Hoang A Tuong's Castle
Hoang A Tuong's Castle
3.5
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3.5
23 reviews
Excellent
4
Very good
6
Average
10
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Richard Hyde
45 contributions
Mar 2020
It could be a major attraction but frankly the state of disrepair and the empty rooms made our visit a major disappointment. The roses in the gardens are nice. Not really worth the 20,000 VND entry charge.
Written 19 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrian540
London, UK122 contributions
Aug 2022
Definitely worth a visit - allow a good hour. There are decent, interesting gift shops attached with local crafts and produce (plus we stumbled upon corn wine making out the back!). It is mystifying, though, that for all the information they give you on Hoang A Tuong, they don't tell you what happened to him and his family after Communism was imposed.
Written 11 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Poss_the_Explorer
Brisbane, Australia162 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
This place is also known as the Hmong Kings Palace. It is located on the outskirts of Bac Ha, about 5 min drive from the city centre. It was built around the 1920s and is a good example of early French colonial architecture. It seems to be free - we didnt have to pay. Informative signs etc describe the history of the building and the Hmong King who lived here. Great photo opportunity and nice views over the town from the top floor. Its still being restored so some parts are 'work in progress'. Handicraft activities and shops on the ground floor. Overall, a very interesting place to visit for an hour or so if you want to see something different.
Written 28 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael P
Bangkok, Thailand7,632 contributions
Sept 2019
Besides the market and local villages, Bac Ha has one other tourist attraction. Completed in 1921 the Hoang A Tuong Palace, also known as the Bac Ha or Hmong King Palace, is the former home of a wealthy landowner from the Tay ethnic group named Hoang Yen Chao. Supported by the French colonial government the Hoang family owned the majority of the areas fertile land and had trade monopolies on virtually everything. Like much of the colonial era architecture found in Southeast Asia the palace, now a museum is a fusion of eastern and western design.
The museum features a nice collection of vintage photographs with English language descriptions which tell the story of the King, his family, the local minority people, and the palace. Well worth a visit to learn more about the district and its inhabitants.
The museum features a nice collection of vintage photographs with English language descriptions which tell the story of the King, his family, the local minority people, and the palace. Well worth a visit to learn more about the district and its inhabitants.
Written 28 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roland B
Zurich, Switzerland1,807 contributions
Dec 2019
this palace saw better times, but it still is a nice building, and the exhibition inside with historic photos and explanations about Bac Ha is definitely worth the 20K entrance fee.
Written 3 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kim buay p
Singapore, Singapore13,011 contributions
Sept 2018 • Friends
This site of this building has good feng shui and it is run-down. However one can do a horse ride on the ground. The horse is quite small and looks very well looked after. There are also notice boards describing the history of the palace. Entrance fee is 40 VND each.
Written 6 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
blackeaglejim
Chiang Mai, Thailand289 contributions
Jan 2018 • Friends
This colonial era building is the only true historical monument in Bẵc Hà. Constructed 1914-21 for a Tày chieftain the French appointed to rule over the Hmông-dominated district, it stands on a small hill at the edge of the city and covers an area of 4000 square meters. It was also fortified originally with bunkers and battlements. Designed as a deliberate fusion of French and Chinese styles, the compound is two stories high surrounding an interior courtyard. The lower floor housed the palace guards in the wings and had a reception room in the central block. Guest rooms, staff accommodation and the lord’s private rooms were upstairs. Very little remains of the original furniture, but the upper rooms have portraits of former times. You can also walk around the upper story and get nice views of the city and the nearby lake.
Hoàng Yến Chao, the Tày ruler, was a harsh and unpopular autocrat who fled as soon as the Việt Minh came close to Bắc Hả. The palace slowly fell into ruin until renovated in 2006. The ground floor now has shops selling the work of local artists as well as Hmông handicrafts, with a weaver ready to demonstrate how she uses a loom. Even those with no interest in the local arts, the palace is still worth a visit for its architectural beauty as well as insights into colonial rule in Vietnam.
Hoàng Yến Chao, the Tày ruler, was a harsh and unpopular autocrat who fled as soon as the Việt Minh came close to Bắc Hả. The palace slowly fell into ruin until renovated in 2006. The ground floor now has shops selling the work of local artists as well as Hmông handicrafts, with a weaver ready to demonstrate how she uses a loom. Even those with no interest in the local arts, the palace is still worth a visit for its architectural beauty as well as insights into colonial rule in Vietnam.
Written 9 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sunnynorth2018
Montreal, Canada19 contributions
Mar 2018 • Family
The visit of this old French built house is part of our day tour from Sapa. This might be the largest brick house in this area but not really a "castle" by any means! Not worth the stop!
Written 13 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thảo Đ
90 contributions
June 2017 • Couples
It is a worth place to visit. We've been there on very crowded day so there're not many space to see its' full charm.
Written 9 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
palawanismyhome
Palawan Island, Philippines24,369 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
Hoang A Tuong Castle or Palace is worth a quick visit and hopefully it will be renovated in the near future as it is certainly in need of repair. It was built between 1914 and 1921 and the owner was Hoang Yen Chao of Tay origin. His son was Hoang A Tuong, who was a tribal mandarin under the domination of the French colonists. The castle covers 4,000 sq. m with the actual main building occupying 420 sq. m. It was built on top of a small hill and would overlook the BacHa valley. It was a fortress with a network of bunkers, walls and battlements that were reinforced with mortar which was mixed with sugar molasses. The castle is under a renovation order but work does not seem to have started when we visited in November 2016. The palace has Asia/European architectural style and Hoang Tuong ruled the ethnic people in the area for many years. He controlled all the business that rook place and the people were subordinate to his government.
Written 29 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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