Stilt houses are a distinctive, culturally-rich feature of ethnic minority communities that have stood the test of time. However, as they stand now, many houses have become seriously degraded. The Tay and Nung minority groups in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang have come up with an ingenious way to use low-cost, durable concrete that imitates wood in order to repair these fine pieces of architecture. In response to the new style rural area policy, Tuyen Quang province incorporates preservation with tourism development and provides each stilt household family financial aid to repair or rebuild the house. Tan Lap village is currently home to 30 concrete stilt houses, with this number growing in recent times. Other minority groups have followed suit such as Dao, Cao Lan, San Chay and many others, all contributing to the new style rural area in Tuyen Quang province. – VNA