The houses are part of the Ba Na ethnic people’s cultural identity in Kong Chro’s villages.

Kong Chro District currently has 105 Rong houses.

Each village has its own colour selection for local Rong houses

Dinh Bri, 61, who specialises in building these houses, said that Rong houses were used to hold ceremonies and other communal activities of Ba Na people.

He said that Plei Byang is among the biggest and oldest Rong houses in Dak Lak. When Dinh Bri was young, he also participated in the construction and design of the house.

House Plei Byang is nearly 20 metres high and seven metres wide and cost around VND400 million (USD16,806) to build.

A Rong house in Plei Hle Ktu Village, Kong Chro Town, has impressive and sophisticated wooden statues. The house with the two main colours of black and white are made from bamboo, wood and rattan.

Whenever a ceremony is held at Rong houses, local old people go to the houses to prepare. Many young people also provide support.

Every afternoon, groups of young people often gather at Rong houses to play football or volleyball. In the evening, the old tell the young about epic stories at the houses.

Most villages in Kong Chro District have Rong houses. Some even have two or three houses.

In 2018, people in Hle Hlang Village in Kong Chro District contributed a total of around VND1 billion to build a 100-square-metre Rong house.

People now also use modern materials to build Rong houses.