Suoi Tien, a hidden gem nestled at the foot of the majestic Hai Van Mountain Range in Phu Loc district, Thua Thien Hue province, is emerging as an attractive eco-tourism destination. Located just about 50km south of Hue city center, Suoi Tien offers a pristine and fresh natural space, completely different from the hustle and bustle of urban life. This place attracts visitors not only with its natural beauty but also with its potential for community-based tourism development, contributing to improving the economic life of local people. However, the Suoi Tien eco-tourism area has recently unexpectedly suspended operations, causing considerable concern for the community and those who love the beauty of this stream. So what happened to Suoi Tien, and what future awaits this potential eco-tourism destination?
Suoi Tien – Pristine Beauty and Eco-Tourism Potential
Suoi Tien is located in Loc Thuy commune, Phu Loc district, hidden behind the Thuy Yen irrigation lake, creating a magnificent and picturesque natural setting. To reach Suoi Tien, visitors will have an exciting experience traveling by boat, weaving through the blue waters of Thuy Yen Lake. This isolation and unspoiled nature have created a special attraction for Suoi Tien, making it an ideal destination for those who want to escape the noise and bustle of everyday life and immerse themselves in fresh nature.
Before 2018, Suoi Tien was just a spontaneous destination, known and frequented by locals for swimming and relaxing. However, the hidden beauty of Suoi Tien was recognized by the Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative in Loc Thuy commune, which was determined to turn it into a well-organized eco-tourism area, bringing economic benefits to the community.
Suoi Tien seen from above
With the policy of developing eco-tourism associated with the community, Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative has gradually invested in building tourism infrastructure at Suoi Tien, while still maintaining the pristine and natural beauty of this place. From 2019, the Suoi Tien eco-tourism area began welcoming its first visitors, mainly locals. Although the number of visitors was limited at first due to lack of promotion experience and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the potential of Suoi Tien has gradually been affirmed.
When the pandemic was controlled and tourism recovered, Suoi Tien quickly became an attractive destination for tourists inside and outside the province. Especially in the summer, from April to August every year, Suoi Tien welcomes hundreds of visitors every day, and this number can reach nearly 1000 on weekends or holidays. Visitors come to Suoi Tien not only to swim in the clear stream water but also to enjoy the fresh air, explore the unspoiled natural beauty, and enjoy local specialties prepared by the local people themselves.
Unique Eco-Tourism Experiences at Suoi Tien
Coming to the Suoi Tien eco-tourism area, visitors will experience many interesting and unique activities, immersing themselves in nature and local culture:
- Swimming and playing in the stream: Suoi Tien is famous for its cool, clear water, an ideal place to swim and play, cooling off on hot summer days. The tourist area has built natural swimming areas, preserving the unspoiled beauty of the stream while ensuring safety for visitors.
- Exploring pristine nature: Suoi Tien is located in the middle of the Hai Van mountains and forests, surrounded by green primary forests. Visitors can participate in trekking and hiking activities to explore the diverse beauty of the mountain forest ecosystem, admire small waterfalls, unique rocky rapids, and enjoy the fresh air of the mountains and forests.
- Boating on Thuy Yen Lake: The journey to Suoi Tien by boat on Thuy Yen Lake is also a memorable experience. Visitors will admire the vast lake scenery, small green islands, and feel the peace and tranquility of nature.
- Enjoying local cuisine: Coming to Suoi Tien, visitors cannot miss the opportunity to enjoy local specialties prepared by the local people themselves. The dishes are made from fresh, flavorful local ingredients such as hill chicken, stream fish, forest vegetables, and fresh seafood.
- Learning about community culture: The Suoi Tien eco-tourism area is managed and operated by the Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative, with the participation of many local people. Visitors can interact and chat with locals, learn about the cultural life, customs, and traditional beauty of Phu Loc countryside.
