Duong Lam Ancient Village

The ancient village in Duong Lam is one of the outstanding heritage sites of Doai culture, preserving relatively intact the distinctive tangible and intangible values of a traditional rural village in the Red River Delta. With its long history, unique architecture, and customs, festivals, and way of life passed down through many generations, Duong Lam is likened to a “living museum” of the ancient Vietnamese village.

Duong Lam is an ancient land in the Doai region, formerly known as Duong Lam Chau, with the vernacular name Ke Mia. The Duong Lam Ancient Village Relic is a complex of relics associated with the residential space of five villages: Mong Phu, Cam Thinh, Dong Sang, Doai Giap, and Cam Lam, now belonging to the residential groups of Duong Lam, Dong Sang, and Cam Lam. The complex was formed and developed in close connection with the life of the local community and still retains many characteristic traces of a traditional ancient Vietnamese village.

A highlight of Duong Lam Ancient Village is its rich architectural system, harmonious with the natural landscape. Works such as village gates, communal houses, temples, pagodas, shrines, guard posts, ancient wells, clan ancestor houses, tombs, and ancient houses create a distinctive cultural space. In particular, the ancient houses are built mainly with traditional materials, notably laterite, with tiled roofs, gardens, and timber frame systems strongly imbued with the folk architecture style of the North. Along with village roads, hamlet gates, ancient wells, and rural scenery, they create a picture of the Vietnamese countryside that is both familiar and unique.

Not only valuable for its architecture, Duong Lam is also a land rich in historical tradition, associated with the names of many outstanding figures in the nation's history. It is the homeland of King Bo Cai Dai Vuong Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen, two national heroes who made important contributions to the struggle for independence and self-governance. Therefore, Duong Lam is also known as “the village of two kings.” It is also the homeland of Giang Van Minh, a famous envoy and third-ranking laureate of the Later Le dynasty, along with many other notable figures.

Duong Lam currently retains many historical and cultural relics, Han-Nom documents, genealogies, spirit records, inscriptions, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, and folk cultural values. Traditional customs and festivals are also preserved by the community, notably the Mong Phu Communal House Festival, the Phung Hung death anniversary, the Ngo Quyen death anniversary, the wrestling festival at On Pagoda, Buddha's Birthday at Mia Pagoda, and the death anniversary of Giang Van Minh. The festivals not only express the moral principle of “remembering the source when drinking water” but also help maintain the distinctive communal cultural life of Duong Lam residents.

With outstanding historical, architectural, cultural, and landscape values, the Duong Lam Ancient Village Relic was ranked by the State as a National-level Architectural and Artistic Relic under Decision No. 77/2005/QD-BVHTT dated November 28, 2005. To date, Duong Lam has become an attractive cultural and tourism destination, drawing a large number of domestic and international visitors.

Duong Lam Ancient Village is not only a place preserving traces of the past but also a cultural space that exists in the community life of today. With distinctive values preserved through many generations, Duong Lam is a vivid testament to the vitality of Vietnamese village culture, contributing to the unique identity of Son Tay – the Doai region.