Chicken Village — a K’ho minority village outside Dalat
Chicken Village, also known as Lat Village or Dinh An, sits at the base of Elephant Mountain, roughly 16–18 kilometers south of Dalat city center. It is home to the K’ho ethnic minority — a small farming community that has lived in the Central Highlands for centuries.
The village has no entrance fee and requires no more than 15–30 minutes for most visitors. It works best as one stop on a longer countryside loop, typically as part of an Easy Rider tour or a self-drive day south of Dalat. Without a guide to explain the statue’s story and introduce the local context, the visit can feel underwhelming.
Who are the K’ho people?
The K’ho people are one of Vietnam’s recognized ethnic minority groups, indigenous to the Central Highlands and concentrated in and around Dalat. Traditionally slash-and-burn farmers, they have largely settled into small-scale agriculture — growing vegetables, flowers, and coffee on the hillsides surrounding the city.
K’ho society is matriarchal: women lead households, own property, and initiate marriage proposals. This is relatively rare among Vietnam’s ethnic groups and shapes much of their social structure. Traditionally animist, the K’ho believe in spirits governing nature — mountains, rivers, rice, and the sun — and honor them through ceremonies tied to harvests, weddings, and funerals. Gong music plays a central role in these rituals.
The K’ho are also known for brocade weaving, producing colorful handwoven textiles that remain both a practical craft and a source of income, particularly in villages like this one that receive a trickle of visitors.
History and the legend of the nine-spur chicken
The name Chicken Village has nothing to do with farming. It comes from a legend — and a concrete statue built to honor it.
The story follows two young people from rival highland villages: Her Bian and K’Lang. The villages were at war, and their families refused to allow them to marry. Her Bian’s parents eventually relented on one condition — K’Lang had to bring a chicken with nine spurs as the dowry. He went into the forest to find one. He never came back. Her Bian followed. She never came back either. The two died in the forest, cut off from their families and from each other.
The elders of the village took the tragedy as a lesson. The impossible dowry demand had cost two lives. A wooden chicken statue was erected as a symbol — a shared dowry for the whole village, so that no one would ever have to enter the forest again in search of one. Over time, the wooden statue was replaced with the current concrete version.
It is worth noting that several versions of this story exist. Guides tell it slightly differently depending on who trained them and which details stuck. Some versions frame it more like a Romeo and Juliet story of feuding tribes; others focus more on the dowry custom itself. The core message is consistent: the statue stands as a rejection of a tradition that caused harm.
The legend is also connected to Lang Bian Mountain, the prominent peak north of Dalat, which is named after the same two lovers — K’Lang and Her Bian.
What to see and do at Chicken Village
1. The chicken statue
The concrete rooster is the first thing you see and the main reason most people stop. It stands roughly 3–4.5 meters tall in the center of the village, painted and propped up with an extra concrete leg added at some point to keep it standing. It is not an impressive piece of craftsmanship. But it is undeniably strange — a large, festive statue in the middle of a quiet, modest farming village — and that contrast is part of what makes it stick in the memory.
It is worth a look and a photo. Once you know the story behind it, it means more than it first appears. Beyond that, there is not much to linger over at the statue itself.
2. Traditional weaving
The most genuinely interesting thing to do in Chicken Village is watching the K’ho women weave. A handful of locals run small stalls near the statue where they produce handmade brocade textiles on traditional looms — scarves, bags, and fabric in bright, geometric patterns. The work is slow and skilled, and seeing it done by hand adds real context to what you are looking at.
Buying something here is a direct way to support local families. Prices are reasonable and sellers are not pushy. Bring cash, as there are no card readers.
3. Walking through the village
A short walk through the village gives a sense of daily life — dirt roads, modest homes, small vegetable and flower farms, pine-covered hills in the background. Children are often around and tend to be friendly toward visitors.
Do not expect anything staged or organized. Chicken Village is a working residential village, not a cultural attraction in the formal sense. That is both its limitation and its appeal.
Location and getting there
Where is Chicken Village?
Chicken Village sits in Hiep An commune, about 16–18 kilometers south of Dalat city center, at the base of Elephant Mountain. It lies close to Lien Khuong Airport — roughly 9 kilometers away — which makes it a convenient stop if you are arriving or departing Dalat by road and want to break the journey.
How to get there
Easy Rider tour is the best way to visit. A good guide brings the statue to life, tells the legend, and folds Chicken Village into a broader countryside loop that makes the stop feel worthwhile. Without that context, the visit is noticeably thinner.
Self-drive motorbike is straightforward. Head south from Dalat on Highway 20 and follow the signs. The roads are in reasonable condition and the route is manageable for confident riders.
Private car with driver is the most comfortable option, particularly if you are combining Chicken Village with waterfalls further south along Highway 20.
On the way south — places to combine
Chicken Village is not close to much in particular. It sits on Highway 20 heading south from Dalat, which means it naturally falls on the route to several destinations further down the road. If you are planning a day trip to any of the following, passing through Chicken Village adds almost no extra time.
Samten Hills Dalat is a well-regarded boutique retreat south of the city. Chicken Village sits on the road between Dalat and Samten Hills.
Gougah Waterfall lies about 35 kilometers south on Highway 20 — a wide, layered waterfall with a distinctive jade-green tinge. One of the more worthwhile waterfall stops south of Dalat.
Pongour Waterfall is around 50 kilometers south and one of the wider waterfalls in the region. The Highway 20 route passes Chicken Village on the way. Note that the Ta Nung Pass route to Pongour is more scenic and passes better stops — it just does not go through Chicken Village.
Bao Dai Waterfall is about 60 kilometers south and considerably more remote. It suits travelers making a dedicated full-day run south of Dalat rather than a casual stop.
Practical information
Opening hours and time needed
Chicken Village has no set opening hours. The village is accessible during daylight and there is no gate or ticket booth. Most visitors spend 15–30 minutes here — enough to see the statue, browse the weaving stalls, and take a short walk. If you stop to watch the weaving or chat with locals, an hour is plenty.
Costs
There is no entrance fee. If you plan to buy from the weaving stalls, bring cash. There are no card readers in the village.
Facilities
There are no tourist facilities at Chicken Village — no café, no restaurant, no public toilets. Plan accordingly, especially if visiting with children. The nearest facilities are back toward Dalat or further south along Highway 20.
Etiquette
Chicken Village is a residential village, not a tourist attraction in the formal sense. Walk around respectfully and ask before photographing people, particularly children. Buying from the weaving stalls is a simple and direct way to leave something behind for the families who live here.
Is Dalat’s Chicken Village worth visiting?
Chicken Village is worth a stop if it is already on your route — which it will be if you are heading south from Dalat toward Pongour, Gougah, or Samten Hills. In that context, a 20-minute pause adds almost nothing to your travel time and gives you a story worth telling.
As a standalone destination, it is harder to recommend. The village is quiet, the statue is odd rather than impressive, and without someone to explain the legend it can feel like a lot of driving for very little. Several visitors describe the same experience: they arrived with low expectations, spent fifteen minutes looking at a large concrete chicken, and somehow still remembered it weeks later. That says something, even if it is difficult to explain.
The weaving is the most genuinely interesting element. If you take the time to stop at one of the stalls and watch how the fabric is made, the visit has more to offer than the statue alone suggests.
The best version of this stop is on an Easy Rider tour, where a guide frames it properly and folds it into a broader day in the countryside. That context changes the experience considerably. On your own, without that layer, Chicken Village is exactly what it looks like from the road — a small farming village with a very large chicken.
