Location
Situated in Son Tay Commune, approximately 50 km to the West of Hanoi, Duong Lam Ancient Village is a famous spot for both local and foreign tourists. Attract visitors with its ancient beauty of 400-year-old houses and unique architectural from a typical Vietnamese village with banyan tree, old well, and communal houses. To get to Duong Lam Ancient Village, you can go by car, which takes about over an hour. Or if you want to enjoy the fresh air on the way, then a motorbike will be a wise choice for you. Let’s take a look at Duong Lam village from above and you will feel its peaceful and ancient

History
Duong Lam has a history of 1,200 years with many old houses built in the 17th century, which bring back a lot of prestige for the village. It is home to 2 Vietnam’s kings: King Phung Hung (761 – 802) and King Ngo Quyen (897 – 944). Both 2 kings made a great contribution to the country as they led resistance wars against northern invasion. When they passed away, the local people built temples to honor their merit.
Duong Lam now includes 5 small villages, namely Doan Giap, Cam Thinh, Cam Lam, Dong Sang and Mong Phu. Among which, Mong Phu is the most popular one as its communal house is a gathering place for cultural activities of the villagers. Legend has it that Duong Lam was built on the land of Dragon shape, while Mong Phu Communal House is the Dragon head and 2 old wells on 2 sides of the communal are the Dragon eyes.

Top attractions
Undoubtedly, Duong Lam is an ideal destination for those who want to understand deeply about Vietnam’s culture and history. Once setting foot to this village, the peaceful atmosphere and the ancient beauty will not make you disappointed. Below are the top attractions that you should not miss when exploring this old village
Mong Phu Communal House: With a total of 1,800 square meters large, Mong Phu communal was constructed from the late 18th century to early 19th century. The communal consists of the main gate, the symmetry compartments on the left and the right; while the center is the place for the altar of the Saint and a small guest room to prepare the offering. Visiting this place, tourists have the chance to admire the unique architecture that only found in Vietnam. Especially the wooden parts are highlights here which are carved dragon, tiger, fish, bird, flower, etc. The communal is protected by a fence made of laterite

Mong Phu Communal House

Ngo Quyen Temple: The temple dedicated to King Ngo Quyen located on the high ground called Cam Hill, about 100m from the tomb. It was built in 1874 and restored many times in the past. The most recently renovated was during the reign of Tu Duc King (1848 – 1883). According to the legend, King Ngo Quyen is famous for the big battle on Bach Dang River. The battle closed one thousand years of Chinese feudal rule and gave Vietnamese people the new spirit of independence and self-reliance

Ngo Quyen Temple

The temple of King Phung Hung: just 500 m to the right of Ngo Quyen’s Mausoleum, the temple was built to dedicate King Phung Hung, who led his army to rise up and fought against the troops of Cao Chinh Binh to gain independence for his people. After that, he was respected and honored as the Great King by his people

The temple of King Phung Hung

Mia Pagoda: When it comes to visit Duong Lam, you cannot ignore Mia pagoda, which appeals to tourists with its beautiful ancient statues in Vietnam. It is considered to be one of the 10 oldest temples in Vietnam. At present, the pagoda consists of total 287 statues and many others ancient artifacts. Some famous sculptures are the statues of the Eight Vajra Deities or the statue of Buddha Himalayas.
Ancient houses: It is no doubt that 300-year-old houses are the main reason makes the village popular with tourists. Duong Lam has 956 old traditional houses, in which Mong Phu has 350 houses, Dong Sang has 441 houses and Cam Thinh has 165 houses. Because of limited time, visitors come here often visit the ancient houses in Mong Phu village. Most of the houses have the same architecture, which is built from blocks of laterite. The thresholds are about 30-40cm from the floor, which is believed to prevent evil spirituals from coming inside the house. The doors and columns are carved with flowers, leaves, and trees. Here are some of the most famous houses you should visit:
The house of Mr. Nguyen Van Hung is the oldest one in this area which has the gate built by a mixture of soil, rock, rice husk and musk
The house of Mr. Nguyen Huyen attracts tourists with the green trees and the brick-paved yard which is the place to make famous soybean sauce
The house of Ms. Duong Lan was built 238 years ago. It belonged to her husband’s ancestor. With the unique architecture, the house is always cool in summer and warm in winter

A small lane in Duong Lam

Specialty
Your trip to Duong Lam will not be completed without a meal of Vietnamese signature food. You can request the owner of ancient houses to prepare lunch for you. With an affordable price, about 100 thousand dongs for one person, you can try Mia chicken, spring rolls, water spinach served along with soybean paste, etc. Besides, others local specialties such as Che Lam, Banh Te (cake of ordinary rice), Keo Doi (peanut sweet) also worth to try

Catch-eye specialty in Duong Lam

At present, 365 Travel present you 1-day-trip to Duong Lam ancient village for those who want to explore this ancient village. For more detail, you can take a look at our website and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any demand