Discover Cao Bang's ancient stone village, a Tay community established over 400 years ago.

Every ethnic group truly stands out with its distinct characteristics, encompassing everything from their customs and language to their time-honored traditions and unique residential architecture. While the Thai people often construct their traditional stilt houses adhering to the specific architectural principle of ‘Hướng hạn phủ táy,’ and the Hmong typically build their homes at ground level without an upper floor, the Tày people in Cao Bằng have a truly distinctive approach: they craft impressive stilt houses built entirely from stone.
The architectural style of the Tay people in Cao Bang is prominently displayed in Khuoi Ky Stone Village, Dam Thuy Commune, Trung Khanh District. This ancient village boasts a history of over 400 years and is located nearly 100km from Cao Bang city center. Approximately 14 Tay households reside in the village.
Stepping into Khuoi Ky village, visitors will immediately notice its unique character. The fences surrounding the houses and the stilt houses themselves are constructed entirely from stone. Stone is also extensively used in the daily lives of the ethnic community here. This is because the locals believe that stone acts as a deity, protecting them from nature's harshness. They consider stone to be the origin of life and the center of the universe. Humans are born from stone and return to stone upon death. Consequently, the customs of each ethnic group in this Cao Bang region include specific days dedicated to rituals of gratitude to the stone deity.
According to local accounts, when the Mac Dynasty came to Cao Bang to build fortifications for defense, these stone stilt houses were erected like "fortresses," which marked the beginning of the stone village's existence to this day.
Seen from a distance, the local homes appear nestled against the mountain range, standing out amidst the lush green of the forest, yet looking incredibly sturdy, sheltering the gentle, simple residents. In front of the village flows the peaceful Khuoi Ky stream, where children gather to swim and play in the afternoons. As dusk approaches, kitchen smoke drifts from the stone stilt houses, lingering by the mountainside, lending the village an ancient, legendary aura of the borderlands.

These stone stilt houses were erected like "fortresses," which marked the beginning of the stone village's existence to this day.
To better understand the village, a team of reporters from Nhan Dan & Cong Luan Newspaper visited the home of Mr. Nong Van Truong, 70. When asked about Khuoi Ky village, he proudly shared: "In the Tay language, Khuoi Ky means 'small stream' (referring to the stream that runs directly in front of the village, with stone mountains behind). The village covers an area of about 1 hectare and is currently home to 14 Tay ethnic households. Completing a stone stilt house is no simple feat; it takes residents approximately 2-3 years to finish. In the past, builders typically used slaked lime mixed with water, molasses, and sand as a binding material for the stones. Because the stones vary in size and weight, arranging them into walls during construction was extremely challenging. The most difficult part of stacking stones was ensuring that both sides of a wall were perfectly balanced and square. Even a slight misalignment would require dismantling and starting over. It would take a craftsman several months to build just one stone wall for a house."
Ms. Ly Thi Mai, Mr. Truong's wife, added: "Here, houses are typically 7 to 8 meters tall. As you can see, the stilt houses are roofed with yin-yang tiles and have two gables. The house pillars are made from ironwood blocks, with rounded stone slabs carved to support their bases. Inside the house, rooms are divided into sections corresponding to family living spaces, such as the kitchen hearth, the ancestral altar, and bedrooms for family members. Beneath the floor, at a height of about 2 meters, is a space for tools."

The stone stilt houses embody the customs, traditions, and culture of the Tay people of Cao Bang.
The stone stilt houses embody the customs, traditions, and culture of the Tay people of Cao Bang. Consequently, Khuoi Ky Stone Village was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a "Typical Traditional Cultural Village of Ethnic Minorities" in 2008. By 2016, seizing the trend of promoting tourism development, the local authorities established a community-based tourism model, offering homestay services in Khuoi Ky village.
Currently, the residents of Khuoi Ky village are developing experiential tourism, welcoming groups of tourists daily to visit and experience the Tay culture within their stone stilt houses.
Mr. Lam, a homestay owner here, shared: "When I was born, these stone stilt houses were already here. Stone houses are cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Since Khuoi Ky village was chosen for community tourism development, my family has renovated our house and purchased additional items to provide accommodation and meals for tourists."
The stone stilt houses embody the customs, traditions, and culture of the Tay people of Cao Bang. Consequently, Khuoi Ky Stone Village was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a "Typical Traditional Cultural Village of Ethnic Minorities" in 2008. By 2016, seizing the trend of promoting tourism development, the local authorities established a community-based tourism model, offering homestay services in Khuoi Ky village.
Currently, the residents of Khuoi Ky village are developing experiential tourism, welcoming groups of tourists daily to visit and experience the Tay culture within their stone stilt houses.
Mr. Lam, a homestay owner here, shared: "When I was born, these stone stilt houses were already here. Stone houses are cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Since Khuoi Ky village was chosen for community tourism development, my family has renovated our house and purchased additional items to provide accommodation and meals for tourists."
Today, many domestic and international tourists are aware of and eager to learn about the ancient Khuoi Ky village and the distinctive traditional daily life of the Tay ethnic people. Here, visitors can also participate in various daily activities alongside the locals.
On the porch, bundles of rice and corn sway in the breeze, while the laughter of children and the gentle, simple villagers make everyone wish time would slow down to fully savor this authentic mountain life.
Cao Bang 5113 view
Update day : 19/09/2023
Source : Công luận .VN Affiliate links
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