(HBO) - The housing architecture of Dao ethnic people is very diverse, depending on the group to live in the houses with ground floor or the ones with half floor and half land. Dao Tien ethnic people (Da Bac) often live in ground-floor houses with wooden walls and traditional palm-leaf roofs. They often build houses close to each other without covering walls to gather together.
Foreign tourists are exploring and learning
about Dao culture and customs in Sung village, Cao Son commune (Da Bac).
Sung hamlet in Cao Son commune (Da Bac) is
the home of nearly 80 Dao Tien households. The special thing when coming here
is that they do not only keep the pristine, the fresh, the friendly people, but
people are also impressed with the pristine rustic beauty imbued with Dao's
cultural identity, from the costumes and the living activities, the traditions,
the customs, the forms of cultivation and so on. In particular, this place
still maintains the ground-floor houses with traditional palm-leaf roofs built
together.
Mr. Ly Van Henh in Sung hamlet says that Dao Tien people often build
ground-floor houses with wood-grafted walls and palm-leaf roofs. This type of
house has existed for a long time, and it is very popular in the life of Dao
ethnic people. They think that only live in the ground-floor houses, there is a
place to worship Ban Vuong. Houses are usually simple with 3 or 5 standing
compartments. How big or small they are, all follow a certain pattern,
including 1 main door in the middle of the house, 1 auxiliary door on the left
gable and 2 windows. 3 compartments are arranged: the left compartment is used
to set the bedroom for the homeowner, the right compartment is the bedroom for
children, the compartment in the middle is usually wider than the other two on
the sides. It is the space for the ancestral altars and the reception.
Most of the international delegations have good
impression and promise to come back with their friends. Currently, in order to
serve tourists better, we have built more houses and improved the surrounding
landscape to ensure hygiene. The newly built house retains its wooden walls and
palm-leaf roofs, but it has been renovated with tiled floors, the bedrooms, the
kitchens, the drinking tables and chairs and many items are made of wood and
bamboo, creating the friendliness, the modern, clean and spacious appearance.
With the pristine natural beauty, the
traditional houses of Dao people, along with the unique culture of Dao Tien
people, the community tourism in Sung village has become an attractive tourism
destination for visitors to travel and explore.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.