"Coconut Culture" in Ben Tre tourism

28/06/2023 1082 0
Cây dừa hiện diện và gắn liền với đời sống của cư dân Bến Tre từ bao đời nay. Cây dừa đồng hành với người dân trong xây dựng và phát triển quê hương trong thời đại mới; là nét văn hóa không thể tách rời với đất và người Bến Tre. “Văn hóa dừa” cứ thế được đưa vào du lịch (DL), trở thành giá trị bản địa, tạo nên thương hiệu và hình ảnh đặc trưng của DL Bến Tre.

Playing under the coconut trees. Photo by Nhut Thuong.

Exploitation of coconut products

"Coconut culture" in Ben Tre encompasses stories of the revolutionary historical traditions of the homeland beneath lush coconut palms. It includes poetic works, music, art, musical instruments made from coconuts, coconut cuisine, versatile coconut-derived products in everyday life such as housing, clothing, cosmetics, and daily utensils. Additionally, it represents a booming and promising coconut industry sector, vitalizing and dynamically developing.

In recent times, Ben Tre tourism has made significant efforts to live up to its title as the "Land of Coconut." The most prominent change in the province's tourism development direction is the comprehensive integration of coconut trees and their associated values into tourism. Those involved in tourism in the province have recognized the core value and identified themselves within the ecological tourism landscape of the Mekong Delta, symbolized by coconuts. They understand the need to create their own story and distinctive features, leveraging local resources to extract value from coconut trees and coconut culinary culture. This strength is used to offer tourists the opportunity to experience and enjoy the highest quality products.

For a long time, coconut specialty products have been familiar offerings at various tourist destinations and sites, such as coconut candies, preserves, handicrafts, and souvenirs crafted from coconuts. Coconut cuisine also features prominently, with renowned dishes like grilled shrimp in coconut, coconut bud salad, and coconut rice. Many coconut-derived items continue to be developed and serve tourism purposes, including coconut water, canned coconut oil, and coconut cakes. Particularly, coconut-based cosmetics such as coconut face masks, coconut lipsticks, and coconut soap are also favored by tourists.

As a tourist from Binh Duong visiting Ben Tre, Ms. Hong Hanh expressed her delight in experiencing coconut products: "I can find coconuts everywhere in Ben Tre. I'm thrilled to use coconut-derived items and enjoy myself in the shade of coconut trees. I'm pleasantly surprised by the variety of eco-friendly coconut cosmetics available. Therefore, buying them as gifts is very suitable for me."

Coconut images in tourism

Alongside promoting and training to enhance awareness among tourism operators, the province has also introduced new homestay standards encouraging establishments to use materials derived from coconut trees to distinctly portray the coconut theme. Specifically, architectural designs are constructed in the characteristic style of rural areas in Ben Tre, integrating closely with nature. Building materials, furnishings, and amenities in homestays are encouraged to utilize wood, coconut, or natural materials such as bamboo, rattan, and leaves, reflecting the unique identity of the Coconut Land.

When visiting tourism sites and accommodations in Ben Tre province, tourists can encounter coconut-themed imagery and materials everywhere: in guest rooms, interior and exterior decorations, kitchen utensils, dining tables, bedrooms, and more. Some standout lodging facilities completely utilize coconut materials, such as Xóm Dừa Nước homestay (Ben Tre City), Coconut homestay (Mỏ Cày Nam), Homestay Út Trinh (Tam Hiệp, Bình Đại), and Ben Tre Riverside Resort (Ben Tre City).

From the perspective of a tour guide like Ms. Đoàn Thị Trúc Phương from the Penguin Travel Service Company (Ho Chi Minh City), she emphasizes, "As a tour guide, my goal in designing tours and introducing destinations to tourists is to convey the distinctive cultural essence of each region. When it comes to Ben Tre, tourists immediately think of coconut trees. Moreover, I want to show tourists the value of coconut trees not just through coconut candies but also by understanding how local people cultivate coconut trees and produce various coconut products. Only then can we truly bring out the value of coconut trees and the cultural uniqueness of Ben Tre to tourists in a profound way."

All synchronized solutions require the collective effort, cooperation, and contribution of various sectors, localities, businesses, and the community to truly integrate coconut culture into the daily life of Ben Tre residents. This collective effort aims to immerse tourists in the "Coconut Culture" when they visit Ben Tre.

The province's development of tourism products centered around the coconut image is a strategic orientation. The tourism industry continues to enhance the image of Ben Tre as the land of coconuts, maximizing the values, significance, and unique symbolism of coconut trees. Simultaneously, there is a strong emphasis on widespread promotion and dissemination of Ben Tre's coconut homeland image.

In tourism products, the image and stories about coconut trees — the tree of life — need to be delicately recounted and conveyed to resonate deeply with visitors.

Post and Photo: Thanh Đong

Source: baodongkhoi.vn

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