Unique ancient rammed earth house in the border region

November 24, 2024 | 05:59

Lao Cai :

TPO – The Ha Nhi are an ethnic group that still preserves many unique traditional cultural features. Residing mainly in the highlands, the Ha Nhi are very good at farming on sloping land, have a lot of experience in terraced fields and have unique customs and practices. But the most attractive thing when coming to the villages of the Ha Nhi, in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province are the rammed earth houses in the middle of the mountains covered in clouds all year round.

The rammed earth house is a common architecture in the northern mountainous region of our country, but the Ha Nhi people build a special house in that each house is made in a square shape with four pyramidal roofs, covered with thatch made from grass or more recently, covered with tile or asbestos cement roofs.

The house is made of earth and the foundation is made of solid stone to prevent the foot of the wall from getting wet, creating high durability and not sagging over time. In particular, it can adapt to the climate, cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

A house is usually 60-80 square meters wide, but the walls are 40-60cm thick and 4-5m high. In the middle is the "arch" gate to the main house, on the side there can be a side entrance to the buffalo and cow pen next to the house.

In mid-November, being present in Lao Chai village, Trinh Tuong commune, Bat Xat district, reporters easily felt the cool climate, the majestic and wild natural scenery, the houses made of earth with thatched roofs or thatched roofs, covered with moss, lying close together creating a peaceful and quiet scene.

While drying beans in front of her house, Mrs. Ly Xe Gu, Lao Chai village, Trinh Tuong commune, said that this is her family's traditional rammed earth house, with a thatched roof for many years. Every time tourists pass by, they stop by to visit and take souvenir photos.

Realizing the increasing demand for accommodation of tourists , in recent years, many Ha Nhi households in some communes such as Trinh Tuong and Y Ty of Bat Xat district have renovated their traditional rammed earth houses to provide homestay services to welcome tourists to increase their income.

In particular, in Y Ty commune, Bat Xat district, the locality is strongly developing community tourism associated with promoting traditional cultural values, attracting a large number of tourists to visit and experience.

Coming to Y Ty, in addition to admiring the wild beauty of the mountains and forests, the stunning natural scenery and the friendly, hospitable people, visitors can also see the original rammed earth houses of the Ha Nhi people.

Mr. San Cau Vu, Head of Choan Then village, Y Ty commune, Bat Xat district - said that Choan Then village currently has 62 households, with more than 300 people, 100% of whom are Ha Nhi ethnic people. Currently, villagers are preserving rammed earth houses associated with developing community tourism. Many households in the village with conditions have opened rammed earth house homestays to welcome tourists. Thereby, contributing to increasing income and preserving the local ethnic cultural identity.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tao Van Sinh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Y Ty commune said that the locality is coordinating with functional agencies to plan, in order to preserve the traditional values ​​of the Ha Nhi people for traditional rammed earth houses. In developing tourism, the government and the people are trying to maintain the status quo, not to break the structure. From there, create jobs and increase income for people from tourism development.

Van Duc