Juliana, 27, who is from Brazil, became a familiar "Western friend" to the children at the village’s kindergarten. They eagerly ran around her chatting in broken English, and she responded with a bright smile.

With her camera, she aimed to capture simple yet joyful moments in the village.

Juliana says that she is on a journey around the world to explore destinations with unique traditional cultures.

Not long ago, while reading information online, she was drawn to the Thai Hai ecological stilt house conservation village, a site recognized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization as one of the “best tourism villages in the world in 2022.”

She became curious upon learning that nearly 200 people live there together. They share meals, pool their earnings into a village fund, and no one is wealthier than another or envious of each other. The community is united by love, solidarity, and daily support. 

She was especially impressed by the wooden and bamboo houses nestled under lush ancient trees.

"I signed up to volunteer at the village to fully experience the life of the 'shared rice pot, shared money purse' village and the distinctive traditional cultures here," Juliana said.

During her three weeks in the village, the female traveler assisted villagers with tasks like filming and photographing tourism welcome activities and community life. She lived with the locals and joined them in daily chores.

Nearly 20 years ago, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai, a woman passionate about Tay culture, initiated the construction of this ethnic cultural conservation area.

She pooled all her money to buy 30 original stilt houses from Tay and Nung ethnic people in Dinh Hoa, then transported and rebuilt them in Thai Hai village. She encouraged Tay, Nung, and Kinh families to move there and build a shared community.

In the village, each person handles one task. Some are in charge of livestock, others farming, some welcoming tourists, and others making medicine and treating illnesses for the whole village.

At 5am each day, the village gong rings to wake everyone for work. Juliana gradually got used to it. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, villagers eat together at the village's large communal dining hall instead of cooking at home.

"During my time in Thai Hai, I went to the communal dining hall every day to eat with everyone. The food was cooked and served like a buffet, where people chose what they liked. The menu changes daily, always hot and very delicious," she shared.

Juliana also joined village families in preparing traditional feasts with black plum sticky rice, braised pork belly, carp simmered in dong wine, pork stir-fried with sour bamboo shoots, and tea leaf-wrapped tofu.

In the village, families only cook at home when welcoming children and grandchildren or friends from afar, or during ancestral worship. Juliana observed every step and captured those beautiful moments.

"They put their heart into every dish and take pride in the distinctive traditional features of their culinary culture. The simple kitchen is always tidy and warm. I want to take beautiful photos to introduce Thai Hai to more people, making them want to come explore," Juliana shared.

At times, Juliana forgot she was a tourist because everyone welcomed her warmly and chatted intimately with her. She feels like she has been "living in a cultural museum" during her days in Thai Hai.

"I will definitely return here," she said.

Le Thi Nga, Deputy Village Head of Thai Hai, said many tourists plan to visit or volunteer for a few days but end up staying for weeks because they love the place so much.

On September 27, the Thai Hai Ethnic Stilt House Ecological Village Conservation Area was honored with two categories at the 2025 Vietnam Tourism Awards: Best Community Tourism Destination and Best Restaurant Serving Tourists.

In January 2025, the Tay ethnic cultural tourism product of Thai Hai village was certified as national OCOP (one commune, one product) 5-star; along with the ASEAN Homestay Award for Accommodations with Rooms for Rent to Tourists.

Linh Trang