Located about 50 km from Hanoi, Duong Lam Ancient Village is a famous tourist destination and the first ancient village in Vietnam to be recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Heritage Site by the State in 2006.

With its distinctive features of architecture and art, Duong Lam Ancient Village can be considered the third-largest in scale and artistic value after Hoi An Ancient Town and Hanoi Old Quarter, making it a prominent tourism spot in Hanoi. The village still preserves about 956 traditional ancient houses.

Duong Lam Ancient Village, often commented on as "one village, two kings", is the birthplace of King Phung Hung and King Ngo Quyen. Therefore, Duong Lam Ancient village is closely associated with historical and cultural relics, Confucianism, making every visitor eager to explore the area.

1. What to visit in Duong Lam Ancient Village

1.1. Mong Phu village gate and communal house

Our Duong Lam Ancient Village tour starts from the outside in, starting off with the Mong Phu gate. The Mong Phu gate was built on the main road into the village during the 16th and 17th centuries, in the Le dynasty. The width of the gate is sufficient for a truck to pass through, facing southeast, to the west you can see the ancestral mountain (Tan Vien mountain) from afar. In front of the gate are banyan and bamboo trees, on the right is a lotus pond, and on the left is the village health station. The gate is constructed in the "thuong gia ha mon" style (with the house above and the gate below), with two sloping tiled roofs. Originally, the village gate had 4 doors, but in 1951, it was renovated into 2 doors. Mong Phu gate was recognized by the country as a Historical and Cultural Relic in 2008.

The ancient Mong Phu communal house in Duong Lam ancient village was built in 1684, featuring a distinctive Vietnamese-Muong architecture with elevated and wooden floors. The complex includes the ceremonial gate, the communal yard, and two halls named Ta Mac and Huu Mac on either side, with the main hall in the center. The main hall is supported by 48 wooden columns, each intricately carved with motifs of dragons and phoenixes. Upon entering, you will admire numerous ancient couplets dating back hundreds of years. The most prominent ones include the couplet "the old dragon teaches the young," depicting an old dragon imparting wisdom to its offspring, and the couplet "courageous beyond imagination," bestowed by King Thanh Thai.

Duong Lam ancient houses

Mr Hung’s ancient house

Duong Lam Ancient Village boasts many unique garden houses constructed using laterite and wood aging up to 300 to 400 years. One such ancient house, nearly 400 years old, is owned by the family of Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, the 12th generation to live in this residence. The entrance gate of the house is built with laterite. Mr. Hung explains, "When building a house, men in each family typically go to dig up laterite stones buried deep in the ground, cut them into square blocks, stack them on top of each other, and then use rice husks and mud to create a binding material."

The main house is structured in the style of 5 compartments and 2 lean-tos. The three middle compartments serve as the ancestral worship area, alongside the arrangement of a carved wooden horizontal lacquered board used for receiving guests. The two compartments on the sides are used as bedrooms.

The system of rafters and beams made of intricately carved wood depicts delicate dragon motifs. Inside the house, various valuable antique items with cultural and historical significance are displayed, including porcelain vases, ceramic bowls, and three-legged bronze trays, reflecting the cultural and historical richness of the dwelling.

Mr The’s ancient house

The ancient house of Mr. Ha Huu The's family in Duong Lam Ancient village, is over 300 years old and still remarkably preserves its distinctive original architecture. Mr. Ha Huu The's ancient home covers an area of about 400m2, including the main house, yard, and garden. The details of the house have almost remained intact, from the architectural style to the building materials, such as wooden frames, red roof tiles, clay walls and stone floors.

The main house is the largest component, serving as the residence for the family and the place for ancestral worship. Accordingly, the main house consists of 7 compartments and 2 lean-tos, facing southwest. The roof is tiled, the floor is paved with fired bricks, and the walls are made of laterite stones with rustic and wooden columns. The components are constructed entirely using mortise and tenon joints without any iron nails. Another special feature is that as soon as you enter the courtyard, you will catch a faint whiff of the fragrance from the neatly arranged soy sauce jars. Don't forget to buy this famous and delicious sauce as a souvenir!

Mrs Dien’s ancient house

When visiting Duong Lam Ancient Village, the ancient house of Mrs. Dien is a must-visit if you want to fully explore the traditional culture of ancient Northern Vietnam. This 200-year-old house bears the marks of time through layers of moss and cracked tiles with faded colors, or even the vintage style of decoration. When visiting you’ll find a 93 year old lady, a descendant of Mrs. Điền, who will welcome and share with us the historical values of the house.

She will probably offer you the specialties of the village such as “Che Lam” and Voi tea as well. On rainy and cold days, having a cup of hot tea and enjoying these specialties is nothing short of wonderful. The traditional house, with three sections in the style of ancient Northern architecture, features an ancestral altar placed in the center facing the entrance. Outside the courtyard are flower gardens and long-standing wine jars, creating a picturesque scene.

