Khuoi My in the mist: Fairyland on the slopes of Tay Con Linh

Only a dozen kilometers from the center of Ha Giang city, Khuoi My village, Phuong Do commune is like a fairyland left in the middle of the mountains and forests. At an altitude of nearly 1000m above sea level, Khuoi My is surrounded by fog all year round, covering the roofs, fences, slopes with a thin layer... The whole village seems to be floating among the clouds.

Moss-covered roofs in Khuoi My village, Phuong Do commune, Ha Giang city.

Although it is located in Ha Giang city, Khuoi My still retains its natural, rustic, pristine, and isolated features like a quiet oasis hidden on the mountainside. The roofs of the stilt houses are covered with dark green moss, stained by time. The moss is not planted by anyone but grows naturally in the humidity and is nourished by the cold air of the mountainous region. Ten years, twenty years... each leaf gradually withers and each layer of moss "eats the dew" and becomes thicker, making the roofs blend in with the green color of the majestic nature.

Daily life of the Dao people in Khuoi My village.

Khuoi My village is home to nearly 50 Dao households. The people here still thatch their roofs themselves. However, there are houses that have never been thatched for 40 years. Replacing the palm leaves takes two to three days, but this process is done entirely by hand, just as their ancestors did. Today, some houses have switched to red corrugated iron roofs, but somewhere in the mist, the moss-covered roofs still appear charmingly.

Mossy roofs covered in mist.

Inside those houses, a whole cultural treasure is being preserved. The Dao language still echoes in daily activities, rituals are still organized according to the seasonal and life cycles, and traditional costumes are still used as an essential part of identity. Modern life may have come very close but it has not blurred the traditional customs of the Dao people here. Khuoi My seems to have chosen to walk slowly in the digital age, living with the mountains and forests and breathing with the morning dew.

The moss-covered roof is an attractive highlight for tourists.

Not only is Khuoi My attractive for its moss-covered roofs, it also captivates visitors with the beauty of the rice season. April and May are the seasons of flooding. In August and September, the entire mountainside is ablaze with the golden color of ripe rice. The beauty here is not noisy or ostentatious but is enough to hold visitors’ feet.

The pace of life is slow and peaceful.

Tourists come to Khuoi My not only to sightsee. They come to slow down and immerse themselves in the life of the Dao people, picking ancient tea trees, working in the fields and sitting by the fire listening to the elders tell stories. Every step on the dirt slope, every morning waking up in the mist, breathing the fresh air is an unforgettable experience.

The dew-covered roofs are a unique feature of Khuoi My village.

The "dew-eating" roofs are a unique feature of Khuoi My village.

In the context of many highland destinations gradually losing their unique features due to tourism , Khuoi My quietly stands out as a different destination, not bustling but imbued with depth. A few households have started community tourism businesses.

Khuoi My begins to develop community tourism.

If properly oriented, preserving indigenous culture and exploiting sustainably, this place can completely become a living heritage village, where the Dao people not only preserve their ethnic culture but also spread the beauty of Khuoi My through every mist, every moss roof and the slow pace of life in the mountains and forests.