The homestay “Hello Mu Cang Chai” is situated on terraced fields in La Pan Tan commune.

Situated on terraced fields in La Pan Tan commune, the homestay “Hello Mu Cang Chai” owned by Giang A De and his wife Vang Thi Ly is widely known to many domestic and foreign tourists. 

Born in 1989, De earned a university degree and got a stable job at Viettel Mu Cang Chai. But in 2017, realizing his homeland’s great tourism potential, De quit his job and started developing tourism on barren land.

“At first, my initiative was not supported by the local villagers. No one had ever tried to develop tourism here, which put great pressure on me,” said De.

De had to deal with many tricky problems related to choosing land, raising money, and building infrastructure while still respecting Mong traditions. Fortunately, his wife supported him wholeheartedly. In the early years, their homestay received about 500 tourists annually. Despite the falling number of guests due to COVID-19, “Hello Mu Cang Chai” has remained a popular tourist draw. 

To facilitate their business, De’s wife went to work as a waitress in the famous resort town of Sa Pa to learn English while he ran the homestay and studied by himself.

“I learnt English from books, the internet, and foreign tourists. At first I made many mistakes, but my English gradually improved. Now I can communicate well with foreigners,” said De.

A De’s wife said she found it difficult to learn English at the beginning but she did her best and was determined to learn.

“Hello Mu Cang Chai” offers tourists a variety of activities, including cooking, fishing, and doing farm work on terraced fields.

“We have experienced the life of the local people here and have learned a lot about their ethnic culture,” said Nguyen Hong Anh, a tourist from Hanoi.

A De and his wife teach local children English. (Photo: VOV)

Giang A De is now the head of a tourism cooperative, where he shares his experience with other local people. He and his wife also teach free English classes for local children.

“I’m doing my best to learn English so I can communicate with foreign tourists and tell them about our culture,” said A local resident named Ly Thi Cay.

Giang A De and his wife plan to launch new tourism products, focusing on the harvest season when Mu Cang Chai’s terraced fields are blanketed with yellow ripen rice.