Ancient stilt houses with wooden roofs filled with the scent of po mu

The po mu wooden stilt house with po mu roof is one of the outstanding features in the stilt house culture of the Thai ethnic group in Ngoc Chien commune that cannot be found anywhere else. This unique feature is still preserved and conserved to this day, and is a highlight in the tourism development (smokeless industry) of Ngoc Chien.

The houses in Ngoc Chien are made of po mu wood, including the roof.

Pơ mu is a very durable and strong wood that is resistant to termites and flies. The wood contains oil and the wood is very fragrant, especially when burned, the scent spreads far and wide, blending with the mist and smoke of the mountains and forests. This type of wood can be soaked in water or buried deep underground for decades without rotting.

According to the people of Ngoc Chien village, their stilt houses with po mu wood roofs were built a long time ago, from their grandfather's generation until now.

These stilt houses are made 100% of po mu wood, almost not mixed with other types of wood. The difference is that the roofs of the stilt houses here are completely covered with po mu wood planks, which are not available anywhere else. They are more durable and sturdy than tiles and proximang roofing sheets…

Houses with po mu wood roofs look rough and not as flat as houses with tile roofs, but they are very windproof, and even in storms the house does not leak.

Not only is it sealed against the rain and wind, in the summer, a house roofed with po mu keeps the air in the house cool and comfortable, without the need for air conditioning in hot weather.

Mr. Quang Van Som's house in Pom Men village (Ngoc Chien) has been built for more than 60 years. The house is still sturdy and solid, the roof is still intact, and the wood is not rotten or damaged.

Mr. Som said that this po mu stilt house was left to him by his father, the house his father had spent a lot of effort to build, and it has been more than 60 years now. "Like my family, most of the people in the village, Ngoc Chien commune, almost all have stilt houses with roofs completely made of po mu. This type of wood is very durable and strong, it looks black on the outside but does not rot at all," said Mr. Som.

Mr. Lo Van Phang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ngoc Chien Commune, said: In Ngoc Chien, there are many wooden stilt houses, of which up to 50% are made of po mu wood and roofed with po mu wood panels.

It is known that Ngoc Chien was previously famous as a land of immense green po mu forests that took days to travel through, with ancient po mu trees so big that several people could hug them.

Because po mu is a good wood, the Thai people in Ngoc Chien use it to build houses and it has caused many po mu forests to be cut down to near exhaustion. Because to build a stilt house, it takes dozens of cubic meters of po mu wood.

Nowadays, Ngoc Chien people no longer destroy forests to get wood to build houses, but instead work together to protect and preserve the forest so that the po mu forest can regenerate. The po mu houses are kept by the people as places for tourists to visit and experience, contributing to the development of the local tourism industry.

Po mu wooden houses are hidden behind fruit gardens.

Despite the rain, sun, wind and storms, the wooden stilt houses with po mu roofs are still sturdy and not damaged.

With ancient houses made of po mu wood, today Ngoc Chien has a strength and attraction for tourists.