Tuyen Quang, a mountainous province on Vietnam’s northern border, is expanding cooperation with Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture in China’s Yunnan province. The sides want to attract more foreign visitors, link tour routes and make better use of tourism resources. VietnamPlus identified the international border gate, cultural heritage and diverse destinations among the region’s attractions.
Border gate opens access to new markets
The Thanh Thuy–Tianbao international border gate provides a channel for closer ties between Tuyen Quang and Wenshan. From there, tourists can reach destinations in northern Tuyen Quang, including the UNESCO Global Geopark of Dong Van Karst Plateau, the Lung Cu National Flagpole and community-based tourism villages, as well as cultural spaces of ethnic minority communities. This gives companies on both sides of the border a basis for designing joint routes with natural and cultural attractions.
Under the 2026 cultural and tourism cooperation programme, the sides are sharing information on regulations, markets and tourism products, and discussing issues arising from cross-border activities. They are linking tours and easing visitor movement through the Thanh Thuy–Tianbao gate pair in line with each country’s laws. They are also developing cooperation to preserve cultural heritage and promote tourism.
According to the provincial Department of Finance, Tuyen Quang welcomed more than 2.8 million tourist arrivals in January-August, reaching 70.3% of its annual target. Foreign visitors, including travellers using passports and border passes, numbered 519,409. Tourist spending exceeded 7.88 trillion VND, or 303 million USD.
Partnership reaches local destinations
Liu Huai, Deputy Director of Wenshan’s culture and tourism bureau, said Tuyen Quang has strong potential for ecotourism and cultural tourism and offers many distinctive products. He said Wenshan wants to continue coordinating with the province on connected tour routes, tourist group exchanges and business cooperation, building on each locality’s strengths while expanding cultural exchange and cross-border tourism.
Tha village in Ha Giang 1 ward now has 14 food service and accommodation facilities. Visitor numbers rose from more than 183,000 in 2023 to over 204,000 in 2024 and more than 316,000 in 2025. The Vietnam Tourism Association gave the village the titles “Best community-based tourism village 2025” and “Community-based tourism destination welcoming the most tourists in 2025”. The accommodation cluster in Residential Group 13 of Tha Village received the “ASEAN Homestay 2025” designation.
Under the 2026 Tuyen Quang–Wenshan tourism cooperation framework, the Tuyen Quang Tourism Association, travel companies and accommodation providers held working sessions with their Chinese counterparts. They discussed products, markets and the conditions for doing business. The sides have already signed cooperation agreements on tourism and travel services.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
