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Ha Giang is not only famous for its majestic natural landscapes but also holds historical relics steeped in time. Among them, the King Cat Palace stands out as a unique architectural marvel, a source of pride for the plateau's people. Explore this fascinating destination with Mytour through the article below.
Discovering the King Cat Palace (Vuong Family Mansion)
The King Cat Palace, also known as the Vuong Family Mansion, is a magnificent architectural complex covering nearly 3,000m2. Situated in the Sa Phin Valley (Dong Van, Ha Giang), this grand palace was built in the 20th century. With its timeless beauty deeply rooted in ethnic identity, this palace attracts a large number of tourists every year.
Where is the King Cat Palace located?
The King Cat Palace is situated in the Sa Phin Valley, Lung Phin Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province. The Vuong family mansion is approximately 125km away from the city center and about 15km from Dong Van Plateau. This ancient palace is closely associated with the lives and great achievements of two H'Mong figures, Vuong Chinh Duc and Vuong Chinh Sinh.
The King Cat Palace lies in the vast Sa Phin Valley, about 125km from the city center of Ha Giang (Source: Collected)
Mr. Vuong Chinh Duc (1886 - 1962) was the leader of the H'Mong people during the French colonial period. The Vuong family once governed the four largest districts in Ha Giang, including Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh, and Quan Ba.
His son, Vương Chính Sình, was a renowned revolutionary soldier of our nation. He devoted his entire life to serving the motherland during the Vietnam-France war. For his significant contributions, Vương Chính Sình was elected as a National Assembly delegate for two consecutive terms.
The history of the formation of the King Cat Palace
The King Cat Palace was constructed in the late 1890s and officially inaugurated in 1907. Over nine years, the mansion of King Cat consumed over 15,000 Indochinese piastres, equivalent to 150 billion VND today. Inspired by the cultural beauty of the H'Mong people, the palace was built by skilled craftsmen from Yunnan, China. The Vuong family mansion boasts a unique architectural style, blending the cultures of China, H'Mong, and France.
As the most famous architectural masterpiece in Ha Giang province, this heritage site has been officially recognized by the government as a 'National Cultural Heritage'.
Exploring the unique architecture of the King Cat Palace (Vuong Family Mansion)
The entire palace complex is built on a turtle-shaped hill. Surrounding the hill is the majestic Dong Van mountain range. Despite the historical ups and downs, the King Cat Palace still retains the enchanting beauty of Northeast Vietnam.
In order to construct this palace, King Cat himself - Vuong Chinh Duc, invited a renowned Feng Shui master from China to Ha Giang. The Feng Shui master explained that building the palace on a turtle-shaped hill surrounded by two large mountains would bring abundant wealth and prosperity for life.
This architectural masterpiece is a harmonious combination of three cultures: Chinese, H'Mong, and French (Source: Collected)
The mansion boasts 4 horizontal houses, 6 vertical houses, and even 3 courtyards: front, middle, and rear. It's estimated that this grand estate can accommodate up to 100 people with 64 rooms. The walls are made of green stone, the roofs are of pine wood, and the tiles are made of baked clay.
Stepping into the mansion compound, visitors are greeted by towering fir trees reaching into the azure sky before the house gate. The architecture of the building combines elements of Chinese culture, French art, and exquisite Chinese patterns.
What legends surround the King Cat Palace (Vuong Family Mansion)?
Not only renowned for its impressive and grand architectural structure, but the legends surrounding the Vuong Family Mansion also possess a strange allure.
Legend has it that the original residence of Northeast King Cat - Vuong Duc Chinh was a large mountain pass. However, he faced many difficulties and obstacles living there. Therefore, King Cat of the Vuong family invited the talented Feng Shui master - Truong Chieu from China to consult on building a house.
After careful consideration, the master chose the Sa Phin Valley as the location to build the mansion. Truong Chieu believed that a house situated amidst a turtle-shaped hill would bring prosperity and wealth to the entire family. Indeed, as predicted by the Feng Shui master, the Vuong family prospered more and more, leading a prosperous life thereafter.
The King Cat Palace is also famous for mysterious legends with a touch of spirituality (Source: Collected)
Additionally, there's a mysterious legend involving King Cat Vuong Chinh Sinh (son of Vuong Chinh Duc). The story goes that the second generation of the Vuong family was cursed, almost facing peril. Even the entire family line could have been extinguished. Subsequently, Vuong Chinh Sinh invited a Feng Shui master to assess the situation.
The master said: Due to the misplacement of his father's tomb, he offended the spirits. Therefore, the whole family needed to relocate the tomb of the king's father elsewhere. Vuong Chinh Sinh followed the master's advice and moved his father's tomb to another location. As a result, when he took a fourth wife, he finally had a son to continue the family line.
Discovering fascinating points at the Vuong family mansion
The King Cat Palace is located on the Dong Van rocky plateau. Travelers can move from the center of Ha Giang city to the Quan Ba heaven gate - Yen Minh pine forest. If you continue a bit further, you will reach the King Cat Palace. Here are some stunningly beautiful check-in points at the Vuong family mansion.
The path leading to the house is paved with exquisite granite slabs, surrounded by a vast orchard. Inside the house, many original artifacts such as stone mortars, wooden tables and chairs, and hearths are still preserved.
Just striking a pose, travelers will have beautiful check-in photos reminiscent of classic film scenes (Source: Collected)
Admire the unique, eye-catching architecture
The mansion is a delicate combination of unique building materials such as fir wood, green stone, and baked clay tiles following the yin-yang style. The house gate is designed in the shape of undulating bat wings, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Sculpture art is also intricately incorporated through meticulously carved green stone slabs.
The Vuong family mansion is built on a unique turtle-shaped hill, with two towering mountains in the front representing civil and martial guardianship (Source: Collected)
Dress in vibrant traditional ethnic costumes, and you'll surely capture stunning movie-like photos here.
Important notes when visiting the King Cat Palace
To fully enjoy your tour, visitors should take note of the following important things when visiting the King Cat Palace.
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Be cautious on the way to the mansion: Due to the limestone plateau terrain, many roads are relatively dangerous with winding slopes. If you plan to ride a motorbike to the mansion, make sure to maintain your vehicle properly before departure.
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Equip yourself with clothing and umbrellas: The weather in the Dong Van plateau is quite unpredictable. Sometimes, this mountainous area experiences heavy rain. Therefore, prepare raincoats and some travel essentials to ensure a smooth trip.
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Avoid touching artifacts: As this is a cultural relic owned by the state, visitors are not allowed to touch the artifacts.
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Avoid making noise: This is a solemn heritage site, so loud laughter or noise will affect other visitors. Therefore, maintain a polite and respectful attitude when visiting the mansion.
Above is all the information about the famous tourist spot in Ha Giang - King Cat Palace. Hopefully, with the sharing from Mytour, you will gain more valuable knowledge about this special mansion. Are you planning to book a tour to Ha Giang but don't know where to start your journey? Contact the hotline Mytour of Mytour to receive many attractive offers!
