(VOVworld) – 3 km from Hoi An, Tra Que village offers tourists a chance to stand in the shoes of a Vietnamese peasant, wearing a traditional conical hat and grow vegetables.

You can ride a bike from Hoi An to Tra Que village. For the past ten years, the villagers have been welcoming foreign tourists who come to experience farming work. Tra Que village which is famous for herbs grown with clean technology, is now a popular destination for tourists. Do Thi Thanh is a farmer in Tra Que: “Tra Que herbs are aromatic with small leaves. It takes us about 20 days to grow and harvest them. I grow vegetables for wholesale. I have been growing vegetables for more than 20 years. Herbs are often used with chicken rice, salads, mussels and eggs. Tourists come here to see and experience farm work. We teach them how to plough the soil, apply fertilizer and water the vegetables. Normally, it takes one hour to prepare the soil for a vegetable patch. The tourists are very excited and happy. They like doing this job”.

The village has a hundred families who grow mainly vegetables and herbs. Le Thi Binh is a local farmer: “We never use chemicals, only water from the river to water the vegetables. Vegetables and herbs grown here are very aromatic”.

Here, any villager can be your tour guide. All are hospitable and welcome you with open arms and a smile. Farmers in their field are always at your disposal. Farmer Ho Xuan Thanh explains why herbs from his village are so famous:"The herbs grown here have a particular scent that cannot be found anywhere else. The plants are small but packed with essential oils. Our village definitely has special climatic and geological conditions. Also, we used no fertilizer but freshwater algae. The same varieties grown elsewhere do not have the same scent. "

Tra Que village is not included in package tours, but it’s still a popular destination for Hoi An tourists. Vuong Hoang is Director of the Cu Lao Cham Tour Company: “Most tourists enjoy this tour because it’s a new experience for them.  The vegetable village is an attraction for them. They’re willing to spend 40 to 50 USD to be a farmer. Vegetables here are naturally grown with algae so they have a special scent”.

Since 2004, Quang Nam provincial authorities have upgraded the village’s infrastructure and registered trade marks for Tra Que herbs to attract more tourists and protect the 400-year-old village. It's been over ten years that the locals have been benefiting from this type of community tourism. A visitor named Beth has just finished her work day in the field.