Unleashing the potential of Uoc Le ancient village.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, the ancient village of Ước Lễ in Dân Hòa commune (Hanoi) still preserves the distinctive cultural hallmarks of a long-standing Northern Vietnamese countryside.
Hà Nội Mới•21/06/2026
Over the centuries, this place has not only been famous for its traditional sausage-making craft, but also possesses many valuable heritage assets such as the Uoc Le village gate, the ancient wooden lamps, and the system of statues at So Pagoda.
The gate of Uoc Le village - a sacred symbol of this land. Photo: Contributor.
Beneath the moss-covered roof of the Ước Lễ village gate, locals are familiar with the sight of visitors stopping to take photos and learn about the village's history. It's not just an architectural highlight, but also a repository of memories for generations of local people.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, an elder in the village, shared that he has been attached to the ancient village gate since childhood. Having witnessed many changes in his homeland, he still considers the village gate a sacred symbol of this land.
“No matter how far away Uoc Le people go, they always remember the village gate. Every time they return home, seeing the village gate feels like they’ve come home. It’s not just an architectural structure, but also the pride of generations of people,” Mr. Hung said.
According to historical records, the gate was built during the Later Le Dynasty in the "upper house, lower bridge" architectural style, meaning the upper part is a house, and the lower part is a bridge gate. This is a rare architectural style among Vietnamese village gates that still exist today.
The gate is built of ancient bricks using traditional arched techniques. Above it is a small tiled-roof house, reflecting the distinctive architectural style of Northern Vietnam. The large inscriptions, couplets, and decorative patterns preserved on the structure demonstrate the technical skill and aesthetic sense of the local inhabitants from centuries ago.
According to Mr. Dinh Huu Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dan Hoa commune, the gate of Uoc Le village not only has architectural value but is also a cultural and spiritual symbol of the local people. This structure is closely associated with the history of the village's formation and development, reflecting the cultural identity and community spirit preserved through many generations.
Currently, the local authorities are coordinating with specialized agencies to complete the scientific dossier in order to propose the classification of the Uoc Le village bridge gate as a historical and cultural relic.
The spirit of the countryside in the traditional sausage-making craft andtreasuresinancient temples.
If the village gate is a symbol of the cultural space, then the craft of making Vietnamese sausage is the soul of community life here.
In Hai Phong, there is a place called "Princess Village," where the village temple is dedicated to Empress Vu, wife of King Mac Thai To, the founder of the Mac Dynasty.Tra Phuong Ancient Village in Hai Phong is known as the "village of princesses," with its communal house dedicated to Empress Dowager Vu Thi Ngoc Toan, wife of King Mac Thai To, the founder of the Mac Dynasty. Located in Kien Thuy commune, Hai Phong (formerly Kien Thuy district), there is a small but famous Northern Vietnamese village known as the "village of princesses." This is Tra Phuong village. The village temple, Tra Phuong Pagoda, still preserves many rare ancient artifacts, including a statue of King Mac Dang Dung and a relief of Empress Dowager Vu Thi Ngoc Toan dating back to the 16th century.
According to research documents, the traditional craft of making pork sausage in Uoc Le has a history of nearly 500 years. Through many generations, the secrets of selecting ingredients, processing, mixing spices, and the techniques of the craft have been preserved and passed down to descendants.
Today, Uoc Le pork sausage has become a famous brand, present not only at festivals, Tet, weddings, and ancestral worship ceremonies, but also contributing to promoting the traditional culinary culture of Hanoi to many localities throughout the country.
The traditional sausage-making craft of Ước Lễ has a history of nearly 500 years. Photo: DH.
Ms. Tran Thi Lan, whose family has been involved in the craft for many years, said that the process of building a dossier to propose the registration of the Uoc Le sausage-making craft in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage is a long-awaited aspiration of many people.
"We hope that traditional crafts will be preserved and promoted to their true value. If we can combine the preservation of traditional crafts with the development of experiential tourism, we can both preserve the craft and create more economic development opportunities for the people," Ms. Lan shared.
According to Dinh Huu Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dan Hoa commune, the sausage-making profession not only creates livelihoods for thousands of workers but also preserves a unique system of folk knowledge, contributing to fostering pride and community cohesion among the people of Uoc Le.
Besides the village gate and traditional crafts, So Pagoda (Hoi Linh Quan) is a destination that bears the strong imprint of the local spiritual culture.
The temple currently houses a pair of antique wooden lamps dating back to the Mac Dynasty (16th century), along with a system of rare and exquisitely gilded statues. These artifacts hold outstanding historical, artistic, and folk religious value.
Not only is So Pagoda a place of spiritual worship for the local people, but it is also a treasure trove preserving unique traditional artistic values. Researchers believe that the wooden lamps and the system of statues here possess many typical elements that warrant consideration for recognition as National Treasures.
Reviving heritage, creating momentum for development.
Following a field survey at the entrance to Uoc Le village, the area preserving the traditional sausage-making craft, and So Pagoda, Ms. Pham Thi Lan Anh, Head of the Heritage Management Department (Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports), highly appreciated the cultural values that the locality possesses.
According to Ms. Lan Anh, the gate of Uoc Le village has been designated as a protected area in the heritage conservation plan, creating a favorable foundation for proposing its classification as a historical site in the future. The traditional craft of making Uoc Le sausage also contains many intangible cultural values that need to be preserved and promoted.
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Ms. Lan Anh suggested that, in addition to conservation efforts, localities should focus on developing experiential activities, promoting cultural tourism and traditional craft villages; and accelerating the digitization of documents and artifacts to disseminate heritage values to the community. This approach helps transform cultural values into resources for sustainable socio-economic development.
The Heritage Management Department of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and Dan Hoa commune exchanged information, conducted surveys, and collected documents to build scientific dossiers for some typical cultural heritage sites in Uoc Le village. Photo: DH.
Mr. Mai Xuan Truong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Dan Hoa commune, said that the locality currently has 91 historical sites, of which 52 have been classified at the national and city levels. This is a valuable cultural resource that needs to be preserved alongside the urbanization process.
According to Mr. Mai Xuan Truong, Dan Hoa is orienting its development towards souvenir products inspired by the Uoc Le village gate, antique wooden lamps, and other distinctive local cultural values; while also building experiential tourism products associated with traditional craft villages.
On June 27th, Dan Hoa commune will inaugurate a model combining heritage craft villages and cultural experiences. This is expected to be an important first step in connecting conservation with tourism development, creating more livelihoods for the people and contributing to bringing the cultural values of Uoc Le closer to the public.
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