YAMEN OF THE KING OF THE MEO (HMÔNG)

Built between 1920 and 1928 for Vuong Chinh Duc (1865-1947). Cost of the building site: 150,000 pieces of silver. Born in Sa Phin in a noble family of the Hmông ethnic group, Vuong Chinh Duc made his fortune through the opium trade. He gradually established his domination on the Dông Van plateau and had a small army that enabled him to conduct skillful politics in troubled times. In 1913, a treaty signed with the French authorities established its authority over this border territory. But the title of King of the Hmông would in fact go to the son and successor of Vuong Chinh Duc, Vuong Chi Sinh (1886-1962) who led the victorious resistance against the Japanese troops.

The architecture is modelled on that of the yamen (the official residence of the mandarins) of the Manchu Qing dynasty, but some ornamental motifs borrow from the cultural world of the Hmong. Divided into 3 sections, the palace has 64 rooms. The structure, built by craftsmen from Yunnan, makes abundant use of precious woods and the roofs are covered with yin-yang tiles. It is also a small fort, with dungeon, surrounding wall and loopholes.

In August 1945, Vuong Chi Sinh, who sided with the Revolution, became a member of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and President of Dông Van District. He died in Hanoi in 1962 and now lies to the right of the entrance to the palace, which is still officially the "residence of the Vuong family".