Living in mountainous areas, the Mong ethnic minority people often build their houses near water sources and milpa for convenience when travelling. The main materials for house construction are wood, bamboo, thatched grass and soil.  

In the lowland terrain of the districts of Ham Yen and Yen Son, the majority of the Mong ethnic people build houses with soil and wooden pillars like those of the Kinh people. However, their type of house, interior decoration and the design of spaces for ancestor worship boast their own characteristics.

A traditional house of a Mong ethnic minority family at residential area No.5 in Na Hang Town.

A Mong ethnic house has three compartments including a kitchen with a fire cum bedroom of the house owner, a spacet for ancestor worship and a compartment being the children’s bedroom. Most houses have a small loft to store food, furniture or dried food.

Mong women (daughters-in-law and daughters) are not allowed to climb up to the loft. The daughter-in-law is not allowed to come in to her parents-in-law’s bedroom and vice versa, her parents-in-law are not allowed to enter the daughter-in-law's bedroom. In particular, no one is allowed to sleep at the place of worship.

Nowadays, the Mong ethnic minority people are constantly renewing their traditional houses to suit natural conditions, their daily lives and production while preserving the traditional characteristics of Tuyen Quang Province.