Phu Yen, a province located in the Central region, is not only a prominent destination with wild and majestic natural scenery but also possessess a treasure trove of culture and history. In addition to prominent landscapes such as Da Dia reef, Dien cape - the first place to welcome the sunrise on the mainland of Vietnam, also, in Phu Yen, there is possesses a diverse system of cultural heritage, from historical relics to intangible heritages such as festivals, customs, and culinary culture.
Overview the conference. Photo: Tran Quoi
Recently, Phu Yen University has coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Ho Chi Minh City National University to organize a national scientific conference with the theme “Sustainable development of Phu Yen tourism”.
Cultural and natural heritage - the foundation for sustainable tourism development
Phu Yen has a rich cultural heritage system, from historical relics, temples, shrines to intangible heritages such as traditional festivals and folk customs. Tangible cultural heritages such as: Le Thanh Phuong's tomb and temple, Luong Van Chanh's tomb and temple, the relics of An Tho Citadel and Ho Citadel, Da Trang pagoda, Thanh Luong pagoda, Mang Lang church, etc. are destinations that not only attract domestic tourists but also have a special appeal to international tourists. In particular, Mang Lang church - one of the oldest churches in Vietnam, where the first national language book is kept, is a pivotal destination in the journey of cultural and historical discovery of tourists.
Dr Nguyen Thi Hau, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said that Phu Yen is a land with deep culture and a treasure trove of extremely valuable cultural heritage to develop tourism into a unique product, if invested appropriately. “Before Lord Nguyen established Phu Yen in 1611, Phu Yen land had a long history and culture, demonstrated by the system of historical and cultural relics from archaeological relics dating back to Sa Huynh culture, Cham Pa culture, etc. Along with relics from the Nguyen Dynasty to the revolutionary period, cultural heritage is the most important indigenous resource, so it is necessary to have a deep and comprehensive understanding, and have appropriate methods of exploitation and use to preserve, regenerate and develop”, said Dr Hau.
Not only cultural heritage, Phu Yen province is also famous for its majestic and pristine natural landscapes such as Xep beach, Yen islet, Xuan Dai bay, Vung Ro bay, Mon beach - Dien cape, especially Da Dia reef - a unique natural wonder, etc. The combination of cultural heritage and nature not only creates a solid foundation for tourism development but also plays an important role in preserving these values for future generations.
According to Prof. Dr. Phan Thanh Hien, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, preserving and promoting the value of cultural and natural heritage is the core factor for Phu Yen to be able to develop tourism in a sustainable direction. Phu Yen is a coastal province, so it is quite similar to other provinces in the region, with blue sea, white sand, and golden sunshine, but if the cultural heritage of rocks and people is added, this is a unique and distinctive feature.
With its significance and as a valuable resource for tourism development in particular and socio-economic development in general, cultural heritage and natural resources always go hand in hand, are preserved and promoted its values.
Culinary culture - unique highlight
Culinary culture is an indispensable part of the tourism development journey. With the combination of available natural ingredients such as seafood, mountain vegetables and fruits and the talented hands of local chefs, Phu Yen cuisine has left a mark on tourists with unique and sophisticated dishes. Specialties such as ocean tuna eyes, jellyfish salad, O Loan lagoon blood cockles, Hoa Da rice paper have become symbols of local cuisine.
The uniqueness of the culinary culture of Nau land was formed from ancient times by indigenous residents, to the cultural exchange and fusion of all ethnic groups living together on this land. It is also influenced by the terrain of “mountain ranges stretching out to the sea” and is separated at both ends by two famous passes of the country, Ca pass in the south, Cu Mong pass in the north. Phu Yen has a coastline of 189km, with mountains, rivers, fields, and bays. Therefore, the cuisine here is extremely rich, each season has its own dishes, from all regions. And more importantly, Phu Yen cuisine can harmonize everyone's taste, whether people from the North or visitors from the South.
In fact, in the recent years, Phu Yen tourism has exploited this strength. Numerous events promoting and setting culinary records have been organized, many dishes in Phu Yen's culinary treasure have been recognized with titles. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thai, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Phu Yen organized the establishment of two national records, including 101 dishes from ocean tuna and 100 dishes from lobster. In 2023, the World Records Union (WorldKings) confirmed Phu Yen's new record: The locality has the most unique dishes made from lobster in the world. “Cuisine has been affirming its position and making an important contribution to introducing, promoting and developing the province’s tourism,” said Ms. Thai.
The conference on sustainable tourism development for Phu Yen attracted hundreds of papers from tourism experts and scientists researching this field. The organizing committee selected 49 papers to include in the conference proceedings, with rich content, analyzed from many different perspectives and proposed solutions to address shortcomings and limitations, aiming at strong and sustainable development for Phu Yen tourism industry. Many papers have carefully collected practical data, collected opinions from many tourists, thereby giving objective comments on tourists' desires and existing tourism products. Many limitations of Phu Yen tourism have been pointed out, such as: Tourism products are not diverse, especially night-time tourism products; technical infrastructure for tourism development is still limited; marketing and promotion activities are not effective; application of digital transformation technology is still slow; human resources have not met demands, etc.
Translated by Trinh Thuy