Stone worship of Khuoi Ky ancient village
Khuoi Ky is an ancient stone village located in Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, more than 80 km from Cao Bang city center. The ancient village of the Tay people, more than 400 years old, still retains its unique architecture and culture. Nestled next to the mountain ranges, Khuoi Ky stone village stands out in the vast, green space of the mountains and forests. Not only attracting by the ancient stone houses and the lifestyle of the indigenous people, Khuoi Ky stone village is increasingly attracting tourists by doing tourism with the homestay model.
Khuoi Ky stone village is more than 80km from Cao Bang city center, located in Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang province.
The ancient stone stilt houses create an ancient, legendary look for this remote borderland.
People in Khuoi Ky village shared: "The village currently consists of 14 households, all of whom are Tay ethnic people, living in ancient stone stilt houses about 1 hectare wide. The houses are more than 400 years old, firmly witnessing the ups and downs of history that took place here."
Local people also recount that the houses in Khuoi Ky stone village were built in the 16th century during the Mac Dynasty from 1594 to 1677, like sturdy fortresses to protect the border. Each house here has a unique architectural beauty, carrying the legendary and ancient colors of the Northeast region with many rocky mountains. With a solid terrain leaning against the mountain with stone-paved village roads, the fences around each house are also made of stone. From afar, the stone houses in Khuoi Ky stand out among the green of the mountains and forests.
Coming to Cao Bang, when visiting famous places such as Ban Gioc waterfall, Nguom Ngao cave, you definitely cannot miss the ancient stone village of Khuoi Ky.
Most of the people living in Khuoi Ky village are Tay people. The village currently has 14 households and they live in stone stilt houses.
The famous ancient village is over 400 years old, standing firmly witnessing the ups and downs of history that took place here.
The Tay people in Trung Khanh also have the concept and belief of worshiping stones. They consider stones as the origin of life and the center of the universe. They believe that humans are born from stones and when they die, they will turn into stones. Therefore, building stone houses also comes from those sacred concepts. In the minds of the Tay people, mountain stones also represent gods, so a house made of stone will have the power to shelter and protect the villagers. The sustainable existence of stone stilt houses here also contains a valuable message, that anywhere, people will find wonderful harmony if they know how to appreciate nature.
Not only stopping at house construction, stone is also present in the daily life of Khuoi Ky villagers, from building house foundations with boulders, stone walls, stone walkways, stone mortars, fences, dams, stoves...
The rock is like a god that protects the Tay villagers in Khuoi Ky, Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district.
The Tay people in Trung Khanh believe in stone worship. In their mind, stone is sacred like a god that helps protect against the harshness of nature.
To build a stone house, people have to spend a lot of time from the idea and preparation of materials. The structure of the stone stilt house often has different sizes depending on the number of people living, but the common feature is usually 3 rooms with different functions. Depending on the owner's family, whether there are few or many people, people will build houses with different sizes for convenience of living.
The solid stone walls are formed by stones of various sizes stacked together, using additional adhesive made from a mixture of limestone mixed with sand; when completed, the wall thickness can be more than 30cm, clearly showing the indigenous character and unique creativity of the Tay ethnic people. The roofs of the stilt houses are covered with yin-yang tiles, bringing a rare ancient look.
When the stone village does tourism
Possessing many potentials and advantages for tourism, currently in Khuoi Ky stone village is promoting the development of community tourism model, with homestay accommodation service in Khuoi Ky village. Each tourist when visiting can explore the lifestyle of Tay people in stone stilt houses.
Until now, the ancient stilt houses still retain their pristine beauty, bearing the ancient appearance of the Mac Dynasty, creating an ancient beauty imbued with legendary colors.
Inside a house developing a homestay model
Most of the homestay businesses in Khuoi Ky stone village are now fully equipped with amenities, attracting a significant number of visitors, including both domestic and international visitors. As for households that have not yet set up homestays, they are also arranged to do community tourism together. This is a very suitable place to stay for one night to prepare for the journey to explore Ban Gioc waterfall, Nguom Ngao cave, about 3 km from Khuoi Ky village.
Besides admiring the architectural beauty of Khuoi Ky stone village, visitors coming here can also enjoy Then melodies, enjoy traditional dishes of the local Tay people... and feel the unique cultural identity of the Tay people in Eastern Cao Bang.
Xuan Dung, a first-time visitor to Khuoi Ky stone village, shared: "On the way to Ban Gioc waterfall and Nguom Ngao cave, I was impressed by the isolated village standing out on the provincial road. The yin-yang tiled roofs and stone walls exude an ancient look. Coming here, you are not only attracted by the timeless beauty that has gone through many years of history, but also learn about the indigenous culture of the Tay ethnic people."
Xuan Dung was impressed by the biggest stone house in the village.
The locals also added: “In the past, our economy depended mainly on growing corn, rice, and slash-and-burn farming. Since tourism, the lives of all families in the village have become more prosperous. When visitors come here, in addition to accommodation, they can enjoy meals exactly like the locals. In addition, there are some specialties and rustic dishes such as: sausages, smoked meat, smoked meat and wild vegetables, sticky rice with canarium fruit…”.
Currently, this place has become one of the must-see destinations to explore indigenous culture when coming to Cao Bang.
Coming here, visitors can also follow the locals to experience the production and labor life of the Tay people: picking bamboo shoots, digging tubers, working in the fields, catching fish or preparing typical Tay dishes.
Khuoi Ky ancient stone village was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a “Typical traditional cultural village of ethnic minorities” in 2008. This is also considered a condition and foundation to promote tourism development in Khuoi Ky up to the present time.
The ancient features of Khuoi Ky stone village, along with the simplicity and hospitality of the people, have attracted many tourists from all over the world. Since then, the ancient village has become an attractive tourist destination, improving the lives of Khuoi Ky people to become more and more prosperous.
Quickly grasping the trend of promoting tourism development, the locality has formed a community tourism model, with homestay accommodation services in Khuoi Ky village.
