1. Overview
Duong Lam village is in Son Tay, which is 50 kilometers from Hanoi. It is right at the intersection between Ho Chi Minh and 32 Roads. Duong Lam village is the hometown of two famous kings, Bo Cai Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen. That is why it is called The land of 2 kings. In 2006, it was considered the first ancient village in Vietnam.
Duong Lam Festival on January
Every year, people come to visit the place, especially during festival time. It is held in January, lunar calendar. The festival lasts 6 days, from the 4th to the 10th. At that time, people will join the ceremony of Thanh Hoang at the oldest temple in the village. At that time, people will see such activities as palanquin processions, pig offerings, and chicken offerings. All people can join folk games to relax. You can take part in human chess, be blindfolded to catch ducks. Six days later, another festival will take place at Dong Sang to wish for peace in the country.
2. Things to do at Duong Lam ancient village
2.1. Cycling around the beautiful road.
Cycling around the ancient village, going through the small roads, discovering the daily life of local people is an extremely interesting experience for tourists, especially Duong Lam ancient village is a very peaceful place and the people are very friendly.
2.2. Ancient houses in Duong Lam Village
Visiting an ancient house is a good way for all tourists to understand the culture of a place. In Duong Lam Village, there are many private houses for customers to visit during the trip. It includes 956 houses, all of which have 5 or 7 compartments. Bamboo, terracotta bricks, tiles, laterite, or sawdust are the main materials. There will be the main home, a kitchen, a well, a garden, a yard in a large ancient house. If you want to discover the design and the culture of local people, come to see some famous homes in the village.
Duong Lam ancient house
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Mr.Hung's old house: It is a peaceful house with many trees and full of deep brown soy sauce pots. All the objects are ancient and include even a list of horizontal lacquered boards and couplets.
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Mrs.Lan’s old house: her house has many horn-shaped ornaments. The siller is so high that all customers need to bow down. This kind of house shows that its owner is a successful person in the past.
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Mrs.Dien’s old house: the ancient design of the house is the first thing you can impress when walking inside for the first step. It is more than 200 years old! Unbelievable! Travelers can come to take pictures, enjoy peanut candies and talk to Mrs.Dien. Although she is more than 93, she is still very sagacious.
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3. Where to go in Duong Lam ancient village?
If you have a chance to visit this place, do not forget to get to such destinations. These lists are the must-visit places in Duong Lam ancient village.
3.1. Mong Phu village gate - 400 years old
People built the gate in 1553, during the reign of King Le Than Tong. It is the main gate of Duong Lam village, opening to the Southeast. People say this is a good direction and will bring good signals for richness. There is a 400-year-old banyan tree. On the gate, there are also two numbers, 3 and 11. According to Feng Shui, 11 is the symbol for mental capacity, and 3 is a special number, to bring good things to the town.
3.2. Mong Phu Temple - an ancient architecture
People built Mong Phu temple during the Le Hien Tong King dynasty. The temple includes Nghi Mon, Ta Mac Huu Mac, Dai Dinh, and Xich Hau. Nghi Mon has four square pillars, two are large and two are small. It is also the main gate of the temple. Ta Mac and Huu Mac show left and right houses. Each house has five small compartments to worship ancestors and meritorious people of the village. Dai Dinh includes five compartments built by forty-eight wooden columns. Each column has a diameter of 50-60cm. It is decorated with many carved patterns of flying dragons and dancing phoenixes. Xich Hau is the place to serve guests and prepare for the ceremony. Mong Phu temple even has many horizontal lacquered boards and couplets. With special design, in1984, the village was considered a national historical and cultural relic.
Mong Phu temple
3.3. Mia Pagoda - the pagoda with most beautiful statues
Mia pagoda, also Sung Nghiem Tu, is a famous place in Duong Lam Village. It is well-known as the temple holds the most artistic statues in Vietnam (287 statues). You may not know, but Mia Pagoda is among the top oldest pagodas in our country. Mia Pagoda includes Tam Quan, Thuong Dien, Chinh Dien, Nha To, and Gac Chuong.
Mia pagoda
Tam Quan is the gate of the pagoda, including two floors. On the right of Tam Quan is the ancient bell hanging high. On the left, there is a banana tree. It is also opposite Bo Cai Dai Vuong temple. Thuong Dien, Chinh Dien, and Nha To are places for worship, where customers can see many famous statues. Gac Chuong has three compartments with the design of 2 storeys and eight roofs. It includes two ancient bells cast in 1745 and 1846. Mia Pagoda also has a famous Cuu Pham Lien Hoa stupa. It is the place to worship the Buddha's relics. The stupa has nine floors, 13 high with many doorways with lotus flower images.
Cuu Pham Lien Hoa stupa
3.4. Phung Hung Temple
Phung Hung temple (worship Bo Cai Dai Vuong) was established in many places in Vietnam, however here in Cam Lam is the largest scale with the most unique architecture, contains the most historical and cultural values.
The temple today we can see is due to a major restoration in 1889 (the reign of King Thanh Thai) and the influence of Nguyen architecture in the early XX century.
3.5. Ngo Quyen Temple and Tomb
About 500m from Phung Hung temple is Ngo Quyen temple and tomb this complex was built on Cam Hill.
Ngo Quyen Temple was built a long time ago and has been restored many times. The most recent renovation was during the reign of King Tu Duc (1848-1883). This is quite a spacious area, in front are rice fields stretching endlessly with the cool air.
Read more: Hanoi tours to visit Duong Lam ancient village or other attractions place outside Hanoi capital.
4. What to eat at Duong Lam village?
Duong Lam, although not a very famous place or a busy center, still has good dishes. Such as Mia chicken, Banh Te, Che Lam, and roasted pork. These are delicious specialties in this area. Do not miss to enjoy the food when you have a chance.
We hope you all will have a wonderful tour of Duong Lam ancient village. Besides, that visitors can combine to visit Ba Vi national park or Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism nearby, come and share with us what you feel after visiting this place. Hope that you will have a happy time!
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Author Hoan Nguyen
He has over 10 years of experience working in the tourism sector and operator. He has traveled to many places in Vietnam and around the world.
