The 'special tour guides' in Quang Ninh

In Yen Duc Commune, whenever tourists visit, the farmaers become tour guides in their area.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hien is a farmer in Yen Duc commune, the town of Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh: a model of community-based tourism that is gradually becoming familiar with travelers in recent years.

Yen Duc not only has peaceful scenery and quiet rice fields but also many relics and scenic spots such as Canh Huong pagoda, Cave 73 and more.

Since 2011, Yen Duc into an attractive tourist site, especially for foreigners. They can join the tour to become Vietnamese farmers through planting paddy and vegetables, using fishing-tackles to catch fish, resting in Vietnamese traditional houses, watching water puppetry shows, listening to quan ho love duets and visiting old houses of nearly 200 years old.

"Previously I only did farm work. At first when I became involved in tourism services I thought that it was very difficult but I tried. Normally we are called rural men,  but when we join the tourism cooperative we are taught communicative skills and reminded to dress tidily so that tourists will have good impression about our village," Hien said.

 Yen Duc Cooperative has 30 employees. One employee can pick up tourists and drive a tramcar in the morning but at noon he can become a room service staff or a cook and at night he can sing quan ho love duets, control water puppets or teach tourists how to make banh chung (square glutinous rice cake) and banh troi (floating cake).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, one of the major tour guides in Yen Duc, can confidently talk with visitors in English. She is assigned to teach English to other farmers so that they can tell visitors about the wonderful things of their village.

Ms. Duong Thi Men, Chair of Yen Duc Cooperative said: "We choose local staff because only they understand best about the history and culture of their hometown."

Jay Garrett, a tourist from Australia said: "I was surprised about the ability of the farmers here. They welcomed us enthusiastically and professionally and it made me feel I was very special. Definitely my family and I will go back there one day."

Looking ahead, Yen Duc will expand the homestay model. Connected with the community, Yen Duc will be a sustainable-developed tourism model, an interesting destination of Quang Ninh, beside Halong bay.