According to the Management Board of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark, the history related to these stone stilt houses dates back to the late 16th century. At that time, after moving to Cao Bang, the Mac dynasty immediately decided to build citadels to protect the country's borders. Stone houses were also built by that time. Solid stone walls are formed by stones of various sizes stacked together, using an additional binder made from a mixture of limestone and sand. When completed, the wall thickness can be more than 30cm, clearly showing the indigenous, unique creativity of the Tay ethnic people.
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The roofs of the stilt houses are covered with yin and yang tiles, which gives the houses on stilts in Khuoi Ky Cao Bang stone village a rare antique look. The structure of each stone stilt house usually consists of 3 compartments with different functions, depending on the number of members of each family. The road leading to the village is paved with cobblestone. The village is currently home to 16 Tay ethnic households and 14 stone-built houses on stilts, which were constructed in the 16th century.
The houses in the village are surrounded by stone fences, which have existed for hundreds of years. In an area of about 10,000m2, 16 houses in Khuoi Ky stand together, symbolising the strong bond between families. The remaining area of the village is used for agricultural cultivation. The custom of building stone houses comes from the Tay people's belief in the worshipping of the Stone God. They believe that the Stone God has strong natural powers that can protect them and bless them with a peaceful life. It takes around two to three years to build a stone house on stilts. The area of the house depends on the number of people in the family.
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Although it houses only a dozen households, Khuoi Ky is still an exemplary community-based tourism village in Cao Bang province. In 2008, it was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a typical traditional cultural village of ethnic minorities.
Since 2016, thanks to the authorities’ attention and investment to support locales in developing community-based tourism, 14 local households in Khuoi Ky have participated in this model. This has helped them earn more stable sources of livelihood, and improve their quality of life.