Going far away from the big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, taking a trip to highland areas is a new and worthy experience for any traveler who wants to admire the simple life and amazing scenery of nature. Ha Giang province is one of the most famous destinations in mountainous regions. To Ha Giang, tourists will be visiting many different and attractive attractions, however, there is a place where anyone coming here cannot ignore, which is Vuong Palace. This is considered one of the most famous historical sites in Ha Giang province.
Vuong Palace or Hmong King Palace is located in Sa Phin Commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang province. This is both a historic and architectural work which is beautiful, rare and unique in the area of the stone plateau. Situated in a prime location, on a low hill in Sa Phin valley, Vuong Palace used to be the most powerful house of the vast region of Ha Giang, behind Quan Ba Heaven’s gate.
The work was ranked as a vestige and was protected in 1993. Especially, it took 8 years to complete this house. The meticulousness and skill of artists have created a beautiful and majestic architecture.
The Palace was surrounded by two rounds, inside round is thicker and more solid than the outer one. The distance between the two walls is about 50 meters wide. There are multiple crenels in two rounds of the citadel and they are planted many trees (Bamboo).
Guests also have much more surprise when visiting Vuong Palace because the palace has up to 10 houses in which six houses are located in the same direction, the other houses are placed in different directions. The main house is arranged to face to the gate so that guests can be able to see straight to the front. Houses are made of precious wood from ancient times, all the parts of the columns, floors, walls are covered with tiled roofs.
The text written on the horizontal lacquered board in the main house makes everyone stand to see and photograph. This is the inscription given by King Nguyen. With 10 houses, Vuong palace has places to work (the main events), family activities, to rest, and to guard which includes repositories (drug, food, weapons ...), the stay chamber (for the wives), kitchen (including rice mills), watchtowers. Moreover, outside the main house, there are places for raising animals, shelters for menials, soldiers, water tanks (rainwater used for the whole year –about 300 m3). The house was arranged with full of living scenes like a local house but it was decorated monumentally and meticulously with the art of sculpture.
To go to the Vuong Palace, visitors need to go through the road leading to the palace with gentle slopes. Guests will feel the luxury and elegance right going on the path paved with large, square and flat stones.
With nearly 100 years of age, the house showed the authority of Vuong family in this area. They have controlled the Dong Van Stone Plateau for a long time. With the beautiful architecture and ancient sculpture, Vuong Palace becomes an interesting stop after a long journey through mountains and passes to Ha Giang. Come here, tourists can imagine an old life of a powerful family, admire the architecture and to some extent understand the culture of an ethnic community.
