Meo Vac is a district located in the Dong Van Karst Plateau - UNESCO Global Geopark. In recent years, party committees and authorities at all levels have made efforts to well preserve culture, especially traditional architecture of ethnic communities in the geopark area.

To ensure the task of both developing and preserving traditional culture and maintaining its title, Ha Giang province has issued the Urban Architecture Management Regulations of Meo Vac district to control the construction, exploitation and use of new works, and urban renovation works according to the general planning of Meo Vac town - Center for scientific tourism, adventure and border trade in Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark.

The regulations are the basis for establishing urban planning and design tasks for the areas without urban planning and design; providing planning information; granting permits for construction, renovation and embellishment of architectural works, landscape design; carrying out inspections, and handling administrative violations in space management, architecture, and urban landscape; controlling the construction, embellishment and development of the town; protecting traditional indigenous architecture. Management principles comply with the general planning project to build the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark by 2030 approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 438/QD-TTg and the general planning adjustment project for Meo Vac town.

Specifically, the architectural orientation and landscape space ensure the development orientation for Meo Vac town to become the economic, cultural and political center of Meo Vac district and a center for scientific, adventure and tourism, border gate trade belonging to Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark; creating a comfortable, safe and sustainable living environment, improving the material and spiritual needs of the people, protecting the environment and natural landscape, preserving and developing national cultural identity.

Regulations for existing urban areas that are being developed concentrated in the valley area, developed along the main traffic road: this is a high-density development area, restricting new construction and additional area, adding land for future development. The existing development area in the town center limits the increase in height and construction density, focusing on upgrading and improving urban aesthetics. Residential buildings must maintain their current status regarding the height, new construction works must have a maximum height of 4 floors.

For roads with houses built along the two sides, which are difficulty in site clearance, with low efficiency in renovation and embellishment, the architecture will be in the direction of maintaining the status quo, to create conditions for people to live in a stable, long-term way without causing disturbance; encouraging the construction of public welfare works such as parks, flower gardens, educational works, public health service works serving residential areas, and small-scale multi-functional commercial and service works.

Urban renovation and embellishment projects must be synchronous, covering entire city blocks, limiting small-scale concave projects; restricting the conversion of housing functions to commercial services on roads that are not commercial and service-oriented and do not ensure functionality consistent with construction standards and regulations. Restricting high-rise construction works in residential areas, limiting the construction of high-rise housing projects and large-scale commercial and service projects on land plots smaller than 500m2, on roads with a road width of less than 9 .5m in existing residential areas.

Construction of temporary housing projects in the area is strictly prohibited. New construction projects need to ensure that the architectural form is consistent with the surrounding landscape, commensurate with the road space, and contributes to the formation of the architectural face of the urban area.

For the new construction area, add a construction area for buildings that combine buildings with a maximum height of 4 floors, ensuring concentration and completion of administrative functions of the entire Meo Vac district. Additional development of public land, markets, and parking lots ensures serving residents and tourist needs. Building low-density residential areas combining homestay tourism services and commercial service projects to develop socio-economic development and promote the image of the area.

For administrative and political centers, town center public spaces include offices, sports and cultural facilities, schools, hospitals, and newly built medical facilities in residential areas. New construction projects need to ensure that the architectural form is consistent with the surrounding landscape, commensurate with the road space, and contributes to the formation of the architectural face of the urban area...

For other adjacent areas, ensuring compliance with management regulations on construction density, the area, the height of construction works, construction boundaries under the General Construction Planning Adjustment Project for Meo Vac town.

For the agriculture and forestry sector, focusing on the construction of rural residential areas and clusters according to planning, speeding up the planning progress of urban development areas identified in the general planning of Meo Vac town. Building a model of rural housing suitable to the topographic conditions of each area, ensuring sustainable development and protecting the ecological environment. Minimizing the conversion of functions of agricultural land areas and land for the town's greenery and park system.

The urban architecture management regulations are expected to be an important basis for Meo Vac district to orient the socio-economic development of a specific urban area in ethnic minority areas and in accordance with the general planning of the Dong Van Karst Plateau - UNESCO global geo-park.