Ms. Luu Thi Lien at home, May 2020. While living and working at the Central Office of the Vietnam Women’s Union in the Viet Bac War Zone (1947-1954), Luu Thi Lien was assigned the task of communicating and transferring documents and documents to central agencies. Therefore, she was honored to meet Uncle Ho many times. Every time I met Uncle Ho, it was a touching story, still intact in her heart. Ms. Luu Thi Lien said, once on the way to work, Uncle took advantage of visiting sisters in the office. The person kindly inquired about the living, living and working conditions of the sisters. Seeing that the sisters’ meals were still miserable, Uncle suggested: “You should ask for local land to increase production and improve your life, not let you eat a lot of flying vegetables and bamboo shoots, which is not good for your health. strong”. Another time, Uncle said: “You shouldn’t eat cold rice, you will lose nutrition. Please ask the people in the village to guide you on how to knit a pot with a lid, how to have enough rice to keep it hot.” After Uncle Ho’s teachings and thanks to the seeds he sent to increase, in a short time, the sisters’ meals were significantly improved. The knitting of rice budgies is also implemented. From then on, whether it’s winter or summer, no one has to eat cold rice anymore.” There is one memory that Mrs. Lien will always remember. Around 3:00 p.m. on May 19, 1950, when officials in the agency went to a meeting, there were only 3 sisters at home, wearing a sedge bag containing official documents and had just reached the top of Hoang Ngan palm hill slope, in Diem Mac commune (Dinh Hoa province). , Thai Nguyen), Luu Thi Lien suddenly saw Uncle Ho and his security comrades coming. Because of the secret principle of “3 no’s” (don’t know, don’t say, don’t ask), she rushed to bow to Uncle Uncle and then led him back to the office, then ran to inform everyone: “Sisters! Uncle came! Uncle came!”. The sisters ran out to meet Uncle. Seeing a few empty houses, he immediately asked: “Where have you all gone?”. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (later Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Women’s Newspaper) said: “Yes! Leaders and sisters of your agency, please go to the Central Guest House to attend the meeting!”. Uncle looked kindly at the 3 sisters, thoughtfully: “I went to a conference recently, it’s convenient to visit them!”. At this time, it was almost dark, and it was raining again, Huong boldly suggested: “Dear Uncle, we have cooked rice, we invite you and the security comrade to stay and eat.” After thinking for a moment and discussing with his companions, Uncle Ho accepted. Needless to say, the sisters were all happy and moved. At this point, Ms. Luu Thi Lien pondered. She said that at that time, she was assigned to cook rice by her sisters, but the warehouse manager went to a meeting. She had to “secretly” climb over the bamboo poles, go to the warehouse to get rice, and a box of asparagus, which was the spoils of a military unit sent as a gift. Moments later, a tray of rice was served, with a bowl of asparagus soup, a plate of roasted salt, a little fat, chili, and a few hard-boiled eggs. Because she thought she was a liaison officer, an agency employee, Luu Thi Lien did not dare to sit and eat with Uncle and sisters. Seeing this, Uncle told Ms. Huong: “Call the child support girl to have dinner with Uncle for fun”. During a happy meal, looking at a bowl of bamboo shoots, Uncle asked: “Asparagus, how do you cook?”. Luu Thi Lien said to Uncle: “Yes, Uncle, I took out the asparagus and boiled water, poured the bamboo shoots in, I was close to adding fat and salt”. Hearing that, Uncle laughed and said: “This is canned asparagus of the French, when cooking, you have to cut it into pieces, wash it, and cook it with lean meat. You are women, you have to study hard to learn literature. chemistry, politics, women’s housework, especially to know how to cook well.” More than 70 years have passed, but the memory of meeting Uncle Ho and having dinner with him is a very sacred and emotional memory for Ms. Luu Thi Lien. Remembering Uncle Ho’s teachings, peace was restored, although life was still difficult, she was determined to study and work to keep up with friends and colleagues. In her work, regardless of her position, from a district woman officer to Vice President of the Hanoi Farmers’ Union, Ms. Luu Thi Lien always successfully completed the assigned tasks, always studied and worked hard. follow the instructions of the Father.