Tourists visiting Suoi Tien on sunny days
Suoi Tien – The “Bread and Butter” of Local People
The development of the Suoi Tien eco-tourism area not only brings benefits to tourists but also has great significance for the socio-economic life of local people. The tourist area has created jobs for more than 100 local workers, helping farmers have more stable incomes.
In addition, Suoi Tien is also an important outlet for local agricultural, forestry, and seafood products. Visitors to Suoi Tien consume a large amount of local products such as pigs, chickens, ducks, river fish, farmed fish, vegetables, forest vegetables, etc. This not only helps farmers increase their income but also contributes to preserving and developing traditional local products.
According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hoai, Secretary of the Party Committee of Loc Thuy commune, the development of Suoi Tien tourism has led to the development of many other services in the locality. Along the road leading to Thuy Yen Lake, fruit, grocery, and beverage stalls are increasingly appearing, creating additional small incomes to help stabilize people’s lives.
Local people trading, earning their main income from the stream
Unexpected Suspension of Operations – Concerns for Suoi Tien’s Future
However, the joy of local people and those who love Suoi Tien did not last long. In the hot summer, when the number of visitors flocking to Suoi Tien was increasing, the Suoi Tien eco-tourism area unexpectedly received a notice of temporary suspension of operations.
The reason for this suspension stems from legal issues related to land use and shared infrastructure within the protection scope of the Thuy Yen reservoir irrigation works. According to a document from the Thua Thien Hue Province State-Owned Single-Member Limited Company for Irrigation Works Management and Exploitation, the unit managing and operating Thuy Yen Lake, the Suoi Tien Eco-tourism Area project operates within the protection scope of irrigation works and uses shared infrastructure such as temporary parking lots, management and operation roads, boat lanes, and temporary wharves.
Although the Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative has carried out land allocation procedures and submitted documents to the Provincial Economic and Industrial Zones Management Board, it has not yet been allocated land in accordance with the law. While waiting for the completion of legal procedures on land, the Thua Thien Hue Province State-Owned Single-Member Limited Company for Irrigation Works Management and Exploitation has requested the Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative to temporarily stop using shared infrastructure within the protection scope of the Thuy Yen Lake irrigation works.
Mr. Ty sighs while sharing with reporters
The information about the temporary suspension of Suoi Tien tourist area has caused local people, especially business households in the tourist area, great concern. Many families have invested hundreds of millions of dong in facilities and stalls to serve tourists, now that the tourist area is temporarily closed, it means that their income source is interrupted and bank debts are piling up.
Mr. Nguyen Ty, a business household in Suoi Tien, sadly shared: “My family has invested more than 300 million VND to build stalls and shops here. The past few years of the pandemic have been difficult, and last year we just started to have visitors, recovering a little to pay off bank debts. If it stops again this year, I don’t know how to manage.”
Mr. Mai Dinh Sac, Director of Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative, said that the cooperative has invested about 6 billion VND in building the Suoi Tien tourist area, including 12 swimming areas, 3 motels, huts, concrete roads, and boats to pick up and drop off visitors. The temporary suspension of the tourist area has greatly affected the business operations of the cooperative and the lives of dozens of households renting swimming areas for business.
Currently, Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative is actively preparing documents to submit to the Provincial People’s Committee and relevant departments, agencies, and branches to create conditions for the Cooperative to complete land lease contract procedures and soon reopen the Suoi Tien tourist area.
Conclusion
The Suoi Tien eco-tourism area is a potential tourist destination of Thua Thien Hue province, possessing pristine, pure beauty and unique community cultural values. The development of Suoi Tien not only enriches the tourism map of Hue but also creates sustainable livelihoods for local people.
The temporary suspension of Suoi Tien tourist area is a regrettable incident, which has significantly affected the lives of the community and the tourism development of the locality. It is hoped that, with the involvement of authorities at all levels and the efforts of the Thuy An Agricultural Cooperative, legal obstacles will be resolved soon, and the Suoi Tien eco-tourism area will soon reopen, continuing its journey to bring wonderful tourism experiences to visitors and contributing to the sustainable development of Thua Thien Hue tourism.