Among the hill tribes of remote northern Vietnam, life is a communal endeavour – not least when building a home.
While exploring Dien Bien province recently, we came across this awesome sight by the side of a mountain road. The entire village of Hmong people was occupied in helping someone put up their new house. Young men clambered all over the wooden frame, propped up by a single digger, while hardy womenfolk transported materials up a hill to the site. Nearby, a tarp-covered kitchen had been set up, where the chefs were busy cooking up a communal lunch. A small group of experts attended to the hog that would serve as the feast’s main course.
As we wandered about taking photos, the chief of the village came over and introduced himself. It turned out this wasn’t so much a new house as a relocation, and a renovation. He pointed out a couple of colorfully-attired ladies picking apart a structure further down the slope. They retrieved beams and planks, hoisted them on a shoulder and attacked the hill in their rubber wellies. Kids played around their feet, giggling at the funny foreigners.
Without so much help like this, it could take months, a year, to put together this house, our local guide Cong told us – never mind the cost of labour. But with everyone pitching in (most on the scene were relatives or neighbours, with only a couple of hired hands) this residence could be habitable within the month, in a couple of weeks even. A good feed and a few cups of rượu (home-brewed whisky) would do as compensation. Plus the promise of a favour returned, of course.
“Join us for lunch!’ offered the chief. ‘Drink rượu!’
Moonshine at midday? We had a long and winding road ahead of us.
“You can help us with the house too,’ he clapped me on the shoulder. “We need strong guys like you. Here, grab a rope!”
