Vietnamese Family Turns Traditional Home Into Jobs Hub

A family's retirement project in a remote Vietnamese village has become a lifeline for an entire community, proving that preserving culture and creating prosperity can go hand in hand.

Pham Van La and his wife Lu Thi Khuyen returned to Chieng Ngay Village after years working away from home, hoping for a quiet retirement among the terraced rice fields of northern Vietnam's mountains. When their children suggested renovating the family's aging stilt house in 2021, nobody imagined it would transform their neighbors' lives.

While clearing brush around the property, the family rediscovered what tourists seek: waterfalls cascading through forests, peaceful streams, and the rich traditions of the Thai ethnic community. La saw an opportunity bigger than his own family's future.

Rather than tear down the traditional wooden structure, the family spent two years carefully restoring it with bamboo, timber and stone from local sources. They added modern comforts while keeping the home's authentic character intact. The Suoi Dang Homestay opened in mid 2023.

Today, the property welcomes up to several hundred visitors daily during peak seasons. The original single home has grown into a complex with three traditional stilt houses, nine bungalows, and an event hall for 150 guests. More than 15,000 people visited in 2025 alone.

The Ripple Effect

The homestay's success created a new economy across Chieng Ngay Village. Neighbors now earn extra income raising free-range chickens and ducks, growing vegetables, harvesting honey, and weaving traditional brocade textiles that visitors buy as souvenirs.

Local families supply the homestay kitchen with stream-raised fish, native pork, wild bamboo shoots, and forest vegetables. During holidays, demand gets so high the property sometimes stops taking reservations.

"Our goal has never been simply to make money from tourism," La explained. "We want visitors to experience the traditional culture of the Thai community through folk songs, xoe dances, gong performances and family meals shared around the fire."

The Vietnamese government designated Chieng Ngay as a model village for community-based tourism. Officials project 25,000 to 30,000 annual visitors in coming years, with tourism-related household income expected to grow 10 to 15 percent as the industry becomes a pillar of the local economy.

What started as clearing brush around a family home has given an entire mountain community a sustainable future rooted in the traditions that make it special.