After giving their houses and land for the Dakdrinh Hydropower Plant project in 2014, nearly 100 households in Son Tay District were given new houses in a nearby resettlement area. Each house was built with a cost of between VND 300-500 million on an area of between 65-85 square metres.
Despite having new houses compared to their old stilt houses and cottages, many of the Ca Dong ethnic minority people preferred to build their traditional stilt houses next to them or moved to other places to set up their traditional houses.
The family of Dinh Thi May have built a stilt house in front of the new house they were given. She said that most of the family didn't feel comfortable living in the provided house.
"We decided to build a house following our traditional style so that we can continue our normal daily life activities," May explained. "Our traditional house has a big fireplace in the middle where we prepare our meals, conduct rituals and ceremonies and receive guests. The other house is now only used by the children who sleep and study there while most of our activities are held in our stilt-house."
May said that most of her neighbours have also had to build stilt houses so many of the houses in this resettlement area have been abandoned.
"Some of my neighbours have moved to other places to live near their farm," she said.
Vice chairman of Son Tay District People's Committee, Dinh Truong Giang, admitted that local authorities and the investors of the hydropower plant had failed to study the lifestyles of the Ca Dong ethnic group before building the resettlement area for them, wasting huge amounts of money.
