A masterly double flight staircase leads up to this building, which is organised around a vast courtyard, calling to mind both the Palace of Versailles and a Chinese pagoda... which makes sense, as the architects were French and Chinese. It was the palace of a clan leader, Hoang Yen Chao, who took control of the region from 1905 to 1958 and proclaimed himself king of the Hmong. Of the 36 rooms, those on the ground floor are open to visitors, presenting an opportunity to learn more about him and Bac Ha District.