Children of Duong Lam village show off their paintings at “Doai Creative”.
"Land of two kings" - just heard the name - seems to have seen that this place encapsulates what is the most quintessential of the culture of the land of white clouds! However, Duong Lam used to face the struggle of the old houses with the story of rice, rice, money, division of plots, separation of households ... in the 4.0 technology era.
Then, now, many new houses (but with quiet brown tile roofs, in harmony with the moss of the typical Northern village) and even old houses that have been renovated and upgraded before the ravages of time... are showing that Duong Lam is finding the right "way"...
Going through the gate of Mong Phu village for a short distance, people can't help but be impressed by a rustic brick gate. A quarter of the circle of the well is made of laterite bricks, built by the owner in an arched style as the entrance to the house. “Certainly everyone will have a feeling that is both strange and familiar. Who did not have a well in the old village? The old funeral wells (in some places called "well towels") were built of rolled bricks.
I just made a simple move of "dragging" a corner of that well to make a gate. That's how I bring people back to the old values of the village," said architect Khuat Van Thang. Opening that gate, people will enter a calm space with the green color of trees, brown color of tile, rustic brick, time color of old wooden doors and pillars.
I just made a simple move of "dragging" a corner of that well to make a gate. That's how I bring people back to the old values of the village.
Architect Khuat Van Thang
It is a two-story house. Wooden pillars and a whole set of wooden gables are included in the decoration of the house, making people forget the feeling of the first floor being bare. In addition to the working space, receiving guests, on the first floor, the owner has two rooms for friends and tourists to stay in the form of a homestay business. One cannot help but be impressed with the ground floor of the house.
The slick wooden stairs leading to the second floor is the family residence. The entire second floor architecture is wooden, with a red-brown fish-scale tile roof. The stairs also have an interesting highlight is the landing made of an upside-down bamboo boat - where people can sit and enjoy the wind.
After renting for a long time, architect Khuat Van Thang renovated the old house into a studio, where he worked, and at the same time, created attractions for guests when coming to Duong Lam. He named this place NoK Studio (No stands for Number; K is the initials of Khuat). Now, NoK Studio is a favorite destination of many tourists when visiting Duong Lam ancient village.
Khuat Van Thang is not from Duong Lam, but a son of Doai. The culture of Doai has been instilled in him since childhood. “Why did I choose Duong Lam and not another place? It's not just an economic story. If for economic reasons, there are other ways. There are many values of Doai culture that even Duong Lam people are not fully aware of.
I came to this place, creating a space with inheritance, in the general flow of Duong Lam ancient village culture. People at that time will notice that other people still appreciate and exploit the value of the ancient village. They will think about themselves, the cultural values they own, from there, have the motivation to preserve and exploit. That's the message I want to convey to everyone. Next, I want to bring the beauty of the ancient village to the community of visitors and tourists."
Recently, architect Khuat Van Thang continued to launch another cultural space, also at the gate of Mong Phu village called "Doi Creative". He has "moderately" affected an old tile roof to create spaces with different functions for cultural and artistic activities. Most unique is that he recreates an old feature that has now almost disappeared. He peeled off the mortar, and… plastered the wall with a mixture of mud and straw.
Of course, to ensure adhesion, he added additives. In this space, Khuat Van Thang is organizing an art class for more than 20 children in the village. They will create about their own village on the background of the old tiles, bricks, doors that you collect. Similarly, for tourists, after experiencing Duong Lam, people will create their own works and can take them away.
To the right of the communal house of Mong Phu village, there is also a house built several years ago. The owner is Mrs. Quach Thi Thanh. If Khuat Duy Thang is an architect knowledgeable about culture, then Mrs. Thanh is just a resident like many others in this village. Her five-room tile-roofed house is decorated "standard" in the old style. The nave is a place of worship, on both sides are two sets of sofas to receive guests. Two rooms on either side of the house are built separately, where guests can stay overnight.
“I am from Dong Sang village, when I get married, I return to Mong Phu. Living in this ancient village, both husband and wife want to have a house in accordance with the ancient architecture. Some people say why not build a modern house? In fact, the regulations in the ancient village did not prohibit the construction of two-story houses, the government suggested us new house models suitable for the common space. But my family just wants to build a house according to the standards of the old people's house."
