Facing modernity
Tuesday, 10.21.2008, 07:54am (GMT)
| For residents of Duong Lam Village on the outskirts of Hanoi, the red hue of hundreds of centuries-old laterite houses in the narrow alleyways snaking through their village represents tradition and culture.
The village has been farming rice for over 1,000 years. Communal houses with tiled roofs and stone walls, used for meetings, create an atmosphere that captures the closeness of small communities of the past centuries.
Duong Lam Village was founded some 1,200 years ago, with most local houses erected around 400 years ago. Located in the city of Son Tay, 45 kilometers from the capital, the village became a National Heritage site in 2006 – the only village in the nation that has received such an honor.
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A local resident washes his clothes by the pond. |
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Large earthen jars store soybeans for the purpose of making soy sauce, a traditional village trade. |
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Bicyclists in a narrow alleyway lined with antique houses, against a backdrop of new modern homes that are changing the soul of the village. |
The village covers nine hamlets, including five – Doai Giap, Dong Sang, Cam Thinh, Cam Lam and Mong Phu – that are interconnected with one another. Mong Phu is the most renowned hamlet, hosting a total of 13 historic residences.
According to some residents, the village’s unique architecture originates from its proximity to two laterite deposits in the Red River Delta, specifically in Ha Tay Province and Bac Ninh Province. The soil is very hard to excavate, but when used for construction purposes, grows thicker and stronger as time goes by. Villagers built their houses, temple walls, gates and wells out of laterite | | | |
Repoted by: Thu Hien Nhat Hai., JSC
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