Only 1km from the Lung Cu flagpole, there is a cultural village known as a fairy village in Ha Giang
The village with the special name Lo Lo Chai is known as the fairy village at the top of the country because
After nearly two years of planning, Lo Lo Chai village has a new, uniform image and retains traditional values.
Lo Lo Chai village (in Lung Cu commune, Dong Van district) is located close to the northernmost point of Vietnam, about 1.5 km from Lung Cu flagpole. Lo Lo Chai is a place that still retains many traditional cultural features, with houses dating back many generations of the Lo Lo people.
In early 2022, Lo Lo Chai was recognized as a Cultural and Tourism Village. The government and people have worked together for nearly two years to make tourism more professional and organized. The number of tourists coming to the village is increasing day by day.
Many tourists here compare Lo Lo Chai to Van Mieu village (Yunnan province, China), famous in the movie "Going to the Wind", with the participation of two main actors, Liu Yifei and Ly Presently. The film is about life in the countryside in China, where people live together, have feelings, build homestays, and do tourism with many activities for tourists.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Chinh, Vice Chairman of Dong Van District People's Committee, the village currently has 119 households with 542 people, of which 42 work as homestays and 5 as additional restaurants. The most crowded day is up to 600 people, usually on weekends and holidays. On weekdays, there are an average of 100-200 guests staying.
In the village, the houses still retain the architecture of the Lo Lo people, with houses covered with earthen walls on three sides, gates and fences made of hand-arranged stones. Households have renovated and added self-contained toilets, convenient for tourists to eat and live, but without affecting the exterior and overall architecture.
According to Mr. Chinh, preserving the traditional architecture is the most difficult thing to have Lo Lo Chai as it is today. There was a time when people did their own thing, painting and repairing their houses according to their preferences. Through many conversations, even "threats of boycott", people have gradually understood.
Just last year, many households still worked in agriculture and animal husbandry, causing general environmental sanitation to be affected. Now, they have completely switched to the tourism business. People are given detailed instructions on how to serve and the tourism service business model.
"They can now live on tourism. The average income per family ranges from 20 to 30 million VND a month," Mr. Chinh said.
The homestays are all arranged in a traditional style, with a drinking table system and spacious common living space. Ancient artifacts of the Lo Lo people are also displayed in the rooms, creating a close and friendly atmosphere.
For convenience, guests coming here can book rooms and meals on Facebook or Zalo. Business households update daily on temporary residence and temporary absence declarations on private groups.
Tuan Dao, a photographer in Hanoi, has been to Lo Lo Chai 3 times, the first time 10 years ago. Back in mid-October this year, he was "unbelievable".
"Lo Lo Chai seemed to have completely transformed. I saw the pride of the people here when they met me and excitedly said: "Come to the village to play. Now it's very different," Tuan Dao said.
Homestay rental prices in Lo Lo Chai currently range from 150,000 VND to 800,000 VND per night, depending on the community room (dorm) or private room. The rooms are clean.
The facilities to serve tourists are quite complete, with souvenir stalls and selling local products.
"People in the village have just started doing tourism. Sometimes, they are not professional and meticulous. I hope tourists will understand," Mr. Chinh said.
"What I like most about Lo Lo Chai today is staying in a true homestay. We stay with the people and observe their lives. A few years ago, I heard that this place was about to have a villa and swimming pool project. I'm really happy to see what's happening in Lo Lo Chai today," Tuan Dao said.