In terms of resources for tourism development, the 6 provinces of Viet Bac including Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang are not inferior to any region. In nature, Viet Bac is blessed with many beautiful and majestic landscapes such as Cao Bang Non-water Geopark, Dong Van Rock Plateau (Ha Giang), Ba Be Lake (Bac Kan), Mau Son Mountain. (Lang Son), Nui Coc Lake (Thai Nguyen), Na Hang Lake (Tuyen Quang). Tourists go kayaking on Ba Be Lake, Bac Kan There is an important system of historical and cultural relics in the tourist areas of Dinh Hoa (Thai Nguyen), Tan Trao (Tuyen Quang), Cho Don (Bac Kan), Pac Bo (Cao Bang) … These are also The land bearing the distinctive cultural identity of the ethnic minorities of Tay, Nung, Mong, Dao, Cao Lan, San Diu, Lo Lo … is reflected through customs, customs, folk rituals, and folklore. ca, folk dance, special traditional festivals such as the Tày people’s cages festival, the Ceremony of the Dao ethnic group, the fire dance festival of the Pa Then ethnic group … However, it seems that there are many options that make Vietnamese Bac tourism lack of highlights, lack of effective linkages and duplicate products. At the seminar “Tourism Development Cooperation in 6 Vietnam Bac Provinces”, Mr. Ha Van Sieu – Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said that despite many efforts, Vietnam North tourism has not met expectations. of the people doing the tourism here; products and services have not awakened the needs of tourists. Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai – Director of Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism speaking at the seminar “Cooperation in tourism development in the six provinces of Viet Bac” Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai – Director of Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that, along with the diversity of cultural values ​​and tourism resources, the North Vietnam region now basically meets the requirements of facilities, rich in different types of tourism products. However, the linkage of tourism development in the North of Vietnam is only in the form of exchanging experiences, mainly organizing events, not really effective for businesses. , has not contributed much to local economic development. According to Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh – Vice Chairman of the Tourism Association of Bac Kan province, the link between the Viet Bac provinces has existed but the products are duplicated, there has not been research deepening to create unique tourism products. , peculiarity. Without a specific product, without large-scale tourism infrastructure, it is difficult to keep guests staying longer, spending more but often passing quickly. Units and enterprises of Viet Bac provinces signed cooperation agreements to promote tourism activities in the coming time. Need to find a common voice The majority of experts and businesses at the seminar “Tourism Development Cooperation in 6 Viet Bac Provinces” said that linking and creating a common product is the “key” for Viet Bac tourism to have breakthroughs. next time. Regarding the type of tourism, Mr. Ha Van Sieu – Deputy Director of the General Department of Tourism said that with the North Vietnamese provinces, the cultural factor will be a sustainable, distinctive product with long-term value. Mr. Vu The Binh – Vice Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association said that tourism to experience Vietnamese Bac culture is the highlight to conquer visitors, because some natural products are easily duplicated with other places. It is necessary to take advantage of the existing strengths and create simple, easy-to-walk and convenient products for visitors. The sanctuary of Thai Hai ecological stilt village village is a unique destination in Thai Nguyen. Source: Thai Hai Village Mr. Pham Van Bay, Deputy Director of Hanoi Branch – Vietravel Company, said that the 6 provinces of Viet Bac need to connect more closely and find “a common voice” about the product to promote and promote: ” Destinations in the North of Vietnam were relatively familiar to visitors in the North, but not many in the Central and the South. To exploit this potential market, from 6 tourism brochures of 6 provinces today, the provinces of Vietnam should gather to draw into 1 book and introduce specific products including tours, tourist destinations. , prestigious hotels, restaurants … From there, travel companies can build services to provide tourists ”. Regarding tourism promotion, Mr. Vu The Binh said that when promoting in new markets, the association and coordination always bring good efficiency, cost saving and right target. Instead of just organizing rotational