Travel To The Most Powerful Palace In White Highland Bac Ha (Lao Cai, Vietnam)

After nearly 100 years of existing, Meo King mansion or Palace of King Hoang A Tuong (Bac Ha, Lao Cai) still retains the magnificence, as well as majesty of the most powerful clan in  White Highland Bac Ha. 

Hoang A Tuong Palace or Meo King mansion, located in the center of Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province, is a magnificent building built in 1914 and completed in 1921 by King Hoang Yen Chao – a Tay ethnic person, father of King Hoang A Tuong.

This Mansion was built in the style Asia-Europe combination, according to direct guidance of two French and Chinese architects and designers. The mansion placed in harmony with the alternating black, continuous rectangular. To get inside the palace, the visitor must step up the stairs from two sides and then back to the waiting room. After that, visitor will often see a large yard for the ceremony, or dancing/ singing festival.  

Two-floor main building, with an area of ​​420 m2, having a arch European-style doorway, is the place where King Hoang A Tuong’s family lived and used as a meeting room.
 Each room in two sides of the main house was used as living rooms, dining room, bedrooms of 3 wives of Hoang Yen Chao, 2 wives of Hoang A Tuong, and two counselors from France and China. 

 

At the curent time, this house has been used as a tourist attraction under the management of Lao Cai Tourist Information Center. There is a part of the building is used as a store for handmade souvenir products such as towels, clothing, or pipe brocade skirt, silver ring ... and an exhibiting room for the artwork, artistic photos of ethnic life, many traditional costumes such as the Dao, Meo ethnic minority.  

A model of the traditional corn wine making system is set up in the back of the main building. Tourists coming here can observe the steps of making wine and they can also enjoy Bac Ha’s corn liquor

After nearly 100 years of existence with so many ups and downs period in Hoang A Tuong clan, the mansion still remains the majesty, and is always a symbol of authority and power in White Highland Bac Ha.