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Duong Lam Ancient Village, located in Son Tay town, about 45 km from the center of Hanoi, is one of the few ancient villages in the Northern Delta that still retains its traditional structure with a village gate, communal house, pagoda, well, and characteristic laterite stone houses. During the Lunar New Year, the village is brightly decorated, and various festivals, folk games, and New Year rituals are organized, attracting many locals and tourists.
The ancient village of Đường Lâm is famous for its traditional Northern Vietnamese village architecture.
During the spring days, the village roads become crowded and bustling.
The color red still lingers in every alleyway.
In Duong Lam Ancient Village, the days following the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Horse were not the quietude of a typical peaceful village. Lanterns still hung along the village entrance, red silk ribbons still draped across the eaves, and couplets had not yet been taken down. Against the dark, time-worn laterite stone walls, that red color stood out, as if a layer of festive atmosphere still lingered.
People are not in a hurry to take down their Tet decorations. For them, Tet is not over as long as January still remains. In the mornings, gentle sunlight streams across the village square and through the village gate, casting a shimmering glow on the sloping bricks. In that space, groups of visitors still come, not as crowded as in the first days of the year, but enough to create a regular rhythm of life.
Many families choose Duong Lam as their late spring destination. They come to stroll around, to give their children space to run and play in the traditional village setting, and also to take photos of each other in traditional ao dai dresses against the backdrop of ancient houses, brick courtyards, and laterite stone walls.
Traditional folk games bring adults back to their childhood.
In the days following Tet, the village square and the open space in front of the village cultural center remain the venues for traditional folk games.
The blindfolded pot-smashing game attracts both children and adults. There are gasps of disappointment when someone misses the target with their stick, cheers erupt each time the stick hit its target, and the clay pot, suspended in mid-air, shatters into pieces, revealing banknotes of various denominations inside, considered a lucky charm for the new year.
Tourists enthusiastically participate in the blindfolded pot-smashing game.
In another corner, the elderly engage in a battle of wits over a game of Chinese chess, while the children compete against each other in the traditional Vietnamese game of O An Quan.
Wrestling matches are also held at the beginning of the year. These matches aren't overly focused on winning or losing, but they're enough to maintain the festive atmosphere of the village. Spectators stand in circles, their cheers mingling with the sound of drums. This is the kind of sound that makes the ancient village atmosphere more vibrant, not only because of the tourists but also because of the participation of the local people.
The elderly people play Chinese chess in the village courtyard.
It's noteworthy that these activities aren't overly "theatricalized." They take place right in the village's living space, amidst the stone houses and ancient village gates. The blend of residents and tourists creates a dynamic scene, rather than just a static tourist attraction.
Visiting temples at the beginning of the year and the extended performances of the spring festival.
After the Lunar New Year, the stream of people visiting spiritual sites in the village continues steadily. At the village communal house, shrine, and ancient pagodas, incense smoke rises from early morning. Many people take advantage of the first days of the year to seek fortune telling, receive divination, and offer incense to pray for peace and safety.
Many people visit temples and pagodas to offer incense, pray, and ask for peace at the beginning of the year.
Visiting Duong Lam Pagoda at the beginning of the year is not only spiritually significant but also part of a spring outing. After offering incense, people often linger in the pagoda courtyard, admiring the still-fresh flower pots, chatting with friends, or simply resting under the shade of ancient trees.
The time spent visiting temples for worship is also a time when people find peace of mind after a long year.
Alongside religious ceremonies, artistic performances continue in the days following Tet. Folk songs, traditional musical instrument performances, and lion dances attract both locals and tourists. The performance spaces aren't overly grand, but they are sufficient to give viewers a chance to experience traditional cultural forms within the context of an ancient village.
Visiting Duong Lam ancient village after Tet is an opportunity for tourists to learn about traditional culture.
It is this continuity that prevents Duong Lam from falling into a state of stillness after the bustling days. After Tet, the area enters a different phase of spring, no longer hectic but still full of movement. Some come to enjoy the late spring, others to visit the temple, and some simply want to stroll through the laterite stone alleys and feel the rural atmosphere in the early days of the year.
Many people come to the ancient village to relive the familiar and rustic atmosphere of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) from decades ago.
Therefore, Duong Lam is not just an architectural heritage site, but a living space in full operation. After Tet, when many places have returned to their normal routines, the ancient village still maintains its unique rhythm of life: bearing the mark of the festival while maintaining daily life. And it is this intertwining that creates the charm of the early days of the year here.