activities in 6 provinces, there are tourist days and weekdays in Viet Bac in major tourist centers of the country, especially in the South. Mr. Pham Van Bay suggested that the Viet Bac provinces build products and promote tourism in different stages of the year, for example tourism according to the flower season, summer, promoting cultural and historical attractions. At the end of the year, it will attract MICE delegations. For many years, the tourism industry of Viet Bac provinces has maintained the tourism program “Through the regions of the Viet Bac heritage”. This is an important mechanism of association and cooperation, contributing to strengthening the exchange and learning experiences between provinces, serving as a bridge to help businesses expand links and cooperate to develop tourism in Vietnam. with the whole country. Delegates visited the photo exhibition “Cultural tourism, history and ecology of the North Vietnam” in the framework of the program “Through the regions of the Viet Bac heritage” in 2021 in Thai Nguyen. Particularly for Thai Nguyen province, the program “Crossing the Heritage regions of the North Vietnam” in 2021 is also an opportunity for the locality to review routes, tourist attractions and connect to develop products, attracting tourists. At this point, Thai Nguyen will introduce two typical tourism products, including cultural and historical tours, back to the source (National Historical Relic Company 915, Team 91 Bac Thai; Diem Temple Relic; Diem Special National Historical Site ATK Dinh Hoa Thai Nguyen) and cultural, ecological and resort tour (Museum of Vietnamese Ethnic Culture, experience Tay ethnic culture in Thai Hai village, explore tea culture in Tan Cuong tea area) ./.

Mr. Duong Van Luong, Vice Chairman of Thai Nguyen Provincial People’s Committee opened the seminar Speaking at the opening of the program, Mr. Duong Van Luong, Vice Chairman of Thai Nguyen Provincial People’s Committee, Head of the Organizing Committee of the XII “Crossing Vietnam Heritage Sites” tourism program – Thai Nguyen 2021 said, In terms of cultural values, tourism development resources, at present, the North Vietnam region basically fully satisfies the facilities, rich in various types of tourism products, including cultural tourism. source history, eco-tourism resort, cultural and spiritual tourism, rural agriculture community tourism, border-gate tourism … However, the linkage of tourism development in the North of Vietnam is only Stop in the form of exchange of experience, the main linkage activity is to organize events. Despite the orientation of state management agencies, tourism businesses in the provinces have not really linked closely, have not actively exploited local products in the direction of linking tourism in the provinces. in the region, the region. Therefore, the association has not really brought efficiency to businesses, as well as contributed to local tourism economic development. Through the seminar program, the North Vietnamese provinces hope to overcome the limitations, continue to exploit, build and promote the values, tourism products, strengths in association, development cooperation. tourism in the Viet Bac region. Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism At the seminar, the delegates assessed the status of the quality of tourism products, linked activities, exploiting the Vietnam Bac region tours with national tourism, exchanged experience in organizing events, promotional activities, tourism promotion, policies to support tourism businesses in association with Thai Nguyen province in particular and the North Vietnamese provinces in general, solutions to exchange links, support Business development among provinces, businesses in tourism development … In addition, many delegates also focused on discussing the development of new, featured tourism products, connecting tours, inter-provincial routes, inter-provincial routes. tourism promotion regions and activities, mechanisms and policies; tourism human resources, digital transformation and information technology application in the tourism field … Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh, Vice Chairman of Bac Kan Provincial Culture Institute, said that it is necessary to implement the linkage at the regional level Mr. Ngo Manh Tung, The Vice Chairman of Lang Son Tourism Association stated that it is necessary to attach importance to tourism promotion and promotion Regarding policies and solutions to stimulate regional tourism, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh – Vice Chairman of the Tourism Association of Bac Kan province said that one of the solutions towards developing tourism in the Northwest is building has