Choan Then appears to float among mountain clouds.

A village above the clouds

Amid the mountains and forests of the Northwest, where layered peaks meet terraced fields and drifting cloud seas, Choan Then stands out as a distinctive corner of Y Ty. The roughly 300-year-old Ha Nhi village is becoming increasingly known to travellers for its pristine beauty and cultural values preserved across generations.

About two kilometres from the centre of Y Ty Commune and more than 2,000 metres above sea level, Choan Then remains quiet and uncrowded. The village retains a characteristic highland setting of old rammed-earth houses, terraced fields spreading across mountain slopes and a cool year-round climate.

Choan Then is likened to a "village above the clouds" because it is immersed year-round in an ethereal sea of drifting clouds. Photo: BM

Two roughly 30-metre-tall chestnut trees known as the "happiness trees", whose canopies intertwine as if holding hands, form one of Choan Then's signature images. Nearby is a broad open area residents call Choan Then Park, offering sweeping views of rice terraces, mountains, forests and the Y Ty valley.

 More than a scenic viewpoint, the park is a community gathering space and the venue for important Ha Nhi festivals such as Ga Ma Thu in the first lunar month and Kho Gia Gia in the sixth lunar month. These occasions allow residents to practise traditional beliefs, hold folk games and introduce visitors to local culture.

A buffalo used in the Kho Gia Gia festival sacrifice and folk games at the festival. Photo: D. Toan

Choan Then's greatest draw is its natural scenery. From around September to April, favourable weather often creates vast white cloud seas filling the valleys. Rammed-earth rooftops appearing through the mountain clouds make the entire village seem suspended in the sky.

Each season gives Choan Then a different face. May and June bring the water-pouring season, when terraced fields reflect the sky like mirrors set among the mountains. By August and the first half of September, the landscape turns golden with ripening rice, creating an irresistible setting for photographers and explorers.

Golden ripening rice in Choan Then.

In winter and early spring, thicker cloud and mist create a uniquely dreamlike beauty. The landscape's constant transformation means Choan Then need not depend on a single tourism season and can develop diverse year-round experiences.

Scenery, however, is only part of the attraction. Rammed-earth houses with thick earthen walls and low roofs embody generations of Ha Nhi experience in adapting to a harsh climate. Traditional dress and cuisine, rattan-tray weaving, liquor making, brocade embroidery, folk songs and dances, and the art of playing the ho to instrument are also being preserved and taught to younger generations.

Community-based tourism creates livelihoods

Tourism development is bringing visible changes to life in Choan Then. Following skills training courses, residents have become more aware of environmental and landscape protection. Free-ranging livestock and poultry have declined, animal pens have been moved away from residential areas, and waste is being collected for treatment.

A growing number of households have also upgraded their homes to operate homestays. In addition to Choan Then CBT House, four more families are now providing accommodation, earning an average of about VND 15 million per household per month. This is an early sign that tourism is gradually evolving from a simple visitor experience into a new livelihood option for local people.

Choan Then Park - an attractive destination in Y Ty.

More importantly, the economic benefits are motivating the community to take an active role in preserving traditional values. Rammed-earth architecture, clothing, cuisine, handicrafts, festivals and folk games are increasingly viewed not only as cultural assets but also as resources for tourism development.

Y Ty Commune People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Tai said the locality aims to build Y Ty into a sustainable destination by prioritizing community-based tourism, encouraging residents to operate homestays, preserving rammed-earth houses and safeguarding the traditional festivals of the Ha Nhi, Mong and Dao communities.

Under this direction, Y Ty will continue upgrading transport infrastructure, improving the tourism environment and strengthening promotion through cultural and tourism events, while seeking environmentally friendly solutions to attract business investment.

Choan Then's greatest advantage is also what must be protected. At a time when many highland destinations face the risk of concrete-heavy construction and uncontrolled development, the village's unspoiled character is what sets it apart.

Rather than pursuing mass tourism, Y Ty can develop Choan Then around community-based tourism, ecotourism and cultural experiences. Local residents would be the service providers, while the landscape, architecture and indigenous culture would form the foundation of the tourism product.

Connecting Choan Then with other Y Ty attractions would also create a varied chain of experiences, from cloud hunting and terrace viewing to exploring rammed-earth houses and learning about festivals, food and community life.

With distinctive scenery, a rich culture and the beginnings of a community-based tourism model, Choan Then is well placed to become a highlight of any journey through Y Ty. With well-planned investment that does not compromise its landscape or identity, this village above the clouds could become one of the region's key tourism destinations and help establish Y Ty as a signature destination of the northwestern highlands.

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