Preserving Thach Khuyen stone village

Thach Khuyen stone village in Xuat Le commune, Cao Loc district has long been famous for its stone works that have existed for many centuries. Recently, the Party Committee, government and people in Xuat Le commune have taken many measures to preserve the stone village so that this work will last forever and keep its unique and ancient beauty.

There are currently 115 households with 532 people in Thach Khuyen village, mainly Tay and Nung ethnic groups. Arriving at the stone village, we saw the stone walls with a 3-meter-wide foundation, stones of all sizes stacked on top of each other without using any adhesives. Stones here are paved to make roads, used to make fences, pond embankments, field embankments…

There are large stones, weighing several hundred kilograms, many of which are covered with moss, showing the antiquity and also proving the longevity of the stone village for more than 300 years. It is known that the total length of the stone wall surrounding Thach Khuyen village is more than 1,000 m. In the village, there are still 5 houses made of earth, a typical architectural style for traditional houses of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups. These are houses made of thick, solid earthen walls, roofed with yin and yang tiles, 1-2 floors high. Inside the house, there is a system of solid latches and bolts; the attic has holes for defense.

Pointing to the stones lined up in front of his house, 65-year-old Tang Van Hao told us in a proud voice: “Ever since I was born, I have listened to stories about stone walls from my father. Thach means stone, Khuyen means circle, a stone wall circled around the village, protecting the lives and property of villagers. The ancients recounted that the stone village was built by the people in the early 19th century to protect the villagers from robbers and bandits. Previously, the stone walls surrounding the village were about 4-5 m high, built into two solid layers. The village with stone buildings has become the pride of our people whenever anyone asks about the characteristics of their homeland.”

Like Mr. Hao, more than 500 people in Thach Khuyen village are proud of the stone village here. These stones have witnessed the change of the village ever since. With the above meanings, Thach Khuyen site in Ba Son guerrilla area has been ranked as a provincial relic according to Decision No. 41/2002/QD-UBND dated October 2, 2002 of the Provincial People’s Committee. Thach Khuyen village relic has been listed as a historical relic in Ba Son Guerrilla historical site according to Decision No. 73/QD-UBND dated October 10, 2019 of the Provincial People’s Committee on approval and publication of the list of relics in the province.

However, over time, the stone village is no longer as intact as it used to be because of the increasing urbanization rate, the stone roads are replaced by long concrete roads, the 4-5 m high walls in the past now decrease to about 1-2 m high… However, the Party Committee and government of Cao Loc district, Xuat Le commune and the people here always put forward the important role of the stone village in the spiritual life of the people. Therefore, recently, there have been solutions to preserve the stone village.

A corner of Thach Khuyen stone village

Mr. To Van Tuan, Chairman of Xuat Le Commune People’s Committee said: “Over the years, we have actively encouraged people to preserve and embellish stone fences against the risk of being eroded and to keep the environmental sanitation, to regularly weed, pick up trash in the stone village… Thereby, these contribute to preserving the beauty of the stone works built by our father.”

Additionally, in order to further introduce about the stone, all levels and sectors in the district also pay attention to preserving and promoting the value of the stone village. Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong Hue, Head of Culture and Information Division of Cao Loc district, said: “With the desire to preserve and advertise the beauty of Thach Khuyen stone village to the people, in early 2023, we coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to survey, research and exploit tourism potential here. At the same time, we also coordinated with the Commune People’s Committee to call for investment from organizations and individuals in building a model of community tourism here, in the future, it will form a community tourism village to preserve the value of the stone village as well as the promote the economic development of the people.”

With the value and potential in tourism development of Thach Khuyen stone village, in the coming time, all levels and sectors of the district and commune should continue to pay attention to calling for investment from social sources and preserving the pristine beauty of the heritage. Moreover, it is necessary to inform and encourage people to preserve Thach Khuyen stone village. These will make the stone village become a cultural tourist destination attracting a large number of tourists inside and outside the province.