A stilt house that has been passed down to the fourth generation

For four generations, the stilt house of Mr. Hoa Van Ba's family is nestled at the foot of a rocky mountain in Na Tong village, Thuong Lam commune, Lam Binh district, Tuyen Quang. Its pillars of lim (Erythrophleum fordii) and nghien (Burretiodendron hsienmu) are so big that one person can't make a full hug.

Despite not having an opportunity to go to university, finishing high school was enough to make Mr. Ba's head packed with knowledge of housework, communication and calculation skills, allowing him to learn here and there to improve the family’s economic conditions. When the fields filled the sacks of rice and maize full one crop after another, even too much that people and cattle could not eat them all, Mr. Ba thought of expanding another planting area of 8 ha of organic oranges and pomelos.

In 2021, he boldly borrowed hundreds of million dong from the bank to invest in the repair of the largest stilt house and the thousand-square meter land. Mr. Ba put his faith in the orchard and the stilt house homestay model, hoping that old money would give birth to new money so that he could take care of the debts.

Mr. Ba said that since their young days Tay girls and boys had learned many lessons from the adults: When the house has visitors, the kids prepare blankets, sheets, pillows, and drapes for guests to sleep; After the meal, they will bring a toothpick to the guests, a towel and a basin of warm water for visitors to wash their hands; When guests come back, the house owner will prepare a meal with the best things he can offer.

"I want to welcome guests as if I’m welcoming my family home, so that guests can feel the warmth of the Tay people: In the courtyard, the torches are lit, and the flickering fire lights up the darkness that blackened the mountains and the forests. The sound of Then singing (a unique art form of Tay people) echoes far to the top of the ninety-nine legendary mountains.”

These simple and sincere cultural lifestyles are still maintained by Mr. Ba, reflected in his hospitality to every group of guests coming to the homestay. And his goodwill has received the corresponding result. His stilt house is full of guests throughout the tourist season.

Listen to old tales in the homestay village

Mr. Hoa Van Phu is the leader of the group The Ninety-nine Mountains Homestay in Thuong Lam commune with four households working a homestay together. When asked about the name, he explained that according to ancient stories, the old land of Thuong Lam had ninety-nine phoenixes that came to rest and then flew away. Thuong Lam today still has ninety-nine mountains standing tall and reflecting its shape in the vast ecological lake bed.

Fascinated with the story and wanted to retell the old tale of his people, Mr. Phu and his members named their group The Ninety-nine Mountains Homestay.

Following Mr. Phu's footsteps, many families also chose names to set for their family's homestay associated with old tales that nurture the Tay people's childhood memories for generations.

Responding to the call of the revival of a colorful tradition

In 2021, officials came to the Tay villages, asking for women who knew how to weave brocade to restore the traditional craft. Lang Can was once a large brocade weaving area with hundreds of hectares, but the situation did not seem too good at that moment.

Having been nurtured by the indigenous culture since childhood, Ms. Hoa Thi Nguyet accepted. She did not want the meaningful stories and delicate patterns in brocade sheets to stay forever in the stories told by the elder.

When the evening light fell and the villages in Lam Binh district were gradually closed under the quiet and dark night, the light in Ms. Nguyet’s house was still on. After the creaking of the loom resounded with the rhythm of the woman's hand was another brocade product with exquisite patterns made in time to put on display at the festival so that guests near and far could come to experience its beauty.

Thanks to people like Ms. Nguyet, brocade weaving gradually revived in the villages of the Tay in Lam Binh. Now Lang Can town has dozens of brocade weavers with nearly 100 women participating.

Translated by Samuel Pham