Roofing in Vietnam

Vietnam stretches from the cool, mountainous north to the hot Mekong Delta, and its roofs range accordingly: boat-shaped and turtle-shell roofs on ancient stilt houses, curved clay-tile roofs on temples and communal halls, glazed imperial roofs in Hue, and the flat concrete roofs of today's narrow urban "tube houses".

Climate and hazards

The north has a subtropical climate with a cool winter; the centre and south are tropical. The central coast is regularly struck by typhoons and floods, and the whole country receives intense monsoon rain. Roofs must shed heavy rain, resist wind, and in the north help keep houses warm in winter as well as cool in summer.

Roofing history

Ancient period. Bronze drums of the Dong Son culture depict stilt houses (nha san) built of wood and bamboo. Two roof types are shown: one curving upward at the ends like a boat and one curving down like a turtle shell.

Dynastic era. Under the Ly dynasty, palaces had roofs of white and blue glazed tiles, and curved tile roofs were decorated with leaf, dragon and phoenix ornaments. Terracotta dragons and roof ornaments survive from the Tran dynasty (1225-1400). Under the Le dynasty, wooden palaces had yellow and green glazed tile roofs, and from this period Chinese-style bracket sets (dougong) were rarely or never used.

Nguyen dynasty and Hue. Hue became the capital of a unified Vietnam in 1802 and remained the seat of the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. The Imperial City was begun under Emperor Gia Long in 1804 and enlarged to its present scale in 1833. Its principal halls, including the Thai Hoa throne hall, were built in the trung thiem diep oc style, a double-roofed form in which two roofs are joined front to back over one building. Upper floors of palaces carried yellow and green glazed tiles. Ordinary northern houses in this period had timber or thatched roofs.

War and restoration. Much of the Hue citadel was burned in a six-week battle in 1947, and during the 1968 Tet Offensive most of its buildings were lost; only about 10 of 160 remained as major sites. Restoration has proceeded in stages using traditional techniques and materials (for example Thai Binh Lau in 1990-1991 and the rebuilt Tay Khuyet Dai in 2012), and the Complex of Hue Monuments was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993.

Colonial and modern. Under French rule, cement came into wide use. After 1954, architects in the south adapted modernism to the local climate.

Traditional and vernacular roofs

• Nha san (stilt house): timber and bamboo, raised on posts; the type is depicted on Dong Son bronze drums and is still built in rural and upland areas.
• Yin-yang tile roofs (ngoi am duong): curved clay tiles laid alternately face up and face down. The Tay and Nung of Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces still make them by hand (see separate entry).
• Temple and communal-hall roofs: steep, large-span roofs of red clay tile are a defining feature of Vietnamese temples. Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta has a long tile-making tradition.
• Nha ruong: timber-framed houses of the central and southern regions.

Roofing today

The 2019 Population and Housing Census reported that 93.1% of households lived in well-built (permanent) or semi-permanent houses, with average living space of about 23.5 m2 (253 sq ft) per person. Reinforced-concrete flat roofs are common on urban tube houses and apartment blocks.

Industry

Handmade clay tile production continues in craft villages such as Lung Ri in Cao Bang, recognised as a traditional craft village by the province in 2024. Vinh Long is known as a centre of red ceramics.

Notable roofs

• Complex of Hue Monuments (UNESCO, 1993): Thai Hoa Palace and the Imperial City.
• Village communal houses (dinh): large, steep tiled roofs over timber frames.

Local roofing terms

• ngoi - roof tile; ngoi am duong - yin-yang tile
• nha san - stilt house
• dinh - village communal house
• trung thiem diep oc - double-roof hall form (Hue)

Sources and gaps

Census figures for roof materials, code references and industry data: published information is limited.