Tang Lam Ancient Village: Vietnamese cultural heritage and unique rural architectural culture, standing leisurely outside of time and space

Tang Lam Ancient Village, about 50 kilometers away from the center of Hanoi, has a unique rural atmosphere. The entire village is regarded as a complete and rich terracotta museum. There are many ancient houses in the village that were built more than 400 years ago. The antique and simple scenery is the biggest feature here. Following Hoi An Ancient Town and Hanoi Old City, Hanoi Tang Lam Ancient Village is also recognized by the Vietnamese country as one of the ancient village sites. Today's essential Travel will take you to have a deep understanding of the unique charm of this ancient site in Hanoi!



1. History of Tanglin Ancient Village (DUONG LAM)



The ancient village of Tanglin is approximately 1,200 years old, with many of its houses dating back 400 years. The special thing about Tang Lam Village is that most of the buildings here are built with terracotta and mud, two materials that are very abundant and easy to obtain in Hanoi. Terracotta was used for house walls, portals, well houses, temple walls, etc. The mud is taken from the pond.

In addition, two kings in Vietnamese history: Feng Hong (761-802) and Wu Quan (896-944) were both born in Tang Lam County. Both kings led the war against northern invasion and were crowned kings after winning their countries' independence. After their deaths, locals built temples in their honor. Tanglin also gained a lot of fame as the birthplace of the king.

In addition to its historical and tourism value, Tanglin Ancient Village is also an important location for scientists to study ancient agricultural residential communities. The village gate, banyan tree, well house and public house in the ancient village of Tanglin are all important historical relics for studying ancient agricultural society.

2. Architectural features of Tanglin Ancient Village



If you visit Tanglin Village, you can see that most of the houses in the village are wooden houses. The houses are mainly composed of 5-7 beams and 2 roof wings. There are usually 5 rows of posts in the house, sometimes 1 row disappears. It is characterized by its intricately carved details in the form of flowers, leaves and clouds. The house's wooden door system is very sturdy. Each span has 4 doors connected up and down. The door construction is made of solid wood approximately 40-50 cm above the ground and 10 cm above the floor. This distance allows for good ventilation and protects the door construction from moisture.

3. Tanglin Ancient Village Cultural Relics Site



Tanglin Ancient Village is home to 21 tangible cultural heritage sites, including temples, pagodas and cemeteries, ten of which are classified as national heritage sites. In terms of intangible cultural heritage, Tanglin Village has preserved various festivals, customs and documents about the people and the land, spanning different periods. In terms of ecological environment, Tanglin Village has many beautiful scenic spots and many customs and folklore, such as Guomu Mountain, Hugan Mountain, and legends about the two kings Feng Hong and Wu Quan.

In recent years, many cultural relics in the village, such as temples, monasteries and the Mong Hock Kong Temple have been restored. However, what is important is not only the protection of tangible cultural sites, but also the protection of intangible cultural sites and the ecological environment. Preserving, restoring and developing Tanglin Village is currently regarded as one of the important tasks to protect national cultural heritage.

4. The best time to visit Tanglin Ancient Village



It is a good choice to visit Tanglin Ancient Village at any time of the year. However, if you want to see the special scenery of Vietnam’s countryside during the harvest season (May, June) or the festival season in the first lunar month of each year, you can choose these two travel times. If you come during the harvest season, you can not only see the simple beauty of Vietnam’s ancient villages, but also enjoy the peaceful and poetic countryside scenery. The golden fields and straw piles carry hundreds of years of history.

If you come during the festival season (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), you can appreciate the unique folk culture of North Vietnamese ancient villages. Folk games such as chess, blindfolded duck, cockfighting, tug-of-war, etc., combined with a joyful and pleasant atmosphere, as well as the noisy drums, let you feel the lively atmosphere of the festival.

5. Things you must do in Tanglin Ancient Village



·Cycling
·Visit ancient houses, temples and pagodas
· Enjoy tea with the villagers and walk around
·To enjoy local life and special food, you must often check out "honey cake" and "raspberry tea".

If you spend more time enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, having lunch prepared for you by a local host is definitely a new experience. For travelers, some must-try local delicacies include roast pork, traditional bean paste, jade chicken, peanut candy, etc., which are all delicacies not to be missed. The villagers of Tanglin Village are friendly, warm and hospitable. If you happen to come at the right time, you can also join them to make specialties like green lentil cake and onion pancakes.