From the Sa Huynh and Ly Son cultures, the Cham heritage, Truong Luy to the Hre, Cor, Xo Dang, Ba Na, and Gie-Trieng cultures... from Tra Bong cinnamon and Ngoc Linh ginseng to indigenous knowledge about forests, land, water, and livelihoods... all create a diverse cultural space where people adapt, innovate, and pass on values through generations.
If we view heritage sites solely as destinations, we may miss a much greater value: the relationship between heritage sites and the cultural spaces they create together.
Xơ Đăng ethnic artisans (Ngọk Bay commune) perform gong music. Photo: H.HẢI
Connecting heritage, expanding journeys.
Tourism today is trending from "seeing" to "understanding." Tourists not only want to know where a place is and how beautiful it is, but also want to understand why it was created, how the people lived there, what values were built, and what makes up the identity of the region. This also presents an opportunity for Quang Ngai to shift from developing tourism based on individual landmarks to connecting cultural spaces.
One journey could begin from the islands of Ly Son, passing through Sa Huynh, continuing with Cham heritage sites in Central Vietnam, and then heading towards the cultural spaces of the Truong Son - Central Highlands. Another journey could go from Ngoc Linh down to the plains and out to sea, to identify the connection between forests, rivers, plains, and islands.
Thus, the destination is no longer the end of a trip, but becomes an "open door" to exploring an entire cultural region.
From Quang Ngai, one can envision many inter-regional journeys. First, there is the coastal and island space of Central Vietnam, connecting Hue, Da Nang , and Quang Ngai with Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa, and further south. Each place has its own story, but all are situated within a rich maritime space with a long history of exchange, trade, livelihoods, and culture.
Next is the journey of Sa Huynh - Cham - maritime trade. Sa Huynh is an archaeological culture dating back to an earlier period than the formation of Cham centers; therefore, the story should not be told in a simple linear fashion of "continuity".
What is even more fascinating to explore is the diverse cultural layers that once existed, interacted, and transformed within the same coastal area of Central Vietnam. From Sa Huynh, connections can be made with My Son , Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan to uncover the story of the inhabitants, trade, and cultural exchange along the coastal corridor.
Another route is the Truong Son - Central Highlands journey, from western Quang Ngai to Mang Den , Ngoc Linh, Gia Lai, Dak Lak... This is not only a journey of mountain and forest landscapes, but also a journey of local communities, the space of gongs, communal houses, festivals, handicrafts, and indigenous knowledge.
And this can give rise to journeys of indigenous knowledge: Tra Bong cinnamon, Ngoc Linh ginseng, Central Highlands coffee, My Thien pottery, brocade weaving... Each product is not just a commodity, but contains a story about the land, climate, ecology, technology, culture, and people.
Conservation for development, development for conservation.
The key is not to turn these journeys into mere "tourist trips." A trip to Sa Huynh can become a lesson in archaeology and cultural history. A journey to Ngoc Linh can reveal stories of biodiversity, medicinal plants, and indigenous knowledge. A trip to Ly Son can connect geology, volcanoes, islands, the history of exploration, and the livelihoods of its inhabitants.
In that case, tourism and education can meet; tourism and research can meet; tourism and conservation can meet. This is also a suitable direction for the growing needs of groups of tourists who want in-depth experiences: students, researchers, families, international tourists, or simply those who want to learn about a place instead of just "checking in" at a destination.
A land can therefore become an "open classroom," and each journey is an opportunity for people to learn more about nature, history, culture, and themselves.
The Four Sacred Animals Boat Race Festival in Ly Son.
Connecting heritage does not mean exploiting heritage at all costs. The value of a cultural space lies primarily in its authenticity, vibrancy, and the role of the community. Sacred rituals, traditional knowledge, community living spaces, or forests connected to spiritual life cannot be viewed merely as a "tourism product."
The community must be a key stakeholder in the conservation process and a beneficiary of tourism. Exploitation must respect the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, protect the landscape and environment, and ensure a fair distribution of benefits.
In particular, with a vast area like the newly established Quang Ngai, cultural preservation needs to be viewed in relation to nature conservation. Forests, rivers, mountains, plains, and islands are not separate spaces.
They form interconnected natural and cultural ecosystems. This could be the foundation for a new approach: tourism that explores cultural ecosystems.
Tourists enjoy rice wine. Photo: DUC THANH
Quang Ngai and the vision of connecting heritage regions.
Quang Ngai has a unique advantage in experimenting with this approach. Ly Son, Sa Huynh, and the western cultural space don't necessarily need to develop as independent destinations. They can become "nuclei" to connect tourist flows, knowledge flows, and value flows throughout the region.
It is essential to create a living heritage map for the entire province and, more broadly, for the Central and Central Highlands regions: tangible and intangible heritage, natural heritage, archaeology, history, traditional crafts, indigenous knowledge, and community stories.
Based on this data, it is possible to design themed itineraries; digitize documents and stories; connect museums, schools, research institutes, businesses, and communities; and monitor the carrying capacity of destinations to develop tourism responsibly.
At that time, Quang Ngai will not only have new destinations. More importantly, the existing destinations will be placed within larger narratives.
An Khe Lagoon, an interesting destination in the southern part of the province.
A journey from the sea to the mountains can be a trip through multiple ecosystems. A journey from Sa Huynh to My Son can be a dialogue with the layers of culture in Central Vietnam. A trip from Ngoc Linh down to the sea can help to realize the connection between forest, water, land, and people.
Perhaps the greatest value of tourism in the future lies not in how many people are brought to a place, but in each person leaving with a deeper understanding of the place they have just visited.
Awakening heritage, therefore, is not just about awakening landmarks. It's about awakening stories. Connecting heritage is not just about connecting points on a map. It's about connecting people to people, the past to the present, nature to culture, and different lands to one another.
And from there, new journeys begin – journeys to explore, to learn, to appreciate, and to preserve the values that generations have passed down to us.
VO VAN MINH
Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/ket-noi-nhung-mien-di-san-4068659.html
