This house was constructed following the model of Mr. Ban Van Sam's house in Khe Mu Village, Bao Thang District, Lao Cai Province. With a style of half on ground and half on stilts, it is suitable to steep mountain area. It was built at the Museum in 23 days by eight Yao carpenters coming from the house region in 1999. The main twelve 60-to-70-year columns, made from tho tree trunks, a kind of wood resistant to insects, are valuable property. They can be used for new construction; however four families agreed to give them to the Museum.
The construction is made by tradition. Pruned and top-shortened trees, and trees tied by creepers can not be chosen. The purlins’ foot must be in the direction of the main door. Only the family head can roof the house and performs a ritual to end the building process. He beats on the roof three times with a knife, asking “Is it dark?”, and everyone replies “It’s dark”. The bamboo roof is changed every five or six years.
The space outside the windows is used for drying, bathing, washing clothes, preparing indigo dye and dyeing textiles. The small storage next to the house is for keeping rice, corn, and beans et cetera.