From a remote mountain village in Vietnam’s northernmost region where people once lived off rice and corn, Lo Lo Chai has transformed through tourism and emerged as one of the world’s best tourism villages.

Located at the foot of the Lung Cu Flag Tower, Vietnam’s northernmost point, Lo Lo Chai sits at an altitude of about 1,470 meters above sea level.

The small village, home to Lo Lo ethnic people, has long been a must-visit destination for both local and international travelers to the Dong Van Karst Plateau in Ha Giang, now part of Tuyen Quang Province.

At the Best Tourism Villages 2025 awards ceremony in China on Friday, UN Tourism recognized Lo Lo Chai Village in Tuyen Quang Province and Quynh Son Community-based Tourism Village in Lang Son Province for their outstanding contributions to sustainable rural tourism.

Lo Lo Chai village has been known for its beauty, peaceful rhythm of life and serene mountain scenery.

The village is charming in every season, with misty autumn mornings, cozy winter fires, vibrant spring blossoms, and refreshing summer breezes.

Walking through the village’s stone gate, visitors often feel their worries melt away as they stroll along spotless lanes lined with moss-covered stone walls.

More than a decade ago, the Lo Lo people here relied solely on cultivating rice and corn on rocky slopes.

Today, life has changed as villagers provide tourism services in their own ancestral homes. Out of 120 households, 56 are engaged in tourism.

Ancestral earthen houses turn cozy homestays

Lo Lo Chai is famous for its hundred-year-old earthen houses nestled against mountains.

The houses are built with clay, earth and roofed with yin-yang tiles, each with a spacious yard and surrounded by hand-stacked stone fences draped in moss.

As most visitors choose to spend the night, homestay tourism has grown rapidly in recent years, with many having leased old earthen houses, carefully restoring them to welcome guests while preserving the original layout and interior decor.

Local homestays maintain the authentic structure of traditional Lo Lo homes, with simple wooden furniture and a cozy, rustic atmosphere.

In the village, visitors can leisurely wander from house to house without knocking, always greeted with warmth.

What endears Lo Lo Chai to travelers are the small, quiet details: a patch of moss on a stone wall, a lazy cat basking in the spring sun, or an evening spent by the fire grilling corn and sweet potatoes.

By staying with local families, guests can immerse themselves in Lo Lo culture through traditional dishes and stories shared over dinner.

For anyone visiting the northern karst plateau, Lo Lo Chai is a place not to be missed — a village where every home faces Vietnam’s northernmost point and every corner carries a sense of affection.