an effective linkage mechanism. Accordingly, it is necessary to implement the linkage at the regional level, in terms of organization, it is necessary to build the Tourism Steering Committee at the whole region level to set out the main directions for tourism development in the whole region and link with key localities domestic tourism to link domestic tourism development and attract foreign tourists. Next, the provinces associate with the research to build brands and tourism products bearing the identity of each region, each locality. Each province needs to choose local characteristics, promote and create tourism products initially. Each province finds its own advantages, creating its own tourism product is an important issue to promote the strengths of regional connectivity. Ms. Hoang Nhat Thanh, Deputy Secretary General of Vietnam Community Tourism Association affirmed Community-based tourism and ecotourism sites should be uniformly planned In another perspective, Mr. Ngo Manh Tung, Vice Chairman of Lang Son Tourism Association said that it is important to attach importance to tourism promotion and promotion. According to Mr. Tung, tourism promotion in Vietnam is mainly in the direction of spontaneity in each locality, it is necessary to pay attention to invest in market research, implement general destination promotion programs in the North of Vietnam. Specialized domestic and international events and fairs. The promotion, if carried out consistently in all member provinces, will have a larger universal province, with much higher efficiency. Mr. Ngo Manh Tung, The Vice Chairman of Lang Son Tourism Association stated that it is necessary to attach importance to tourism promotion and promotion Talking about CBT, Ms. Hoang Nhat Thanh, Deputy Secretary General of Vietnam Association of Community Tourism (VCTC) shared, community tourism sites, ecotourism need to be unified planning, not built. spread, avoid duplication of tourism products. It is necessary to study and build key tourist resorts with specific nuances of each province. In each tourist area, it is necessary to promote its own tourism resources and local nuances to build unique tourism products. At the same time, it is necessary to have preferential policies in vocational training in order to create a high-quality workforce, focusing on developing vocational skills, raising awareness of CBT and responsible tourism. responsibility. Along with that, investing in researching regional planning and planning tourist sites and routes of each province and the whole region, thereby finding out the beauty and identity of each locality to build strong linkages … Experience tourism at the conservation area of ​​Thai Hai eco-ethnic village house on stilts Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism assessed that, in recent years, tourism in the North Vietnamese region has made strong progress, many provinces consider tourism. is the key to poverty reduction, a lever to promote socio-economic development, many tourist sites have made breakthroughs. However, this area still has many difficulties in traffic, connecting destinations, attracting investors, … Mr. Ha Van Sieu said that these limited difficulties will open up new opportunities for families. investment in tourism development in Viet Bac region. One of the solutions is that tourism businesses and localities need to strengthen coordination to promote promotion, improve service quality, and create more attractive tourism product packages. for tourists. Delegates attending the seminar At the same time, to innovate and diversify tourism products to suit the domestic tourist market. Businesses and destinations need to focus on understanding the needs and trends of tourists to meet the needs of the market, conducting appropriate promotion, not just the factor of price but also improve the value of the product or service it offers. Along with that, there are effective communication and promotion campaigns. Continue to strengthen communication with the messages “Safe and attractive Vietnam tourism”, “Vietnamese people travel to Vietnam”, with emphasis on safety factors, reasonable prices and quality guaranteed service. The leader of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism affirmed that the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is always ready to accompany localities in tourism development, ensuring epidemic safety, promoting communication to stimulate domestic tourism as well as prepare to welcome international visitors back to Vietnam as conditions permit as soon as possible. Signing cooperation link In the last part of the seminar, the signing ceremony of cooperation in tourism development took place between the Community Tourism Association and the Tourism Association of 6 provinces in the North Vietnam region. In addition, a number of businesses in the North Vietnam also signed cooperation with travel businesses in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City …

