This is the only ancient village in Hung Yen, Nom pagoda has the largest gate in Vietnam, countless treasures.

This is a prosperous village with a unique complex of historical and cultural relics that still retain the ancient features of the Vietnamese countryside.

Following Highway 5 from Hanoi to Hai Phong about 40km is Nom village, located in Dai Dong commune, Van Lam district, Hung Yen province. This is the only remaining ancient village of Pho Hien with a unique historical and cultural relic complex that still retains the ancient features of the Vietnamese countryside.

Peaceful, simple ancient village with bold architecture of the Northern Delta countryside

In the past, the villagers had a scrap metal business. People here bought scrap metal and resold it to local bronze foundries and neighboring areas. Thanks to their hard work and creativity in business, Nom village has become increasingly prosperous, creating favorable conditions for cultural activities to develop.

The Nom village relic complex includes the village gate, Nom bridge, communal house, Nom pagoda, Nom market... gathered together like a living museum of rural Vietnam in the middle of the Northern Delta region.

Nom village gate is one of the historical witnesses through two resistance wars of the nation.

When arriving here, Nom village welcomes visitors from near and far with its ancient moss-covered village gate. The elders said that the village gate is over 200 years old. Due to the devastation of war, the village gate has now been degraded but still retains many sophisticated motifs, the gate arch has the words: Dong Cau Nom.

Through the majestic village gate is a red brick road, running from the beginning of the village gate to the banyan tree, the well, and the communal house yard. In the middle of the village is a large pond, the water in the pond is always clear and calm, enhancing the beauty of the rustic, peaceful Nom village typical of the Northern countryside.

The center of Nom village with a complex of relics including Nom village communal house (also known as Tam Giang communal house), banyan tree, well, ancient and majestic system of Nguyen, Tran, Le family temples... gathered around two sides of the village pond. These houses are built in the traditional five-room architecture with garden, yard, main house, outbuilding, kitchen, surrounding fence.

The newly rebuilt stone bridge combines with the mossy features of the old architecture - a perfect example of preserving the beauty of Nom village.

Nom village still has a rare legacy from the past, which is the stone bridge across the Nguyet Duc river .

The bridge is nearly 2m wide, made of monolithic stone slabs, with 9 dragon-head spans carved very delicately. This is a unique and rare bridge that still exists intact after more than 200 years.

Passing through 9 stone bridges is the road leading to Nom market. The market scene is no longer the same as before, but the yin-yang tiled roofs and the market stalls under the crooked red brick walls still make the locals and visitors feel like they are going back to the old market.

Nom village relic complex. Photo: Documents of the Department of Cultural Heritage

Nom Market meets 12 times a month on days ending in 1, 4, 6 and 9. In the past, Nom Market was one of the places that regulated the life of the whole village with the famous copper craft. Unlike the market in the city, Nom Market meets inside unplastered brick houses. The red brick color, broken over time, is like something very nostalgic and old.

In particular, the village also has a sacred Nom pagoda with traditional architecture. According to ancient legend, Nom pagoda was built in the middle of an ancient pine forest. Perhaps that is why the pagoda is also known as Linh Thong ancient pagoda.

Nom Pagoda - the pagoda with the largest three-door gate in Vietnam

The pagoda has structures such as the three-door gate, bell tower, drum tower, three-door shrine, Mother Temple, Ancestor Temple and a vast pagoda yard. Nom Pagoda is also home to more than 100 ancient terracotta statues. Through the vicissitudes of history and the harsh destruction of nature, these statues have survived the test of time and retained their original beauty.

Typical relics at pagodas and communal houses still preserve many valuable artifacts such as Buddha statues, stone incense trees, stone towers, bronze bells, wooden incense altars, parallel sentences, large characters, royal seals, sacred relics, altars, thrones, palanquins, etc. Through many periods of history, great and prolonged floods, the miraculous thing is that these statues still stand the test of time and retain their original beauty.

Currently, Nom Pagoda has more than 100 statues made of clay. This is the pagoda with the largest number of clay statues in Vietnam. Photo: VnExpress

With the above values, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 50/QD-BVHTTDL, dated January 7, 2020, ranking the Nom Village Relic Complex as a National Historical - Architectural and Artistic Relic.

Coming to Nom village, visitors can walk on the red brick road, walk under the shade of ancient longan trees, smell the scent of grapefruit flowers, and admire the complex of National Historical and Architectural Monuments. The most valuable thing in Nom village is the rustic and sincere rural lifestyle that is still maintained almost intact.

Source: https://danviet.vn/day-la-lang-co-doc-nhat-dat-hung-yen-chua-nom-co-tam-quan-lon-nhat-viet-nam-vo-so-bau-vat-20250102144400064.htm