa ancient bell are the 'core brands' that will make Bac Bien a model destination for sustainable community tourism, creating fair competition with Duong Lam or Bat Trang".

Sharing the same viewpoint, from the perspective of a local resident directly involved in the profession, Mr. Mac Hung Cuong - a resident of Bac Bien village, currently working at a tourism company and in charge of a volunteer project on community tourism development in the area - shared:

"Through my work and practical experience in many countries such as Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, etc., I have noticed that these countries have very effectively exploited villages with long histories, where communities have lived for generations. Models such as 'community tourism villages' and 'villages within cities' are very attractive to international tourists because they are places where local culture is preserved and presented in an authentic and vivid way."

Bac Bien village has all the favorable conditions for development in this direction. Besides the system of national-level historical temples and pagodas, and the An Xa ancient bell, a national treasure, the village also preserves the temple system dedicated to General Dao Ky, the Tam Phu Mother Goddess worship, and the presence of many long-standing families such as the Ngo, Nguyen Phu, and Le Dang families… Most notably, it proudly boasts being the birthplace of the outstanding national hero Ly Thuong Kiet.

Besides its rich cultural heritage, Bac Bien boasts a prime location along the Red River tourism axis, just over 2km from Hanoi's Old Quarter and about 1km from the historic Long Bien Bridge. This provides an ideal foundation for developing diverse tourism types, from community-based, cultural-historical, and spiritual tourism to traditional educational tourism , MICE tourism, and experiential accommodation right in the heart of the city. In the future, we hope to seek input and collaborate with local authorities, specialized agencies, and the community to research, propose, and jointly develop tourism in Bac Bien village, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the heritage values of Bo De ward in particular and Hanoi city in general.

The combination of glorious historical elements, ancient spiritual architecture, and the natural landscape of the riverside alluvial plain gives Bac Bien a solid foundation to confidently enter the heritage economy arena.

Awaken your inner self and your desire for a stable home
The aspiration to build a heritage economy based on the principle of putting people at the center in Bac Bien is entirely achievable through a multi-tiered product axis, closely connecting intangible cultural heritage and natural ecology.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, the first core product line is Culture - Spirituality combined with Traditional Education. This content axis transforms the cluster of ancient relics into a visual history learning space for the younger generation, while also opening the door to the captivating intangible heritage with the spirit medium rituals at the temples and shrines in the village. For international tourists, this is a powerful "magnet" thanks to the magnificent and authentic combination of mystical folk music, graceful sacred dances, and colorful costumes.

Continuing the spiritual aspect, the second product line focuses on livelihoods and direct income streams for households through experiential tourism. This service axis is designed as a closed loop: developing garden homestays to allow tourists to live at a slower pace outside the dike; implementing a "home meal" model where tourists can go to the market with the host, cook, and enjoy the abundant agricultural products of the alluvial plain; and finally, exploiting team-building programs and cycling to take advantage of the vast green space outside the Red River dike. This value chain is further expanded through spaces for interaction with nature and landscapes, village festivals associated with water-carrying rituals, and modern check-in points for young people such as art cafes and natural film studios harmoniously integrated with local architecture.

For this multi-tiered service chain to operate effectively, the roadmap for bringing ideas to life requires scientific preparation through specific steps. It begins with proactively seeking guidance and approval from local authorities to establish a solid legal framework for the pilot model. Next, the locality collaborates with travel experts and specialized units to develop a detailed operational plan and standardize service procedures before submitting the framework proposal to the competent authorities for approval.

The crucial step that will determine success or failure is the training of internal resources, providing skills in hospitality, service etiquette, and basic foreign language communication to the farmers and elders themselves, in order to preserve the authentic and hospitable local character. Finally, the ancient village will officially launch its practical implementation based on product groups that have strong inherent advantages.

"Within the broader development of the capital city, the community-based tourism model in Bac Bien is a quintessential piece, proving that a thousand-year-old heritage and a modern city can find common ground, a perfect blend to help the nation rise together," Mr. Anh emphasized.

Looking at the overall picture, the development of community-based tourism in Bac Bien ancient village is perfectly in harmony with the strategic vision of the Red River Landscape Boulevard Construction Project, aiming to transform the "Mother River" into a green space center of the capital in the new century. Developing community-based tourism is the golden key to resolving the dialectical relationship between conservation and development, between the interests of the State and the long-term livelihoods of the people, enabling the thousand-year-old heritage to break through and shine proudly in the new era.

Based in Hanoi, Tailormade Vietnam Tours (TVH) is known for small-group adventure travel, offering responsible and culturally-immersive tours with an emphasis on local encounters and unique experiences in Vietnam.

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