Crab soup, a seasonal dish Then just eat a bowl of crab cake soup plump, fresh to please the god of speech, which is too dainty. In fact, living in a country where there are ten types of pho, there are dozens of styles of noodles, noodles, vermicelli, banh canh, a variety of cakes and “as much as the Nguyen army”, it’s hard to choose the right dish. most with this season’s intercourse. But why is crab cake soup? Simple, because it is a bold “seasonal” dish like the weather and the mood now. The food is delicious not because it is processed from high-quality foods, by sophisticated methods … but it is delicious only because of the circumstances, the situation. The fiber of banh canh was white as if it looked like it, taut and smooth. Banh canh made of non-glutinous rice flour (different from the kind of rice cake made from filter flour in Hue) with is a popular rice fiber, popular in the cuisine of Central and South. In the North, in the past, banh canh was not present because it could not squeeze its legs with vermicelli, pho, vermicelli, noodles, and rice cakes out here. However, there is also one thing that looks a bit like banh canh, which is the noodle noodle with a noodle the size of a rice chopstick, which is used to cook vermicelli soup with anabas and celery or crab with vegetables. spinach, onion … However, it is still vermicelli because it is not chewy, crispy, and smooth like banh canh. But between vermicelli and banh canh, there is a great sympathy, because it is the kind of rice thread of the popular people, the street. Snakehead fish soup, fish soup bone cake, fish cake soup, chives soup cakes are all delicious, cheap and bold local dishes. With its rustic rice powder nature, banh canh easily combine with many other ingredients, from simple to high-class. Therefore, we can die with a bowl of chives soup (including only bone broth and fresh chives) priced at 10,000 in Tuy Hoa or faint with a bowl of crab cake soup, luxury seafood on the sidewalk of Cho Old ( Saigon). It is the famous dish of banh canh with crab or crab and the famous seafood of the South is the way for banh canh to introduce itself to Northern cuisine. About 5 years ago, crab cake shops began to appear in Hanoi, and gradually became a favorite dish with brands such as OSON crab cake soup … On the base of the fresh, crispy and smooth rice cake, the aroma of the rice flour blends very well with the sweet, fatty, richness of the crab meat, the surface peeling and the fish ball. However, the factor that brings the above harmony is thanks to the fragrant, viscous water, the scent of salty seafood. The broth is what makes up the attractive flavor of the crab cake bowl. That is the secret to bring unique deliciousness that can not be found anywhere. Fresh soup cake, crab meat, pork belly, fish ball, herbs, green pepper is a small thing, but it is a big thing to have that broth. The broth wraps the other ingredients into a unified form, making the banh canh fibers branched and cooled under the dark yellow broth; makes the pieces of the crab meat richer and sweeter. It can be said that the broth has mixed the ingredients in the bowl of banh canh together, enriching the flavors, making the banh canh yarn the taste of seafood and the crab meat fragrant with rice and herbs. In order to get that broth, the sweetness of the pork bones and crabs must be distilled during slow simmering with low heat for several hours. Thanks to that, the sweet substances are secreted slowly, intertwined, creating a truly sweet and viscous water that no seasoning powder or monosodium glutamate can bring. Crab cake bowl is a complete combination of fresh ingredients from the sea, rivers, and forest fields. Take the first teaspoon of broth to awaken the taste cells in your mouth, then bend your face down to inhale the salty ocean flavors and see the beautiful bowl of banh canh like a picture with the main warm colors. Then lightly bite the slippery banh canh, enjoy the refreshment as it slips on the thorns to see the aroma of the rice. Discover other pieces to enjoy the crispy white crab, the sweet and chewy surface, the peppercorn flavor suddenly brightens when you bite the fish ball. Chew more pieces of green pepper to burst all the pleasure, and feel the cook’s heart that deliciousness is real. So, on one day when the weather is hovering over the spring to summer season, pamper yourself and your emotions with a bowl of crab cake soup!