For generations, the people of Lai Chau's ethnic groups have been preserving and promoting their cultural identity. In particular, the traditional architecture of the Thai, Lao, Lu, Mong, Dao, and Ha Nhi ethnic groups has been carefully maintained over time. Currently, these stilt houses, wooden houses, and rammed earth houses in the villages have become attractive tourist products known as "homestays."
Preserving the distinctive features of traditional houses.
Việt Nam•21/03/2024 Visiting the villages of Cang Muong, La Muong, and Co Noi in Muong Cang commune (Than Uyen district), we saw many traditional stilt houses of the Thai ethnic group that have been preserved. Mr. Nung Van Tien from Cang Muong village shared: "As Thai people, we are proud of our ethnic cultural identity. In particular, the stilt houses have been designed by our ancestors and passed down from generation to generation. In 2011, when we renovated our house, we kept the original architecture; we raised the floor and used the space under the floor for rice, belongings, and as a play area for the children. The staircase is more beautifully designed and has handrails. In addition, we arranged a separate kitchen area instead of using the back room of the house as in the past."
According to Mr. Nguyen Tu Trong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong Cang commune, the commune currently has 1,425 households, mainly inhabited by the Thai ethnic group. Nearly 70% of these households have preserved the traditional Thai house style. The commune's Party committee, government, and mass organizations actively promote and encourage households to maintain their original house architecture and use new building materials to suit their living conditions and space.
During our work trips to the districts of Phong Tho, Tam Duong, Sin Ho, Muong Te, etc., and visits to the villages, we are proud and impressed by the unique culture of the 20 ethnic groups in the province. Just like their clothing, language, writing, music , and folk performing arts, each ethnic group has a different architectural style of house. While the Thai, Lao, Lu, Cong, and Mang people have stilt houses, the Mong, Dao, Ha Nhi, and Si La people have ground-level houses with wooden walls or rammed earth houses.
Traditional stilt house architecture has been preserved over time by the Thai, Lao, and Lu ethnic groups in the province.
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Mr. Vang A Chinh, head of Sin Suoi Ho village (Sin Suoi Ho commune, Phong Tho district), happily shared: "The unique feature of the Mong ethnic house's architecture is its three rooms and two doors; the bedrooms for the couple and their children are all arranged separately. Mong houses all have an attic floor for storing belongings, food, and supplies to prevent mold. We are delighted that nowadays, the traditional houses of the Mong people are loved by tourists, especially foreign visitors. In the village, there are 22 households offering homestay services to meet the needs of guests. To attract guests, the households in the village decorate their entrance gates beautifully, keep their houses clean, and create a pleasant landscape around their homes."
Over the years, the traditional houses of ethnic minorities have always been a focus of attention, preservation, and conservation by all levels of government, localities, and the people of the province, in conjunction with fulfilling the housing criteria in the National Target Program for New Rural Development. Alongside this, the province has chosen to restore the architectural spaces of traditional houses of ethnic groups, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the unique cultural values of each ethnic group, linked to tourism development.
Mr. Deo Van Duong, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Phong Tho District, said: In implementing Resolution 59-NQ/HĐND of the Provincial People's Council, which stipulates a number of policies to support the preservation and promotion of the fine traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups associated with tourism development in the province during the 2021-2025 period, two tourist villages in the district, Sin Suoi Ho and Vang Pheo, are receiving support for renovating and repairing houses according to traditional architecture. Accordingly, each village has 10 households providing homestay services, with support not exceeding 160 million VND per household.
The entire province has supported the renovation and repair of 35 houses according to traditional architecture as per Resolution 59 in community tourism villages: Sin Suoi Ho village, Sin Suoi Ho commune and Vang Pheo village, Muong So commune (Phong Tho district); Tham village, Ban Hon commune and Si Thau Chai village, Ho Thau commune (Tam Duong district); San Thang village, San Thang commune ( Lai Chau city). Implementing Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee on preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups associated with tourism development in the period 2021-2025, with orientation to 2030, in Than Uyen, Muong Te, and Tam Duong districts, the traditional house architecture of 11 ethnic groups has been restored, including the Ha Nhi, La Hu, Si La, Mang, Cong, Kho Mu, Dao, Giay, Lu, Lao, and Mong.
Traditional houses are considered a treasure trove of culture, as they contain customs, traditions, and beliefs; they serve as centers for cultural and artistic activities; and they display ethnic costumes and tools used in production by each ethnic group. Over the centuries, the people of Lai Chau's ethnic groups have continuously innovated and improved their traditional houses to suit their living and production conditions, and to serve tourism, while never forgetting to preserve the unique characteristics of their ethnic group's traditional houses.
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