Story: Hoang Bui
Photos: Duc Thanh, Nguyen Hai
Lo Lo Chai was named one of the UN Tourism ‘s Best Tourism Villages in 2025, recognizing how this small community has pursued development while fully preserving its cultural identity.
There are places we pass through simply to admire. And there are places we step into, only to carry away an entire landscape of memories. Lo Lo Chai is one of them. Nestled within the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark in Tuyen Quang, the village has preserved the traditional values of the Lo Lo people – from their unique language and colorful outfits to their customs, and especially their characteristic earthen-walled houses.
A route of stone and wind
The journey to Lo Lo Chai begins at Milestone 0, where the road winds through layers of rocky mountains. Hairpin bends follow one after another. Highland winds sweep across the slopes, carrying the scent of dry grass and the chill of clouds. The higher one climbs, the more expansive the scenery. Each bend opens onto a new layer of landscape. In the distance, earthen-yellow houses appear like warm brushstrokes amid the endless gray stones.
At the quiet end of the route, the red flag with its gold star comes into view, fluttering atop Lung Cu, the country’s sacred northernmost point. At the foot of that flag tower lies Lo Lo Chai, tucked into the mountainside – peaceful, yet proud.
In the early morning, when mist still lingers over Dragon Mountain, many visitors climb the Lung Cu Flag Tower to witness the flag-raising ceremony. As the national anthem resonates across the vast rocky highlands, the landscape seems to fall still. It is a moment that reveals something essential: for those who live here, sovereignty is not an abstract idea. It is present in daily life, in how they protect their land and village, and in how they preserve their language, traditional clothing, and ancestral rituals. In Lo Lo Chai, tourism and a deep sense of cultural pride and national identity are naturally intertwined.
A village like a living museum
Lo Lo Chai is a small village, home to just over a hundred households, most of them Black Lo Lo, one of Vietnam’s smallest ethnic groups. Yet stepping into the village, most visitors don’t notice its small size but feel its wholeness. Century-old houses stand firm against the sun and wind. Thick rammed-earth walls hold warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Moss-covered yin-yang tile roofs layer gently overhead, sturdy and graceful in the late-afternoon light.
Many traditional houses, some over 200 years old, are open to visitors, allowing them to touch the village’s history. Narrow concrete paths thread quietly between the homes without disturbing the old village’s structure. In front of each gate, flowers bloom brightly. Everything is clean and well-kept, yet retains a natural, unforced simplicity.
What impresses many visitors most is the striking traditional attire of Lo Lo women. The colors are vibrant yet balanced, and the geometric motifs tell stories of the cosmos, the spirit world, the fields, and the village itself. These garments are especially precious because they are not reserved for festivals alone but remain part of everyday life, worn daily when welcoming guests and during community performances.
Tourism has given brocade weaving new economic value, while ensuring this cultural heritage continues to pass from grandmother to mother, and from mother to daughter.
The Lo Lo place great importance on rituals for their ancestors. Ancestral worship ceremonies, the grass-spirit masquerade ritual, and bronze drum festivals are still held with great reverence. The village also preserves two ancient bronze drums, both recognized as National Treasures, a profound source of pride for the Lo Lo community. Their deep, resonant sound feels like a thread connecting past and present.
Visitors do not simply “watch and move on.” They are invited to understand the meaning behind each ritual. The villagers believe that every blade of grass has a soul, and that after death, the human spirit remains – merging with trees and plants. To speak with grass, forest, and the mountains, one must transform into a “grass spirit,” wearing a mask and dancing. This ritual is usually held after the harvest or during major village festivals.
Here, cultural preservation is not a staged reconstruction for performance. It is the continuation of a living spiritual life within the rhythms of the modern world.
It is not just the landscape and festivals that make Lo Lo Chai special, but this village’s approach to tourism. Most households are already part of the community tourism value chain. Homestays are renovated in traditional architectural styles. Agricultural products and brocade textiles are sold directly within the village. Young people are encouraged to learn foreign languages and promote the village on digital platforms. Women play an active role in management and operations.
The village has clear community rules on preserving old architecture, protecting the environment, and receiving visitors with respect. Today, Lo Lo Chai has 58 homestays, 26 households growing organic vegetables, and six households raising native black chickens. Together, residents have built a closed-loop value chain that creates stable livelihoods while sustaining their ethnic heritage over the long term.
Lessons from a small village
Leaving Lo Lo Chai, looking down from the pass, I could still see the village’s yin-yang rooftops appearing and disappearing in the pale gold of late afternoon. It struck me that this place’s appeal lies in its honesty and consistency. Amid a harsh stone landscape, the Lo Lo have chosen a slow but steady path. They preserve the sound of bronze drums, the movement of embroidery needles, and the shape of earthen houses – sharing their culture with the world while remaining firmly rooted in their own identity.
Lo Lo Chai’s achievement reflects both the community’s spirit and a dedicated development partnership. A key player in this journey is the Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development (ST4SD) Project. By offering technical advice and guiding the application process, the project empowered the village to compete and win a prestigious UN Tourism award. Today, ST4SD continues to support Lo Lo Chai in developing a unique brand identity and crafting immersive travel experiences rooted in traditional Lo Lo brocade weaving.
