Inside Vietnam’s yin-yang roofed stilt house village named among world’s best

Quynh Son Village, home to the Tay ethnic people, was honored alongside Lo Lo Chai by the UN Tourism in its 2025 list of the world’s best tourism villages.

While Lo Lo Chai has long been known to travelers, Quynh Son remains a lesser-known gem where Tay residents have lived for generations.

Located in the Bac Son Valley at an altitude of over 600 meters, Quynh Son is surrounded by rolling mountains and lush rice fields.

The scenery is tranquil and poetic, especially in autumn when the valley turns golden with ripened rice.

The village is home to nearly 450 wooden stilt houses roofed with traditional yin-yang tiles, many almost a century old, reflecting the rich cultural identity of the Tay people.

Viewed from above, the houses sit close together, leaning against the mountains and all facing south.

According to local belief, this direction brings coolness, peace, and prosperity.

Since 2010, Quynh Son has transformed through community-based tourism.

The village has become cleaner, and livestock such as buffaloes and chickens that were once kept under the houses are now raised further away.

The best time to visit Quynh Son is from July to October, when the entire Bac Son Valley glows with the golden hue of ripened rice fields, creating a picturesque view of the village nestled at the foot of the mountains.

Visitors can experience local Tay culture and visit sites such as Quynh Son Communal House and Ra Rieng Bridge, which mark the historic Bac Son revolt of 1940.