Despite experiencing ups and downs, Duong Lam Commune still maintains the image of a traditional Vietnamese village, with a gate, banyan tree, well and lotus pond. Duong Lam is the first old village to be ranked as a national heritage site.
If Hanoi and the city of Hoi An are considered museums of urban life, the old village of Duong Lam is a symbol of life in rural areas. Passing through an old village gate under a huge 300 year old banyan tree's shade onto small streets, with tiled houses, laterite walls and other old buildings, highlights the characteristics of an agricultural village in a wet rice civilization.
There are 956 traditional houses in Duong Lam village. Among these, are houses that date back as far as 1649, 1703 and 1850. The oldest house is more than 400 years old in which a funeral oration in Chinese characters written on a plank is still maintained.
This old house in Duong Lam Village has the typical features of a Red River Delta dwelling in terms of architecture and building materials (wood, laterite and tile). The "soul" of the old houses in the village are expressed through the laterite wall and gate, paved path, high threshold and worshiping room. The house gate is in the shape of a basket strap and built with laterite. Each house is a symbol of history and a solemn worshiping place of a family.
House gate: Village streets are in the shape of a fish bone with a main road connecting other smaller roads. People in the village can go home in anyway. Traveling along deserted village streets surrounded by spotted laterite walls provides a peaceful atmosphere. Tourists having visited the village can not forget the brown color of the laterite wall alight in the late afternoon sun.
People in Duong Lam Commune are clearly aware of their village's cultural values. They know that their beautiful village attracts thousands of tourists to experience rural life.
Village street: Laterite is a valuable construction material in Duong Lam Commune. Laterite has a special feature that is the older the better. Laterite helps people in Duong Lam Commnue to reduce effort when constructing their houses. Houses built with laterite are cool in summer and warm in winter. People in Mong Phu Village, Duong Lam Commune said that their ancestors had to quarry the laterite - strenuous work to build their houses. Each laterite piece measures some 15-40cm.sq. Time makes laterite much stronger and seems to have strengthened the people in Duong Lam Commune's belief in their life and love for their homeland.
