The New York Times has included the Red River Delta of North Vietnam, home to long-standing craft villages and a century-old cultural heritage, in the 2022 list of top places around the globe where visitors can be part of the solution, contributing to some tourism issues.

“Once travel begins to normalize, tourists will undoubtedly flock to Vietnam’s world-famous beaches and dynamic megacities. But head north to the traditional villages of the Red River Delta, and you can immerse yourself in centuries-old cultural practices and a way of life that is at risk of disappearing.“ – according to the New York Times.

The Red River Delta was also the only representative in Southeast Asia to break into the list compiled by travel editors of the New York Times based on more than 2,000 suggestions. Following two years of the Covid-19 crisis, this year’s list focuses on places that can deal with issues like overcrowding and climate change.

The US newspaper also added that the Red River Delta is the cradle of Quan ho folk singing – a part of Vietnam’s cultural heritage and its quintessence has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Quan ho folk songs express people’s true feelings in love, happiness, sadness, remembrance, sulk…. The stories told by traditional melodies are uncommon but as sweet and romantic as any classic love story in the world.