Thanh Hà

There is no reason to refuse an invitation to visit one of the world’s best tourism villages, so I travelled to Lạng Sơn Province’s Quỳnh Sơn Village in early November, when both locals and tourists were ready to enjoy the peak season.

Quỳnh Sơn is one of two villages to receive certification from the UN World Tourism Organization in a ceremony last October, making Việt Nam home to five of the world’s top tourism villages.

The journey took nearly four hours by bus to cover 160km from Hà Nội to Bắc Sơn Commune, located in the middle of a valley about 80km from Lạng Sơn City centre.

The first sight to greet me was the enchanting scenery of a small town embraced by green mountains, with soft rivers winding through golden rice fields ready for harvest.

I was fortunate to arrive just one day before the annual local festival, a time when residents celebrate a bountiful harvest after months of hard work, praying for favourable weather, abundance and happiness.

The festival is a community gathering, allowing locals to share the joy of reunion, give thanks to heaven and earth and immerse themselves in traditional folk games and contests.

During my two days in the village, I had the chance to participate in rice harvesting activities and competitions. At first, it looked simple: holding the sickle firmly with one hand on the handle and the other on a bunch of rice, moving the sickle from side to side to cut through the stalks and then threshing to separate the grain from the straw.

 

It wasn’t straightforward. If you proceed without care, you could cut yourself and send the grain flying everywhere, or else you would slow the whole process, risking a loss in the competition.

Other interesting contests included rice pounding using primitive tools, a black bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake) wrapping contest, and making yin‑yang tiles, which drew thousands of people, including myself, cheering and taking part.

The Phai Rằm Stream, a winding waterway embracing the fields, was also a highlight of the area. It was incredibly relaxing and comfortable as I floated in a small boat, immersing myself in the sensory experience of the water, breathing in the fragrance of ripe rice, finding peace in the beautiful natural surroundings and letting go of all stress.

Joining local farmers in their fishing activities, or simply paddling around and chatting with them, offered many fascinating insights into their daily lives, as well as the traditions and customs of a village where 100 per cent of the population are Tày ethnic people.

The next striking feature in Bắc Sơn was the wooden stilt houses, roofed with traditional yin‑yang tiles, reflecting the harmony between humans and nature, yin and yang, heaven and earth, and people.

According to the elderly Dương Công Chài, there were more than 400 ancient stilt houses in the village, built following the traditional five-room architecture and mainly made of ironwood to ensure the sustainability and sturdiness of the construction.

Due to the mountainous terrain and local beliefs, all the houses face south — a symbol of vitality, luck and prosperity.

All Tày residents here carry the surname Dương, a unique feature that unites them in maintaining their traditions, customs and culture, while also attracting visitors’ curiosity and encouraging them to explore the village.

Chài was one of the first villagers to transform his house into a homestay to welcome tourists to their land.

After more than a decade, many families followed his lead, creating a Quỳnh Sơn community‑based tourism village that has gained wider international recognition following the UN Tourism award.

 

"Here, my guests will have the opportunity to live with my family, participate in our daily work if they wish, enjoy our delicious cuisine and learn how to make traditional crafts," said Chài.

"Many come here and keep busy experiencing our daily life, while others want to test their mountain climbing skills on Nà Lày Peak, where, if lucky, they can 'hunt' the clouds. Meanwhile, some people simply wander around, spending the whole day immersed in nature."

Interested in the curved yin‑yang tiles, I walked several kilometres further into Bắc Sơn Commune and arrived at Hoàng Công Hưng's workshop.

 

“The clay must be selected from a low-lying, long-term flooded area. We have to remove rocks and gravel and complete many other steps before putting it into a mould for shaping,” said Hưng, the third generation in his family producing traditional yin‑yang tiles.

Afterwards, the tiles are naturally dried and baked at low heat for 23–25 days. The finished tile is extremely hard but not easily broken.

 

“The name yin‑yang tile comes from the way the roof is laid: one tile facing up, one facing down, symbolising the harmony of heaven and earth, yin and yang. They last for a long time,” said Hưng.

“Some houses have stood for decades, yet the roofs are still in good condition. People love the tiles because houses roofed with yin‑yang tiles are cool in summer and warm in winter.”

There are about 30 families producing the tiles, and Hưng's family alone sells around 500,000 tiles per year to customers nationwide.

Hưng said that next time I return to Bắc Sơn, he may offer me an interesting holiday, as he plans to build an experiential tourism model where tourists can stay in his stilt houses, visit workshops, make tiles with locals and enjoy local cuisine. — VNS