Mai Chau District

Mai Châu District
—  District  —
Country	Vietnam
Region	Northwest
Province	Hoa Binh Province
Capital	Mai Chau
Area
- Total	200.8 sq mi (520 km2)
Population (2003)
- Total	48,570
Time zone	UTC + 7 (UTC+7)

Mai Chau (Vietnamese: Mai Châu) is a district (huyện) of Hoa Binh Province in the northwestern region of Vietnam. The district is located at about 160 km from Ha Noi. The scenery of Mai Chau attracts many tourists^{[citation needed]}.

In 2003 the district had a population of 48,570.^[1] The district covers an area of 520 km². The district capital is the city of Mai Chau.^[1]

Geographical Features

Mai Chau is a mountainous region located in Hoa Binh province, approximately 135 km from Hanoi and 65km from Hoa Binh.

Cultural Overview

The Ban Lac People have Thai ancestors that settled in the North-Western area of Vietnam. The two tribes, White Thai and black Thai, settled in the same area and make up the largest ethnic population of the region.

Architecture

The Mai Chau area is well known for its stilt houses. The type of stilt houses, or pile dwellings, they construct are called Thai stilt houses and are made of bamboo and timber. These houses are elevated 10-12 feet off the ground in order to avoid water damage and shelter animals from the elements.

Environmental Pressures

Mai Chau faces several environmental concerns;

• Deforestation - Land continues to be cleared in order to produce more crops
• Trash - Mai Chau faces a garbage disposal problem and this is evident in the diminishing quality of their water courses.
• Tourism - A gradual influx of tourists puts strain on the local environment

Tourism

• 

  Stilt house

• 

  Stilt house

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Districts of Vietnam". Statoids. http://www.statoids.com/yvn.html. Retrieved March 13, 2009. 

External links

• Mai Châu mùa xuân
• Mai Châu Trekking

Coordinates: 20°40′01″N 105°00′00″E / 20.667°N 105.000°E / 20.667; 105.000