Lo Lo Chai, a village in northern Vietnam, was named one of the world’s Best Tourism Villages in 2025. Yet only three of the 20 new houses keep the old rammed‑earth walls and yin‑yang tiled roofs, so the village is changing fast.

Local regulations say new houses must not be higher than two stories and must follow the traditional style. The rules also allow builders to use concrete, glass or wood, so many houses are made of concrete but painted yellow and given yin‑yang tiles to look like the old ones.

Sinh Gi Gai, head of Lo Lo Chai Village, said that guests cannot stay comfortably in traditional rammed‑earth houses because the walls become damp and moldy, especially in the rainy season. He also noted that the thick walls give little interior space, make it hard to install modern electrical amenities, and the tiled roofs can shift and leak while the small windows let in little light.

Lung Cu now has more than 1,000 accommodation rooms, and demand for rooms in Lo Lo Chai has grown a lot, according to recent data. Because visitors want modern comforts and views of the Lung Cu Flag Tower, most tourism businesses and residents prefer concrete houses that can be built faster, hold more guests, and include air‑conditioning and large windows with scenic views.

The shift to concrete buildings is driven by practical and economic reasons, even though the village is a Best Tourism Village. This shows how tourism growth can push heritage sites to change their traditional architecture.