Hoang A Tuong ancient mansion wears a new coat

The restoration project of Hoang A Tuong Palace , a unique building in Vietnam combining Eastern and Western architecture and indigenous elements, is entering its final days. At this point, the repainting of the palace is almost complete with the main color being white, mixed with red as an accent color for the building.

The exterior of Hoang A Tuong Palace after restoration. Photo: Tuan Anh

Located in the highlands of Bac Ha town (Lao Cai), the mansion of the "King of the Meo" - Hoang A Tuong is "magnificent" with a large area of ​​over 1,000 m2 and up to 36 rooms surrounded by very solid walls. Hoang A Tuong's mansion was built in 1914 and completed in 1921. The person who built it was Mr. Hoang Yen Chao, a Tay ethnic group, the father of Mr. Hoang A Tuong. During the years 1905-1950, the local chief Hoang Yen Chao occupied many fertile lands and monopolized business. Hoang Yen Chao and Hoang A Tuong, father and son, were Tay ethnic people, and at that time ruled an area where 70% of the population was H'Mong, so they were often called "King of the Meo" by the local people.

Although Hoang A Tuong Palace has been renovated once, it is starting to show signs of deterioration. Photo: Q. Lien

Based on his economic potential, Hoang Yen Chao built a majestic mansion to show his wealth and power. Later, Hoang A Tuong grew up and lived with his wives in the mansion, and people called it the mansion of the Meo King or Hoang A Tuong mansion. Around the 1950s, Hoang A Tuong's entire family moved to Lam Dong to live, leaving the mansion in Bac Ha town. Since then, Bac Ha District People's Committee took over and turned this place into a tourist destination. The choice of location to build Hoang A Tuong mansion was decided by a Chinese feng shui master. The mansion is located on a hill in the center of Bac Ha town, behind and on both sides are mountains, in front is a winding stream and a mountain shaped like a mother and child - a very "beautiful landscape". On the left and right are two rows of houses with the same layout. Each row is two stories and lower than the main house, each floor has 3 rooms with a total area of ​​300m2. This is the living place of Mr. Hoang Yen Chao's 3 wives and Mr. Hoang A Tuong's 2 wives.

After renovation, this will be a favorite check-in spot for young people. Photo: Q. Lien

In 1999, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) decided to recognize the Hoang A Tuong ancient mansion as a national relic. This is also an attractive tourist destination for visitors to visit and travel to the Bac Ha stone plateau. The Hoang A Tuong mansion has been renovated but its original color is no longer there and there are signs of deterioration. Therefore, the People's Committee of Lao Cai province decided to establish a project to restore the Hoang A Tuong ancient mansion with a budget of nearly 12 billion VND from the budget of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas, period 2021-2025. The project started in December 2023, has so far completed more than 90% of the workload and is expected to complete all items in early November. In addition to the painting of the entire exterior and interior of the mansion, the project also includes the following items: waterproofing all areas that are leaking and moldy; re-paving the front yard of the mansion with natural stone, instead of brick; installing an exterior lighting system; repairing the steps of the building, repairing damaged fence posts and iron bars; replacing all the yin-yang tiled roofs of the main house; building toilets; adding a fire-fighting water system, etc.

Repairs are entering the final stages. Photo: Tuan Anh

Regarding the choice of white paint, according to the opinions of the elderly people living here and having had contact with the Hoang family, the mansion used to have a main color of white and yellow paint, the campus was planted with many trees, the fence was made of bamboo, some of the architecture in the building was lost and needed to be restored. After completing the renovation and embellishment, the mansion will be an attractive destination for tourists in terms of cultural, historical and unique architectural values. Some opinions say that after the restoration of the relic, Bac Ha should organize cultural and artistic activities here to increase the value of the building, such as recreating the life of the "King Meo" family.

The corridor area has been completed. Photo: Tuan Anh

As planned, when the restoration project is completed, the Lao Cai Provincial Department of Tourism and the Bac Ha District People's Committee will coordinate to organize the Bac Ha White Plateau Winter Festival 2024. This will be an opportunity for visitors from all over to come here to immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere, explore the new beauty of Hoang A Tuong Palace, visit Bac Ha Market every Sunday and Tam Hoa plum blossom gardens, pear blossoms, Ta Van plum blossoms, enjoy local dishes and if lucky, visitors can "hunt clouds" on this highland land.../.

Article: Q. Lien