Brian Jeffrey
Just a short drive from Bac Giang city, Bac Hoa is a village known for its unique location where “a rooster’s crow can be heard in two provinces.”
This remote settlement, inhabited by over 160 families primarily from the Nung ethnic group, is emerging as a popular tourist spot in Bac Giang.
During a recent camping trip to Bac Hoa, photographer Hoang Minh Duc from Hanoi was captivated by the village’s unique architectural style, highlighting the earth-walled homes with yin-yang roofs and expansive courtyards as particularly impressive.
Seventeen rustic earth houses line the village’s main road, many built several decades ago without any interior supports. The roofs crafted from traditional yin-yang tiles show signs of age, enhancing their rustic charm.
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A notable aspect of Bac Hoa is its absence of formal fencing; instead, homes are bordered by wildflowers, stone edges, and bamboo fences, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere.
Summer brings vibrant green forests and refreshing streams, while the harvest season paints the terraced rice fields a brilliant gold.
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Bac Hoa also provides opportunities to immerse in the traditions of the Nung community, including experiencing local crafts like weaving scarves and indigo dyeing, along with enjoying melodic Soong hao folk songs.
Craft practices such as weaving and indigo dyeing are integral to the lifestyle in Bac Hoa.
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According to Hoang Minh Duc, the photographer, Bac Hoa’s tourism infrastructure is still developing, making it perfect for a day visit. He suggests visitors carry their own food and beverages due to the limited facilities in the village.
Beyond Bac Hoa, tourists in Luc Ngan can explore attractions like Cam Son Lake, Khuon Than Lake, and the Cam and Ta Cang streams. Craft enthusiasts can also visit traditional artisan villages, including Chu Noodle Village, the wine-making village of Kien Thanh, and the bonsai village in Thanh Hai.
Food lovers will find an array of local dishes in Bac Hoa and its surroundings, such as khau nhuc (braised pork), banh day gac (gac fruit sticky rice cakes), sticky rice with ant eggs, and banh vat vai (local rice cake).
Thao Trinh
