Inside the 'floating homes' in central Vietnam that rise with the floods

Tan Hoa Tourism Village in Kim Phu Commune, Quang Tri province, central Vietnam was named one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism in 2023. But the village also lies in one of the province’s most flood-prone areas. 

After enduring historic floods that once submerged homes up to their rooftops, residents have found a way to live safely with the rising waters in recent years.

These days, many families in Tan Hoa are inspecting their floating homes and making repairs ahead of the peak storm and rainy season.

650 families have homes that rise with the floods

After reinforcing his floating home, Cao Van Duong, a resident of Co Liem village in Tan Hoa Tourism Village, recalled the devastating floods of 2010, when floodwaters rose above the roofs of many homes, forcing residents to flee to caves in the mountains for safety.

“After that flood, people began thinking of ways to build floating homes. At first, they were just rafts. Later, we built them into proper houses with roofs and walls, so they could keep out the rain and serve as shelter when the water rose,” Duong said.

Today, many residents have built sturdy floating homes that serve as their families’ main living spaces. 

A 30-square-meter floating home owned by Truong Thi Anh Dao, another Tan Hoa resident, is now used as a small grocery store.

“Now I feel safe keeping my property and goods in the floating house. Thanks to it, I can keep running my business normally during the rainy and flood season,” Dao said.

Under the design developed by local residents, each floating home is fitted with about 15 to 30 oil drums underneath, evenly distributed to provide buoyancy. 

Furniture and other belongings inside the homes are also arranged evenly across the four corners to prevent the houses from tilting when they float on the water.

Unlike conventional rafts, the homes are not anchored with ropes. Instead, they are held in place by four poles, one at each corner. 

Tan Hoa residents call them 'chung' poles, and they stand about 20 meters tall.

As floodwaters rise, the homes float with the water level while sliding up and down along the four poles, preventing them from being swept away by the current. 

Some families have replaced the wooden poles with steel ones, while others use utility poles for added stability.

According to Hoang Thanh Binh, vice-chairman of the Kim Phu Commune People’s Committee, 650 of the 722 households in Tan Hoa Tourism Village now have flood-resistant floating homes. All households in areas that are regularly deeply flooded have one.

The homes can remain safe when floodwaters rise 2.5 to 3 meters. 

Twelve families currently work with Oxalis, a local tourism company, to operate homestays from their floating homes, providing a significant source of additional income.

Tourism that adapts to the weather

Hoang Thanh Binh, vice chairman of the Kim Phu Commune People’s Committee, said that Tan Hoa residents once relied mainly on farming and livestock raising for their livelihoods. 

Each rainy and flood season brought the risk of losing everything and disrupting their income.

As tourism has developed, particularly through models adapted to the area’s weather conditions, residents’ lives have changed significantly. 

Floating homes, once used mainly as shelters from floods, are now also being used as homestays, shops and other services for visitors. 

The shift has turned a natural disadvantage into a distinctive tourism product.

“In the coming years, the commune will continue to see tourism as an important driver of development. We will pursue tourism models that can adapt to different weather conditions and remain operational while ensuring the safety of residents and visitors," Binh said.

"At the same time, tourism development must preserve Tan Hoa’s landscape and local identity, limit excessive concrete construction and give local residents a greater role,” he said.