Duong Lam, Ancient Vietnamese Village

Duong Lam Village ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Duong Lam, an ancient Vietnamese village about 47 kilometres from Hanoi is a gem of a place to visit. We went one weekend to see for ourselves. The market was in full swing when we arrived in the village. We parked and started to go around this typical Vietnamese rural village. But many things are not typical here in Duong Lam.

Some of the old structures, pagodas, ancestral homes, common houses, and wells date back hundreds of years. Two Vietnamese kings were also born here.

Old Stove in Duong Lam ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Going around the village, old doors and windows intrigued us as they often do. Then, the owners of some of these family pagodas invited us to come in and have a peek at these ancient structures. We were really impressed with how well preserved some are. The furniture were still there as well as the tools they used to polish the rice and to grind the corn. They still have their family wells and some still cook in the old kitchen.

One ancestral pagoda, about 400 years old, surprised us most especially because it was Holy Saturday. This pagoda did not have the usual statues. Instead, at the centre is the picture of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help and around are pictures of saints in the Catholic Church. The owner's grandfather became Catholic during the French period so he has an altar in his pagoda.

Aside from this, he showed us how he makes rice wine. In fact, he made us sample some. It was sweet with a lovely smell.

We visited the 18th century Mong Phu communal house as well as the other family pagodas. The people are very friendly. We ended our visit in the Mia Pagoda and joined the locals in asking for a blessing.

Other Places to Explore in Vietnam:

West Lake, Hanoi
Perfume Pagoda