Khuoi Ky – unique rock village in Cao Bang

Rock walls in Khuoi Ky village (Photo: Trinh Bo / Vietnam Pictorial)

Hanoi (VNA) - It is about 2 km from Ban Gioc waterfall to Khuoi Ky village. The village is considered a unique cultural highlight located between two famous natural landscapes of Cao Bang.

The path leading to Khuoi Ky is so small that it is inaccessible for who travel by car. If you want to enter the village, let’s take a short walk off the paved road. Passing bamboo dust at the entrance, you will see the bridge over Khuoi Ky stream, connecting the lane to the village. There are few boys that engross in swimming and playing joyfully in the stream. They seem to get familiar with tourists and not pay attention to tourists’ appearance at all.

Keep walking along the path, you will reach Khuoi Ky Rock Village.  The “rock” name derives from the fact that all stilt houses, walls, fences or barns here are made from rock. One of many advantages of these rock-built houses is that they keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer, perfect for the weather condition in Cao Bang. Villagers said that it was much harder to build a rock house in the past due to rudimentary tools needed for quarrying, bring the stone back and building houses. It even took 3 years to complete the house.

People settling in this border area own the Rock God worship tradition. For many generations, they have paid tribute to the “rock god”. Local people believe rock is the source of life and the center of the universe, it is the start and the end of everything. Rock is used in daily life here for building houses, fences, dams, and mills. That is maybe reasonable now that people living here are born with limestone mountains around.

Currently, there are only fourteen households living in Khuoi Ky Rock village. They are all Tay people whose ancestors have lived here for hundreds of years. The villagers are so simple and assiduous. Fourteen households live together as a big family, loving and take care of others without any discrimination. Local women do the farming while men usually work for machines in border area. Recently, tourism has arrived in this small village, locals provide homestays for tourists who want to experience fully local life. Tourists visiting here are impressed by profession and hospitality of the homestays’ owner. They consider tourists as guests that should be welcomed warmly and taken care carefully. Then do not surprise if they treat with numerous specialties in meals. If you travel to Cao Bang, do not miss the chance to discover Khuoi Ky rock village as well as to participate in local activities and meet these amazing local people. Khuoi Ky can also be a good choice for who want to sleep over before setting off adventured tours in Nguom Ngao cave, watching Ban Gioc waterfall or hiking mountains in Cao Bang.

As years pass by, the rock houses in Khuoi Ky still stand firmly and protect locals in the border area. The village has been recognized as a traditional ethnic minority cultural village by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

To preserve and restore Khuoi Ky Rock village, Cao Bang authorities took a lot of time and efforts to arrange and rebuilt stone houses. Currently, Khuoi Ky has been recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a typical traditional cultural village of ethnic minorities.

The beauty, the ancient beauty and the hospitality of the local people are everywhere and hundreds of visitors came to Khuoi Ky to explore and experience. This has help local people improve their living conditions./.