Tham Hoa Giang Van Minh worship house

Tham Hoa Giang Văn Minh worship house was built during the reign of Emperor Tu Duc to worship and commemorate the contributions of the talented ambassador Tham Hoa Giang Van Minh - who was born right here in Duong Lam ancient village. Currently, his tomb along with the church are both located in the Mong Phu village area. The church area covers 400m2, constructed in the shape of the Chinese character "二", comprising the Main Hall and the Rear Hall facing east. Additionally, there are other components such as the yard, gate, garden, and architectural features with decorative patterns in the style of the Nguyen dynasty.

Within the church, several precious artifacts are preserved, including couplets, stone steles, incense burners, and bronze ornaments. Today, the church is classified as a historical and cultural relic, becoming an attractive destination for tourists interested in learning about history and culture. Simultaneously, it serves as a place for educating the younger generation about patriotic traditions.

Phung Hung Temple and Ngo Quyen Temple

What’s special about Duong Lam Ancient Village is that it’s the birthplace of two major Vietnamese kings: Phung Hung, who rose up and gathered national heroes to reclaim the land from the Duong Dynasty and Ngo Quyen - the leader who defeated the Southern Han army in the Battle of Bach Dang, officially ending nearly a thousand years of Northern domination and ushering in a long-lasting period of independence for Vietnam.

Although shrines dedicated to Phung Hung are found in various places, the temple in Duong Lam Village has the largest scale and the most unique architecture, including the Great Hall, Left and Right Mac Halls, and the Rear Palace. In the temple, there is the “Phung tu bi ky” stele engraved in the Doai Giap Communal House in the fourth year of Hong Duc (1473), which contains a lot of information about the life and career of Phung Hung. Every year on the 8th day of the lunar January, the people of Duong Lam, along with the descendants of the Phung family and visitors from all directions, gather here to show their deep respect for him.

Located about 500m from the temple of Phung Hung, the temple and the tomb of Ngo Quyen is built on the Forbidden Hill, with fields and the Hum pond flowing into the Tich River in front. The temple complex includes the worship area, the main hall, stone stele house, and the rear palace. About 100m below the temple is the tomb of King Ngo Quyen, constructed in the shape of a four-sided roof on a raised platform with a surrounding wall.

Doai Creative

Doai Creative, located amidst Duong Lam Village, is a space for art exhibitions and creativity. Doai Creative is transformed from an old row of kiosks that have deteriorated in Duong Lam Ancient Village, reviving ancient architecture, bringing freshness to the ancient village.

This is a venue for various artistic and creative activities, workshops, which help further develop Doai's traditional culture, a.k.a the culture of Son Tay. What makes it unique is that this space allows people to express creativity, using materials from the ancient village itself. Mr. Khuat Van Thang, the creator of Doai Creative, has collected old tiles discarded during house renovations. Tourists can paint or mold clay onto these tiles and take their completed artworks home, carrying a piece of the Doai essence with them.

2. How to get to Duong Lam Ancient Village

Located in the outskirts of Hanoi, traveling to Duong Lam Ancient Village is quite convenient. You can reach Duong Lam Ancient Village by the following methods :

By Bus

There are three bus routes from Hanoi to Duong Lam Ancient Village:

- Route 71 from My Dinh Bus Station to Son Tay Bus Station, ticket price 20,000 VND.

- Route 73 from My Dinh Bus Station to Thay Pagoda, ticket price 10,000 VND.

- Route 89 from Yen Nghia Bus Station to Son Tay Bus Station, ticket price 9,000 VND.

From Son Tay Bus Station, you can take a motorbike taxi (xe ôm) or a taxi to Duong Lam Ancient Village.

By Personal Vehicle

From Hanoi, it is easy to travel to Duong Lam Ancient Village by motorbike or car. There are two routes you can consider:

- Take Thang Long Avenue, turn right at the Hoa Lac intersection, follow Road 21 through Son Loc to the intersection with Road 32. You will see signs directing you to Duong Lam.

- Take Road 32 to Son Tay town, and at the intersection with Road 21, there is a turn into the village on the left.

3. Final thoughts

When it comes to scenery and architecture, Duong Lam doesn't boast many extravagant elements like the intricacies of the Hue Imperial City, the breathtaking landscapes of coastal tourist destinations, or the majestic beauty of the Northwest mountains and forests. However, Duong Lam Ancient Village’s charm lies in the tranquility that it gives you, just by being among the houses that were built centuries ago. 

A short day trip to admire the different colors of Duong Lam Ancient Village is undoubtedly a memorable experience. You only need to set aside a day of rest, take a bus or drive there, and the cost is very affordable. It's close enough yet far enough to "escape the city" with family, friends, or loved ones, to enjoy moments without the hustle and bustle of urban life. Only here can you find the genuine "affection" of the rural people, the serene atmosphere in every small house's courtyard.

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=> A full day tour to Duong Lam