The Moss-Covered Houses Hidden Under the 'Roof of the Northeast'

 

Straw-covered roof houses

The stilt houses with green moss-covered roofs, which appear and disappear in the early morning mist, create a unique charm for Xà Phìn, a village nestled halfway up the Tây Côn Lĩnh range.

The Tây Côn Lĩnh Peak in Vị Xuyên district and the Hoàng Su Phì Peak, which stands at 2,431 meters, is the highest mountain in the Northeast region, often referred to as the "roof of the Northeast."

Xà Phìn Village has a cool climate all year round, with fog and high humidity causing the roofs of the stilt houses, thatched with palm leaves, to become moss-covered after 3-4 years. The Dao families live in wooden stilt houses, with roofs thatched with palm leaves harvested from this highland area.

Xà Phìn Village has 54 households, more than two-thirds of which live in houses with moss-covered roofs, some partially covered and some with thick moss coverage.