Vietnam
Mountain Studies
Projects.
Vietnam Mountain Studies Projects brings together a group of related research projects exploring the lives, knowledge, cultural practices and environments of communities in Vietnam’s mountainous regions. We examine how people make a living, maintain and reinterpret cultural practices, and respond to changing social and environmental conditions. Research on tourism, outdoor and experiential education, and ecological beliefs approaches these concerns from different perspectives, with a shared interest in how people understand, experience and shape the places in which they live and learn.
Our work connects anthropology, heritage studies, education and environmental science. We work with community members, local practitioners and academic partners to examine questions grounded in everyday experiences. Community collaborators contribute their knowledge, explain their practices and participate in interpreting the changes that concern them. Outdoor and experiential education adds a related enquiry into how people learn through direct engagement with places, environments and the knowledge of others.
Each project has its own research questions, partnerships and timeframe. This website brings their activities and findings together, allowing connections and differences between them to be explored. Through these projects, we seek to contribute to academic discussion, develop resources for teaching and learning, and work with local partners on approaches to tourism, heritage and environmental care that respond to their circumstances and priorities.
Project List.
Ethnic Tourism: The Changing Narratives
A 2-year British Academy-funded international action research project uniting researchers from Vietnam (VinUniversity, Vietnam National University), the UK (University of Cumbria), and local Hmong, Mường, Giáy, Dao, and Tày communities. Focussing on the risk of cultural homogenization, the project investigates how outdoor tourism interacts with the worldviews, narratives, behaviors, skills, and well-being of northern Vietnam’s indigenous communities.
Exploring Unfamiliar Territory: Outdoor and Experiential Education in Vietnam
This project originated in 2022 from a SEED Grant entitled: “Exploring Unfamiliar Territory: Outdoor and Experiential Education in Vietnam.” This grant helped establish the Vietnam Outdoor Research Collaborative which is part of the Vietnam Mountain Studies program. This project aims to understand outcomes associated with experiential and outdoor learning in Vietnam under two main pillars: Community Service Learning and Outdoor Education.
Dr. Lynch and his team have conducted numerous quantitative and qualitative studies resulting in published articles in top international journals such as the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, Journal of Youth Development, and the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. Additionally, results have been presented at International academic conferences around the world.
The Role of Ethnic Ecological Beliefs in Community-Based Tourism, Environmental Health, and Nature Conservation in Vietnam
As Vietnam’s tourism rapidly expands, mountainous destinations face mounting environmental and cultural pressures. This project investigates how traditional ecological beliefs and sacred natural sites among the Mường and Dao communities in Hòa Bình shape conservation and environmental health perceptions (such as air quality and smoke). By bridging indigenous wisdom with modern sustainability strategies, we create actionable tools, including educational resources and tourist guidelines. to foster responsible tourism and protect local heritage.