The secret about the Duong Lam village ancient house

This article is everything you need to know about the Duong Lam village ancient house

After well-researched on the internet, I haven’t found any article with down-to-earth information about ancient houses in Duong Lam. Some of them just provide with basic information which is not enough for travellers for are looking for authentic, in-depth info.

That’s why I wrote this article. By travelling Duong Lam tons of times, I know every details about the village. I am happy to show you what I know from my personal experiences

Duong Lam village ancient house

Ancient house in Duong Lam village is surrounded by wall.  The locals made exit and entrance facing the lane. The yard is in the centre of the house’s precinct.  The yard is opposite the main house which isn’t face the land directly. The well is on the side of the yard.

The house’s precinct is often in shaped “rectangular” and the gate is located at the side of precinct, instead of facing directly the main house.

The traditional house in Northern part of Vietnam is usually five spans wide and three spans deep. There are various of eaves depending on the building. Vietnamese sometimes convert the space under the eaves to interior space by placing fittings or brick walls made of laterite

 Looking from the front, the sturdy flat tiled roof and the row of columns under the eaves look really amazing. The wooden partition and fittings are also distinctive. We sometime seen the side room is surrounded by brick walls.

The main house with three sides are made of laterite brick walls. The fence is made of a part of these walls in order to separate the house with lanes and adjacent houses. The house’s gate is white-washed in some cases and tile-roofed in other cases. The wooden gate door.  What make the village attractive is the gates of the houses and the continuous line of laterite walls.

The architechture of the ancient house in Duong Lam village

Lunch in Duong Lam village

There is a main room at the heart of the main room in a typical ancient houses in the village. The living area is on two sides. The owner of the house sleeps on the center room and kids and young couples sleep on side rooms.

The head of the household usually sleeps at the main room at the center and outer rooms on both sides. It is sometimes used as work space or storage. The main room has four principal columns surrounded by side columns. In the heart of the main room is ancestor altar, which is premier location is to show respect to our ancestor and living rooms are on both sides.

The roof frame, columns and beams are assembled scrupulously and together with the fine carvings and ornaments, grandeur was added into the house. You can see the In Duong Lam village, one can observe not only the framework structure of Bac Ninh and Ha Tay province, but also the framework structure similar to that of Thanh Hoa province which is known as origin of the ancestors in Duong Lam village.

Duong Lam village well

An old well since 1933 in Duong Lam ancient village

Wells plays a very important role in local life in Duong Lam village. In the past, locals used to cook, bathe and wash at the well. Nowadays, people use modern facilities and equipment as shower, pumps, sanitation etc.., which change old appearance and we do need to find solution to preserve

In the old days, local villagers used to cook in the kitchen in separated area and brought them to the main house to have meals. The uses of cooking utensils has changed years to years. They now use gas stove for cooking. You don’t see the kitchen in the main house

In a normal site plan, the main house faces the verdant yard, and the well and annex are placed on the side.

The traditional household furniture of the village includes ancestor altar, chest, wicker basket,plank bed etc. The sets of sturdy wooden furniture are carved and ornamented elaborately. The plank bed is solid, including a flat plank and a curved set of legs. Items such as chest and wicker basket, although not numerous in number, are also preserved well.

There are many kinds of traditional ancestor altar in style. The plank bed is now replaced by sofa, modern bed, or sideboard, and the chest and wicker basket have been replaced by western cabinet. With the improvement in the consciousness of inhabitants in recent years, the ceramics, stone mortars, old currency and bronze equipment are also being preserved with care.

The main house’s architecture

Mr Huyen- Ancient house @photo by Ha Nguyen Huyen

The main house of the northern Vietnam folk houses is generally five spans in width and three spans in depth. The depth of the eaves varies depending on the building.

For houses with deep eaves, in some cases, the space under the eaves in converted to interior space by placing laterite brick walls or fittings. Looking from the front, the sturdy flat tiled roff and the row of columns under the eaves look very impressive. The wooden partition and fittings are also distinctive. In some cases, a room at the side of the house is compassed by brick walls.

Three sides of the main house are laterite brick-made walls. A part of these walls also serves as fence to separate the house with lanes and ajacent houses. The gate of the houses is white-washed in some cases and tile-roofed in other cases. The doors of the gate are made of wood. The continuous line of laterite walls and the gates of the houses all contribute to the attractiveness of the village.

The main house of a typical folk house in Duong Lam village consists of main room at the center of the main room. The two sides are living areas. The head of the household usually sleeps at the main room at the center and outer rooms on both sides.

The main room has four principal columns surrounded by side columns. Ancestor altar is placed at the center of the main room. The two sides are living areas. The head of the household usually sleeps at the main room. The outer rooms are mainly used as bedroom for children or young couples. In some cases, they are used as storage or work space.

The columns, beams, and roof frame are assembled scrupulously and together with the fine carvings and ornaments, they add to the grandeur of the house. In Duong Lam village, one can observe not only the framework structure of Ha Tay and Bac Ninh province, but also the framework structure similar to that of Thanh Hoa province-the place of orgin of the Duong Lam village ancestors.

In conclusion, Duong Lam ancient houses will be very unique to Vietnam rural life. We do hope that they will be preserved in the best ways. If you are looking for a private guided tour to Duong Lam village, please contact Hanoi Eco Tours

Nice photos of Duong Lam ancient house

Taking a picture with local host family in Duong Lam village

A nice girl in mr Hung’s ancient house

Beautiful house of Mr Huyen in Duong Lam ancient village

A corner of an ancient house in Duong Lam

Suggested ancient houses to visit in your Duong Lam trip?

Mr Nguyen Van Hung

Mr Ha Nguyen Huyen

Mrs Ha Thi Dien

Mrs Duong Thi Lan

Mrs Ha Hue The

Travel tips for visiting an ancient house

• Say hello  and ask permission to the owner an the ancient houses before getting in
• Don’t sit or lie in the middle section of the ancient house
• Don’t wear shorts or sleeves
• Suggest to give 30.000VND to 50.000VND when you visit an ancient house, leave the money at the ancestor’s altar
• Ask permission before taking photos inside the ancient house.

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If you are looking for Duong Lam village private tour, please contact Hanoi Eco tours specilized in eco tours in and around Hanoi via email at info@hanoiecotour.com

Source : Ancient village Duong Lam