Hoang Yen Tchao Castle, or Hoang A Tuong Castle, is an architectural and artistic work that has existed for more than 100 years in Bac Ha, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists.
Overview of Hoang Yen Tchao Castle
The castle was built at the beginning of the 20th century (between 1914 and 1921). Its owner was Hoang Yen Tchao of Tay origin. He was the father of Hoang A Tuong, a tribal mandarin under French colonial rule. To build this house, he invited a geomancer to go around the area to see the location, the land, and to find a place where yin and yang are in harmony, a perfect environment.
The castle covers an area of 4,000m², in which the main building occupies 420m². In front of its arched doors are earthen banks. Occupying a pivotal position overlooking the Bac Ha valley, the castle serves both as the residence of Hoang Yen Chao and Hoang A Tuong and as a fortress.
The main building faces southeast, leaning against the mountain, with a stream in front; it has a closed rectangular layout with 36 rooms, a system of escape tunnels behind, walls with many loopholes, and a path along the wall for guards to patrol.
The main house is deep inside, on both sides of the entrance are outbuildings, in front is a screen, and in the middle is a courtyard. To enter the palace, you have to climb the stairs from both sides, then go to the waiting room, and then enter the large yard.
In addition to the living space for the members of Hoang Yen Tchao’s family, the palace also has a living room, an office, a room for French officials and advisors to run the governing apparatus, and a worship room on the top floor.
The column system and roof are embossed with many grapevine and laurel motifs symbolizing prosperity, warmth, and happiness. The roof is covered with yin-yang tiles.
The arched door system and the arc-shaped staircase create an impression of innovation and grandeur for the building. The main facade is decorated with many elaborate motifs. On the right and left sides, two parallel sentences are embossed with the content of wishing the family glory.
Documentary images of the interior of the palace when Hoang Yen Tchao’s family was still living. The equipment was expensive and rare at that time.
Among the rooms, the Hoang family’s worship room is the room on the top floor, opposite the entrance, airy, creating solemnity, tranquility, opening the door to see the sky and earth, the harmony of yin and yang. According to feng shui, this worship room is “located in a good position and facing a good direction for the homeowner, to show respect to ancestors, wishing for the life of descendants to be prosperous forever.
Mr. Hoang Yen Tchao’s family lived here until 1950, when they left. After that, the house was abandoned, and most of its furniture was gone. Over the past decades, the mansion has been renovated many times, its paint color changed, and its interior updated. However, the house’s unique architectural features remain largely intact.
Currently, all the rooms are used to display images and documents for visitors. In 1999, the mansion was recognized as a National Architectural and Artistic Monument.
Hoang Yen Tchao Castle is one of the must-see destinations when traveling to Bac Ha in particular and Lao Cai in general, attracting hundreds of visitors every day.
Useful information about Hoang Yen Tchao Castle
- Address: 257 Ngoc Uyen, Bac Ha, Lao Cai Province.
- The admission fee is 20,000 VND/adult; 10,000 VND/child aged 6 to 16. Children under 6 and people with disabilities are free.
- Opening hours: 8 am – 17 pm, daily.
Source: collected by An
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