A Unique Ancient Village in Bac Giang: Home to 17 Distinctive Red Earth Houses

Discover the ancient Bac Hoa village in Luc Ngan, a captivating destination where you can truly immerse yourself in history. Marvel at the distinctive architecture of its traditional earthen houses and wander past beautiful, moss-covered stone fences. You'll also be greeted by the breathtaking sight of vibrant plum and mustard flower fields, creating a truly picturesque landscape. This spot offers a unique and fresh 'check-in' experience, perfect for those seeking something a little different, and it's conveniently located not far from Lang Son.
Beyond its unique rammed-earth architecture, the ancient village of Bac Hoa, Tan Son, Luc Ngan, Bac Giang, is also renowned for its beautiful scenery and warm hospitality, captivating visitors.The Unique Rammed-Earth Village
Though many colleagues and friends had recommended it long ago, it wasn't until the early spring days of this year that we finally had the chance to visit Bac Hoa village in Tan Son commune, Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province.
From the commune's People's Committee office, a roughly 15-minute car ride brought us to the heart of the village. Before our eyes stood 17 houses, built entirely from red earth mixed with laterite pebbles, nestled closely together on the hillside, creating a charming and intimate scene.
Adding to the charm is the villagers' warm hospitality; young and old, men and women alike are eager to act as guides, enthusiastically sharing insights into their homeland's unique highlights.

An aerial view of the ancient village of Bac Hoa, Tan Son, Luc Ngan, Bac Giang.
Introducing her entirely earth-built home, Ms. Luong Thi Lan, 60, shared that she and her husband constructed the house nearly 40 years ago when they first started their family, and it remains perfectly intact today.
Back then, according to village custom, whenever a household built a house, the entire village would come to help. With over 100 households in the village, each would send one person to contribute 2-3 days of labor. The rest of the work was supported by family members, relatives, and neighbors.

The unique village features 17 houses with rammed-earth walls and yin-yang tiled roofs, nestled closely together.
As she brewed tea for her guests, Ms. Lan recounted: 'At that time, house construction was carried out entirely according to the teachings and traditional experience passed down by the village elders. To facilitate the building process, we assigned people to a wide, less rocky hillside to dig up earth, then mix it with stream water to create a smooth paste. This earth was then placed into wooden molds securely fastened to the house walls in specific proportions, and everyone worked together, using wooden mallets to compact each layer tightly. The molds were continuously added, one after another, until the house frame and walls were formed. This is how the house was built entirely from earth, without needing a foundation or any columns or beams.'
'Thanks to this house, I raised six children who are now grown, married, and have their own lives,' Ms. Lan said.

These houses, built decades ago, are made entirely from local hillside earth, readily available in the area.
Knowing we were visitors from afar, Mr. Hoang Van Quan, 46, warmly invited us to his home. With an excited expression and a hearty, hospitable voice, he shared that in 2008, he had just gotten married, had two more children, and was still living with his parents. Although his parents' old three-compartment earth house wasn't dilapidated, it was quite cramped, so his family decided to build a new, more spacious, and beautiful home.
At that time, many people introduced modern and attractive house designs, but his family still decided to build a rammed-earth house to preserve the unique cultural beauty of their ethnic group.

Ms. Luong Thi Lan, 60, beaming beside her family's earth-built house, constructed over 40 years ago.
'I've visited many modern houses, but none can compare to the rammed-earth houses of our Nung ethnic people,' he stated.
The house walls are 40-60cm thick, 3.8 to 5m high, with four compartments, and are covered with yin-yang fish-scale tiles, ensuring coolness in summer and warmth in winter. Moreover, these houses are incredibly sturdy; once built, they can last a lifetime without needing any painting or repairs.
'At that time, buying tiles was very difficult, so my family and other households molded clay into tiles themselves, then continuously fired them in a kiln with dry grass and straw for 15 days and nights to create the fish-scale tiles for our roofs,' Mr. Hoang Van Quan enthusiastically recounted.

A close-up of the rammed-earth walls, built over 40 years ago by the residents of Bac Hoa village.
It is known that Bac Hoa village currently has 160 households, but 17 of them still preserve their traditional rammed-earth houses. What's unique is that all 17 of these earth houses are situated next to each other, clustered in the heart of the village, creating an impressive highlight for visitors. Between the houses, there are rarely solid fences in the 'closed gates, high walls' style; instead, they are separated by stacked stone walls or bamboo fences, creating a poetic and charming rural landscape that captivates tourists whenever they visit Bac Hoa.
Creating a Tourism Highlight
Mr. Vi Van Hong, Chairman of Tan Son Commune People's Committee, shared that the ancient village of Bac Hoa has existed for decades, but due to its location at the foot of a mountain, bordering Lang Son province, it was little known. In 2016, Mr. Le Anh Duong, then Vice Chairman of Bac Giang Provincial People's Committee (now Chairman), visited and worked with the locality. Recognizing the village's many outstanding features, he directed local authorities to encourage residents to preserve their unique cultural heritage. Since then, both the authorities and the villagers have become aware of the importance of these ancient architectural structures, linking the preservation of their traditions with tourism development.

Beyond the earth-built houses, numerous stone fences also serve as a distinctive feature in the ancient village of Bac Hoa.
The Chairman of Tan Son Commune People's Committee also noted that beyond the unique rammed-earth houses, visitors to Bac Hoa during harvest season can admire ripe rice fields stretching around the hills.
Furthermore, in spring, Bac Hoa is famous for its vast fields of chrysanthemum greens, blanketing the landscape. On the hillsides, plum and peach blossoms burst into color, adding a poetic and rustic beauty to the ancient village.
Moreover, during hot summer days, Bac Hoa remains an ideal destination with its vast primeval forests surrounding the village, alongside cool, clear streams that babble year-round, making it an attractive spot for nature exploration and eco-tourism experiences.

A close-up of the interior of an ancient house in Bac Hoa village.
However, local leaders also noted that currently, visitors to Bac Hoa are mostly independent travelers, drawn by their love for traditional beauty and nature. Most tourists bring their own food or travel to Chu town in Luc Ngan district or Chi Lang district in Lang Son for meals and accommodation, with very few choosing to stay overnight because local auxiliary services are underdeveloped and do not yet meet tourist demands. Local authorities are urging various levels and sectors to promptly invite businesses to invest and collaborate with local residents to develop unique tourism products, thereby attracting more visitors and helping the community achieve socio-economic development.


Beyond its ancient houses, Bac Hoa is also an appealing destination for young people.
Leaders of the Luc Ngan District Department of Culture also stated that the locality has developed a plan and submitted it to the Bac Giang Provincial People's Committee for approval, outlining tourism development in Bac Hoa village, Tan Son commune. Concurrently, the District People's Committee has also invested in building roads, a community house, an ecological museum, and other facilities in Bac Hoa village. Local tourism cooperatives have also included Bac Hoa as an ideal destination in their eco-tourism and hillside garden tours, thereby increasing awareness and promoting the image of Luc Ngan's land and people.
'Bac Hoa's tourism potential is still vast and largely untapped; tourism services are sure to develop further and become a key economic sector for the locality in the near future,' the leader stated.
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Update day : 21/02/2024
Source : baogiaothong.vn Affiliate links
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