Daily life under moss-roofted stilt houses in Tay Con Linh

Happy Vietnam

Dao women doing their chores under a moss-covered stilt house in Thanh Thuy border region, Tuyen Quang province. VNA Photo: Đức Thọ
The moss-roofted stilt houses on terraced rice fields in Xa Phin hamlet, Tuyen Quang province. VNA Photo: Đức Thọ
A Dao woman cooks a meal under the moss-covered roof. The mossy layers on the roof act as insulation, preventing the interior from being too hot in summer or too cold in winter. VNA Photo: Đức Thọ
A stilt house with moss-covered roof in Xa Phin hamlet, Tuyen Quang province. VNA Photo: Đức Thọ
According to local people, houses with roofs covered in green moss must be 20 to 30 years old or older. It takes at least five years for moss to begin appearing on roofs of newly-built houses. VNA Photo: Đức Thọ
Stilt houses with moss-covered roofs in Thanh Thuy border region, Tuyen Quang province. VNA Photo: Đức Thọ
Daily life under moss-roofted stilt houses in Tay Con Linh
At the top of the Tay Con Linh mountain range is Xa Phin hamlet, approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Ha Giang province’s Vi Xuyen district, lies roofs of stilt houses covered with thick green moss. This hilly terrain, situated at 1,000 metres above sea level, is characterised by fog all year and persistent rainfall with high humidity. It is an ideal environment for plants to flourish and thrive, including thick green moss, which ethnic people use to cover the palm-leaf roofs of their homes. The mossy layers on the roof act as insulation, preventing the interior from being too hot in summer or too cold in winter. In the dreamy foggy scene and under the mysterious yet unique moss-roofted stilt houses, Dao ethnic people live their daily lives in tranquility, celebrating life in the secluded mountain top. VNA Photo: Đức Thọ