Visiting Ha Lien ancient village

The ancient village of Ha Lien, viewed from above. (Photo: VAN GIANG)

From Nha Trang, following National Highway 1A north for about 30km, we turned off towards Ha Lien ancient village. The driver said, "This is the only road to Ha Lien village. The village is surrounded on all sides by rice paddies and fish ponds..." Coincidentally, he had a flycam video of Ha Lien village on his phone, so he showed it to us. In the clip, amidst the lush green rice paddies, Ha Lien village stood out with its bright red tiled roofs. I'd only ever seen a few scattered red tiled houses in the middle of green fields. But here, a cluster of closely packed red tiled houses stood out against the endless green of the rice paddies. It was beautiful! Looking at the flycam footage, I imagined the single road leading into the village as the string of a Ha Lien kite soaring over the vast expanse of rice paddies.

We arrived in Ha Lien just as the historic floodwaters receded. Ha Lien was deeply submerged. The fresh mud still clung to the walls of the houses. The people of Ha Lien were diligently cleaning up after the flood. Mr. Le Van Sy, the Party Secretary and Head of the residential group, took me on a tour of the village. It's called a village, but the houses are built side-by-side, in straight lines like a street. Mr. Sy explained that Ha Lien village is over 370 years old, formerly part of Ninh Ha ward, Ninh Hoa town, now Hoa Thang ward, Khanh Hoa province. When they first settled here, the land wasn't bought; the people of Ha Lien arranged for themselves to build houses, each household taking their own land. Nearly 100% of the houses here are built with bricks and tiled roofs.

Then Mr. Sy told me about the more than 370-year history of Ha Lien village, which is also the 370-year history of the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa region. In the year Quy Ty 1653, Commander Hung Loc Hau, under the command of Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan, undertook the task of expanding and reclaiming the land from Deo Ca Pass to Phan Rang River; establishing Thai Khang garrison with two subordinate prefectures, Thai Khang and Dien Ninh. Later, this land was renamed Binh Khang garrison, Binh Hoa garrison, and Binh Hoa town. Under Emperor Minh Mang, in 1832, it was renamed Khanh Hoa province. Ha Lien village has accompanied Khanh Hoa province throughout its long journey of construction and development. Following in the footsteps of Commander Hung Loc Hau in expanding the territory, the first inhabitants came to establish Ha Lien village in the area of Dinh River estuary, bordering Nha Phu lagoon and near Hon Heo mountain, with a location by the river, near the sea and close to the mountains.

According to the elders in the village, due to its unique geographical location, Ha Lien experienced fierce raids and repression during the wars to defend the country. The people of Ha Lien bravely resisted the enemy. A notable event was August 17, 1945, when the people of Ha Lien joined the revolutionary movement towards Ninh Hoa district to fight, contributing to the overthrow of the colonial and feudal government and the establishment of a revolutionary government in Ninh Hoa district. The history of the Ninh Ha ward Party Committee records: The people of Ha Lien were the core and pillar of the revolutionary movement in Ninh Ha commune. During the war years, wherever people from Ha Lien settled and worked, there was a revolutionary base.

Currently, Ha Lien residential area has 333 households and 1,128 inhabitants. Although it's an administrative unit, I still prefer to call it a village. This is because Ha Lien not only has the appearance of an ancient village but also possesses unique traditional cultural features. Right at the village gate is the ancient Ha Lien communal house, next to it is Hue Lien pagoda, and then the Nam Hai shrine… In the video clips recording the communal house festivals and fishing ceremonies of Ha Lien, the ancient culture is very authentically portrayed. The Ha Lien communal house still retains its functions as a meeting place for village affairs; a place of worship for the village's guardian deity; and a venue for theatrical performances and singing… Inside the communal house are altars dedicated to the Heavenly God, the Earth God, and those who have contributed to the nation, the village, and the commune… The rituals of worshiping at the communal house and the Nam Hai shrine still retain their folk character, fostering community cohesion.

This shows that the people here have made great efforts in preserving the village's culture. Houses are close together, side by side. Neighborly bonds are strong; people listen to each other. Therefore, Ha Lien has both the characteristics of a town and a village. A few years ago, the Ninh Hoa City Party Committee awarded a certificate of commendation to the Ha Lien residential group for its outstanding achievements in implementing the "Skilled People's Mobilization" emulation movement.

The village is sheltered by the green of the mangrove forest, with glimpses of egrets. Midday here is unusually quiet. I went to visit the lush green mangrove banks reflected in the turquoise water, feeling the pristine, poetic atmosphere of the mangrove forest with its chirping birds and crabs peeking out of their burrows when the tide receded – an impression like a watercolor painting, serene and peaceful.

The people of Ha Lien are familiar with rowing boats and catching crabs and fish in the lagoon. The mangrove forest is home to shrimp, crabs, and fish. Thanks to their hard work and perseverance, more than 30% of the households in the village are well-off. Recently, several tourists have visited Ha Lien. Many shared: “The atmosphere here is so peaceful; the people are friendly and have many unique cultural features. Going with the locals to admire the mangrove forest and trying your hand at pulling nets to catch fish… is a very special experience.” With its beautiful scenery, tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, kind-hearted people, and long-standing culture, Ha Lien is facing a new opportunity: developing tourism .

Mr. Pham Minh Dinh, a local villager, took us on a tour of the mangrove forest in his small boat. The vast water surface area of the mangrove forest is a valuable resource for Ha Lien, both for aquaculture, fishing, and tourism. Mr. Dinh shared: “Recently, tourists from many places have come here to visit and explore , so I use my family's boat to carry them. They are very pleased and praise the beautiful scenery. My family earns a little extra income while also contributing to promoting the image of our homeland.”

In April 2025, Ha Lien village was awarded the "Top 7 Impressive Destinations in Vietnam" certificate for 2024, launched and organized by Saigon Times - a publication of the Saigon Economic Magazine Group, aiming to support sustainable tourism development and contribute to discovering new and unique destinations. Saigon Times described Ha Lien village as having an impressive rural beauty viewed from above.

In the Ninh Hoa town tourism development plan (before reorganization), the local authorities had planned to establish a survey team to investigate the conditions for building a community tourism model in Ha Lien. If the ancient village of Ha Lien becomes a community tourism destination, it will contribute to increasing livelihoods for the people, while preserving and promoting unique cultural and historical values in a sustainable manner.

Party branch secretary Le Van Sy shared: “I have lived in this locality for over 30 years, I know every household, every person, and I have earned the trust of the people, who share their thoughts and aspirations. In the future, the people here hope that the authorities at all levels will continue to invest in infrastructure; build green tourism and community tourism models; and create conditions for the people of Ha Lien to access preferential loans to change professions, develop the economy, and improve their lives.”

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