The village is on the foot of a mountain and looks to the sea. Nguyen Thai Lai, head of the project, was a local and a tour guide. He was aware of the natural beauty of the village but knew that it lacked a highlight to attract visitors. He then decided to hire painters to make murals around the village, with the intention of making it a must-visit check-in location for tourists.

"I love travelling and have seen many places with beautiful murals. When I went home, I realised that my village also has beautiful scenery and so I want to improve tour businesses here and help improve local people's incomes," he said.

He invested money into over 30 murals around the village. Most of the murals focus on the village's history and scenery. Sometimes there are simple slogans or inspirational quotes.

In January, the murals were completed and the village was ready to welcome people wanting to see the murals or experience life in the village with an entrance fee of VND20,000.

"We had over 100 visitors on the first day. The whole village became livelier. Tourists can also stroll around the village or visit the mountain and the Dam Nai Lake," he said. "In the future, we'll open for free for everyone, so that more people will know about Hon Thien Village."

Some photos of the village:

Dtinews

Murals beautifying ancient capital

The Hoa Lu District Women’s Union introduced a mural painting project last year in a bid to promote the traditions and beauty of Ninh Binh province in Vietnam’s north.

A close-up of largest mural paintings in Hanoi

A group made up of young volunteers have transformed the plain walls of homes throughout some of the villages located in suburban areas of Hanoi into beautiful mural paintings which showcase aspects of both nature and daily life.