While telling a story about the spacious five-room house, Mrs. Thanh simply introduced the dishes and the beauties of Duong Lam ancient village: "If you come to Duong Lam without eating roasted pork, you have not eaten banh xeo, you have not tasted Mia chicken, you have not yet called an ancient village. That is the unique specialty of this land.” Thanh is a skillful person, so she provides catering services for tourists.
Although it is a new house, tourists love to experience a quiet, traditional space. There are days when guests request, she "shows" making specialties for guests to see before they enjoy. Mrs. Thanh is a very "connoisseur" of old stories, so tourists are free to ask questions. Many people call her "an old village storyteller".
In 2022, although the first phase of the year was still affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, Duong Lam welcomed up to 340 visitors.
Now Duong Lam is a "tourist village". In 2022, although the first phase of the year was still affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, Duong Lam welcomed up to 340 visitors. Not only Ms. Quach Thi Thanh's family, dozens of families also built new houses, or renovated, but instead of "box houses", people follow the traditional house style. Many families use it for business purposes, such as: Duong Lam Village homestay; Elephant House; Mami Retreat; Duong Lam house…
Deputy Manager of Duong Lam Ancient Village Management Board Nguyen Trong An is a person who has been with Duong Lam ancient village for a long time. Whenever he walked in the village, everywhere he met the greetings of the people. He is familiar with every house and alley. He shared:
“Change does not happen in day one, day two but a whole process. Whenever a family wants to build or renovate a house, we come to the place to meet, learn the needs, guide and advocate if necessary. As long as I stay close to relatives, I understand their feelings."
With us going deep into the winding alleys of the ancient village, Mr. Nguyen Trong An showed us newly built houses, although not involved in business activities, but people adhere to the basic principles of tile roofs and building heights. New houses sprang up, but did not "destroy" the old moss.
Duong Lam commune has approximately 1.000 traditional houses, of which there are nearly 100 old houses, most concentrated in Mong Phu village. This place is proud to be the "land of two kings" - the burial place of Bo Cai Dai Vuong Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen. In 2005, the ancient village in Duong Lam was recognized as a national historical-cultural relic. About 10 years ago (in 2013), Duong Lam was "hot" because a number of households wrote to the Hanoi government to request "return" the title of a national cultural relic, including a household that was forced to dismantle part of the work when building a high-rise flat roof house.
Although only a few households signed the application, that event reflects a true story: Duong Lam ancient village is torn between preserving cultural relics, architecture, traditional houses and developing in the era of innovation and modernity of the country. Under the mossy houses, families keep multiplying; When children reach the age of having to separate from their households, they need a separate place to live. Meanwhile, not all families benefit from tourism. The preservation of the ancient village has never been so challenging.
The "knots" are gradually removed. Right in 2013, the planning on preserving, embellishing and promoting the values of the ancient village in Duong Lam was approved by the Hanoi People's Committee. Along with that, the People's Committee of Son Tay town announced dozens of house samples, as a basis for people to build new or renovate.
But, that's only half of the problem. It is difficult for people not to reluctantly follow. Deputy Director of the Management Board of Duong Lam Ancient Village added: “If the value of the ancient village cannot be exploited, the preservation is no longer meaningful. Son Tay town government renovates infrastructure, invests in renovating relics, supports the renovation of key ancient houses, thereby preserving and preserving the landscape of ancient villages; at the same time, strengthen the promotion work.
Tourists to Duong Lam gradually increase year by year. People gradually understand that if they break the ancient village space, they will lose visitors, leading to a loss of livelihood, so there has been no violation of construction for a long time. People who build new houses or renovate now consciously follow the instructions of the Management Board of Duong Lam ancient village."
…There are still difficulties, especially when it comes to how more and more people in the ancient village can benefit from tourism. However, 10 years since the day some households demanded to "return" the title of National Cultural Relic, many changes have taken place. Thanks to that, Duong Lam has been and will be the place to pack the most beautiful and quintessential things of the culture of Doai white clouds.
