Hmong King’s Palace – Top Cultural Site in Ha Giang

The magnificent Hmong King’s Palace is located in Sa Phin Village. It is quite far from the city center and is known as a remote area in Ha Giang. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the place has a unique wooden structure influenced by traditional Chinese and Hmong styles. Let’s tour this cultural attraction Ha Giang to experience ethnic minority traditions and architectural marvels in a scenic highland setting!

1. The History of the Hmong King’s Palace

The Hmong King’s Palace is also called by the name Dinh Vua Meo in Vietnamese. It was built between 1898 and 1907 under the order of Vuong Chinh Duc, known as the Hmong King. Designed in a blend of traditional Chinese and Hmong architectural styles. The palace was a massive undertaking that utilized over 15,000 Indochine money, which is nearly  150 billion dong these days.

After completion, the palace served as the seat of power. Moreover, it used to be an important cultural site for the Hmong people for over 50 years during the Vuong family’s reign. These days, as one of cultural attractions Ha Giang, remains mostly intact and offers visitors a glimpse into the past of this unique ethnic minority group.

☘ Read more: Hanoi Weekend Guided: what to do and where to go? and Ha Giang Loop budget.

2. Hmong King Palace Architecture

The palace covers an area of over 3,000 square meters and features a unique design that blends three different cultural influences including France, China, and Hmong. It is composed of four horizontal buildings and six vertical buildings divided into zones for guards, servants, and the royal family. Stone is the primary material used due to its sturdiness. Moreover, the wood pillars and terracotta tile roofs make the palace more stunning.

Especially, tourists will be overwhelmed when seeing the unique carvings with different patterns seen throughout. The palace scale can be customized for up to 100 people in 64 rooms. Despite its large size, the palace maintains a rural charm through its arrangement of smaller interconnected structures. This one-of-a-kind architecture endures as a historic marvel.

☘ You can follow our Facebook, contact us via WhatsApp, or visit below tours to get the best information about the Northern tours in Vietnam:

3. The Palace’s Legend Story

Not only famous for its magnificent architectural works, there are many mysterious anecdotes surrounding the Vuong family mansion. It was about the original living place of the Northeast Cat King – Vuong Duc Chinh, a large canyon. Nevertheless, his work encountered many difficulties and obstacles while living here.

Then, the Cat King Vuong decided to invite a talented feng shui master – Truong Chieu from China who was extremely good at physiognomy reading, to check and build a new house. After a period of careful consideration, Sa Phin Valley was selected as the place to build the mansion.

The reason why the valley was chosen as a spot to build the palace was that Truong Chieu believed the house located in the middle of a turtle-shaped hill would bring prosperity and wealth to the whole family at that time. Indeed, as predicted by the feng shui master, the Vuong family became increasingly prosperous and had a prosperous life thereafter.

☘ Discover more: Best Ha Giang homestays or Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark.

Besides, there is another mysterious anecdote relating to Cat King Vuong Chi Sinh ( Mr. Vuong Chinh Duc’s son). The Vuong family’s second generation was bewitched and nearly lost their lives. Even the entire family could decline and the family line could be cut off. After that, Vuong Chi Sinh invited a feng shui master to take a look.

The feng shui master mentioned that because the ancestors’ graves violated the dragon’s veins, they were punished by the gods. Therefore, the whole family needed to move the King’s father’s grave to another place. Vuong Chi Sinh followed his teacher’s advice and moved his father’s grave to another place. As a result, he had a son to continue the family line with the fourth wife.

4. What to Explore in Hmong King’s Village?

When getting to the Hmong King’s Village, you can do a lot of things:

– First of all, let’s wander around this cultural attractions Ha Giang and admire the sophisticated architecture. This is the integration of three cultural values originating from China, France, and Hmong. Moreover, you can learn more about the special patterns and unique images carved on the walls and the pillars. Then, you will see how big its scale is when discover a lot of room inside.

– Second, do not forget to take a beautiful photoshoot in Dinh Vua Meo! There are plenty of backgrounds for you to save the most beautiful moments. Besides, your pictures will look pretty cool and a part of the ancient and classic vibe due to the architecture of the Hmong King’s Palace.

– Finally, if you care about the daily life of Hmong people, you can spend time discovering every interior inside such as stone objects, wooden tables, fireplaces,… Moreover, the house’s inner path is paved with delicate marble slabs, and surrounding the house is a large orchard garden.

– Next, if you have time, let’s visit the Hmong King Exhibits located inside the palace! People show many interesting stories of Hmong people in daily life, cultural aspects, and history. Also, you can find several traditional stuff like weapons, jewelry, clothing, etc.

☘ Read more: Navigating Ma Pi Leng Pass: A Complete Guide and Ha Giang Loop.

5. Traveling Tips

Here are some tips for travelers when they make a trip to the Hmong Palace:

– First, let’s wear comfortable shoes! You need to walk a lot when discovering the palace and surrounding villages.

– Remember to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, light layers, and a rain jacket as the weather can change suddenly without realize.

– Tourists should visit the palace in the early morning or late afternoon. You should avoid midday because it is hot and crowded. Plus, this is the time for a good light for photos too.

– Pack snacks and water as there are no shops nearby. Dehydration is a risk so stay hydrated.

– Camera recommended but you should be respectful when taking photos of locals and remember to ask permission from villagers first.

– You should go with a tour guide for explanations of history and culture. You can book one at the ticket office.

– During the rainy season (Oct-Dec), some roads may be muddy or flooded so drive carefully.

-You can take into consideration starting or staying overnight in nearby villages. It is incredible when you can combine your tour schedule with other Ha Giang sights like the Lung Cu Flag Towver, one of the cultural attractions Ha Giang, if time allows.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, the Hmong King Palace Vietnam – one of the Ha Giang historical sites, is a valuable spot to preserve cultural features and traditional aspects of the Hmong people. Moreover, this place can be considered the top spot in Ha Giang to explore the Hmong ethnic community. Sun Getaways Travel already shares Hmong King’s Palace with you. We wish you the best trip to Ha Giang Vietnam.