When People in the Highlands “Tell the Story of Heritage Through Digital Technology”
Nguyễn Viết Dũng – Nguyễn Đặng Tuấn Minh
A commune in Lào Cai has become a bright spot on the community-based tourism map as local people learn how to tell the story of their homeland on social media.
Like thousands of other Tày women, Ms. Vàng Thị Thông from Bản Liền Commune, Bắc Hà District, Lào Cai Province, had very limited knowledge of technology. Yet it was her simple sentence—“I can’t do it yet”—during an online digital capacity-building training session organized by the IDAP Project in late 2024 that marked the beginning of her transformation.
She began introducing Bản Liền Pine Homestay, her community-based tourism business, on social media platforms. The reach of digital platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Zalo opened new opportunities for Bản Liền to appear on television and sparked what experts call a “digital culture push.”
Thanks to this momentum, many homestays in Bản Liền were fully booked just three months later. However, the most remarkable achievement was not the number of new homestays or the influx of visitors. The most profound change lay in business mindset. Families no longer viewed tourism as a side activity or simply “letting guests stay,” but began thinking about designing experiences, creating distinctive products, and sharing common resources.
One corner of Bản Liền. Photo: FB Vàng Thị Thông
Mr. Lâm A Nâng taught himself how to make dishwashing liquid from fruits and natural ingredients to protect his homeland from pollution as visitor numbers increased. Ms. Vàng Thị Mai—another Tày woman—proactively organized đàn tính (traditional lute) classes for homestay owners, taught by her father, artisan and instrument maker Vàng A Ưởng. Such changes cannot come from merely talking about “digital transformation.” They represent a deeper “transformation.”
The people of Bản Liền are now planning to establish a Community-Based Tourism Cooperative—a step toward institutionalizing the spirit of mutual support and interaction. Through this, local values will not be fragmented but integrated into a shared governance structure.
A particularly notable aspect of Bản Liền is that no one walks alone. Mr. Vàng A Ưởng—despite living with a disability—continues to teach music and make instruments. Mr. Nâng voluntarily introduces Mr. Ưởng on his personal page to amplify this special talent. Ms. Thông shares marketing experiences, Mr. Nâng teaches recipes for eco-friendly dishwashing liquid, and Ms. Mai opens music classes—all reflecting a spirit where one person’s success creates opportunities for others.
The story of Bản Liền is a test case for a new development model:
Cultural heritage + digital transformation + community spirit = a sustainable ecosystem.
When a woman from an ethnic minority can learn technology, build a personal brand, and inspire dozens of other families, that is when digital transformation fulfills its true meaning: unlocking human potential.
A normal working day of Bản Liền women. Photo: FB character
If the digital transformation story of Bản Liền were limited to Facebook posts or a surge in visitors after a TV reality show, it would only scratch the surface. The real magic is how technology has awakened, in each resident—especially women who have long stayed behind the scenes—a desire to learn and preserve local values.
Ms. Thông—who once “had no time to learn the đàn tính” due to running a homestay and caring for children—now wants to learn to play, to understand, and to continue telling the story of her people.
Ms. Cân, wife of Mr. Lâm A Nâng, previously focused solely on household chores. Since developing natural products for tourism with her husband, she has gradually become the public face of their family’s homestay.
Ms. Vàng Thị Nghĩa does not run a homestay or sell specialties, yet she is an enthusiastic “village storyteller” whenever strangers ask questions.
The IDAP Project, implemented by KisStartup JSC, is proud to accompany this journey—from the moment Ms. Thông first practiced writing content for a post to when villagers began discussing the formation of a community tourism cooperative.
What truly moves the IDAP project team is not immediate figures or visible results, but the realization that new ways of thinking are gradually taking shape in Bản Liền. People are beginning to design experiences linked to living culture and sell agricultural products, rather than relying solely on increasing revenue from a limited number of homestays.
Digital transformation, ultimately, is broader than “learning how to use technology.” It is a shift in mindset—from passive to proactive, from fragmented to connected, from separating culture from the economy to integrating economic development with cultural heritage. When this happens, not only Bản Liền, but many other remote mountainous areas can rewrite their development stories—in their own community language and with a future-oriented vision.
About the IDAP Project
The Inclusive Digital Acceleration Program (IDAP) aims to strengthen an inclusive digital transformation ecosystem for small and medium-sized enterprises, focusing on agriculture and tourism in Lào Cai and Sơn La provinces. The project is implemented by KisStartup JSC from 2024 to 2027, with funding from the Australian Government through the GREAT Project (Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism).
Source: Tia Sáng