The Hanoi Tourism Department plans to build two tourist routes "Explore the Heritage Road in the South of Thang Long" to promote heritage and handicraft villages in this area of the capital city.

It's an effort to create new destinations and products for the capital's tourism.

Along the Central Hanoi - Thanh Tri - Thuong Tin - Phu Xuyen route, visitors would stop at Ngau Village (Thanh Tri District), Phuc Am Village (Thuong Tin District), and Cuu Village (Phu Xuyen District).

Phuc Am Village is a famous votive goods. Photo: VNA

Ngau Village is famous for winemaking and the beautiful architecture of Ngau Pagoda. In addition to enjoying the scenery and monuments, visitors can also visit the makers of wine, and the OCOP (One Commune One Product) items of the region.

Phuc Am Village is a famous votive offering village. Just coming to the village gate, visitors can feel the approaching Tet atmosphere, busy and vibrant. Meanwhile, Cuu Village is a famous old village with dozens of old houses with European architecture in the middle of a rustic and peaceful village.

The Hanoi Central-Thanh Oai-Ung Hoa-My Duc tourist route includes visits to Noi Binh Da communal house (Thanh Oai District), Quang Phu Cau incense stick handicraft village (Ung Hoa District), silk and lotus silk handicraft (My Duc District).

On this route, visitors will learn about the architecture, cultural, and historical values of the temple dedicated to the national ancestor Lac Long Quan. The uniqueness of the communal house is the bas-relief depicting the boat race festival on the Do Dong River, which Lac Long Quan attended with Lac Viet marquis and generals. The bas-relief was recognized as a national treasure by the Prime Minister in 2015.

Quang Phu Cau incense stick craft village is currently a photogenic destination for domestic and foreign tourists. Visitors are not only impressed by the bouquets of incense sticks that look like colorful flowers under the sun but also by the typical fragrant scent when they visit the handicraft village.

Quang Phu Cau Village is an attractive destination for foreign tourists. Photo: Thao Nguyen/The Hanoi Times

At My Duc Silk Village, visitors can experience mulberry picking, feeding silkworms, spinning and making lotus silk.

According to Phan Huy Cuong, Head of Planning Division, the Hanoi Department of Tourism, although these destinations have started to become known to tourists, tourism activities are not professional, infrastructure is poor, services are not synchronized, and human resources for tourism are not yet developed. Therefore, the tourism potential has not been well utilized, and there are many limitations in attracting tourists.

Cuong said that the city will give priority to supporting and guiding units that manage heritage destinations and cultural relics, and build new tourist attractions and experiential cultural products related to night tourism.

After the survey, Phung Quang Thang, Chairman of the Hanoi Travel Association, said that these routes are expected to be a premise for travel businesses to build new tours that connect localities.

According to travel agencies, for these new tours to be successful, local authorities need to improve tourism infrastructure, from improving roads and parking lots, selling souvenirs and local products to training people's communication skills.