VI
EN
Located 44 km from Hanoi, Duong Lam ancient village is an ideal choice for tourists seeking a peaceful countryside retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. It preserves many traditional houses with brick roads, laterite stone walls, and the cultural charm of a Northern Vietnamese village. Notably, it is also the birthplace of Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung, earning it the nickname "land of two kings".
Nowadays, in addition to visiting Duong Lam ancient village to learn about its historical value, tourists can also participate in creative art activities and workshops to experience the traditional culture of the Doai region. Upon arriving at the ancient village, you will encounter impressive and colorful artworks created on bricks, tiles, or wooden doors, reflecting the culture of Duong Lam and the Doai region.
Doai Creative is a cultural and artistic creative space founded by architect Khuat Van Thang.
Doai Creative is located at 7 Lang Co Street, Duong Lam Commune, Son Tay Town, Hanoi. The model is built on the idea of creating a creative space for tourists, especially children and international visitors, to experience the traditional crafts and cultural values of Son Tay and other craft villages in the city.
Mr. Khuat Van Thang, founder of Doai Creative, shared: “Although I was born in Hanoi, fate led me to Duong Lam and I fell in love with its values. For me, Duong Lam embodies the traditional Vietnamese spirit, a fusion of both tangible and intangible cultural values. My artistic sensibility and intense love for culture, as well as my perception of Duong Lam's peaceful and familiar atmosphere, led me to settle here. The more I love this place, the more I cherish the precious cultural and artistic values that are gradually fading away. That's when Doai Creative was born, with the mission of reviving and developing the cultural values of Duong Lam through the language of creative art.”
The model is built on the idea of creating a creative space for tourists, especially children and international visitors, to experience the traditional crafts and cultural values of Son Tay and other craft villages in the city.
Upon arriving in Duong Lam, visitors will have the opportunity to discover a cultural and artistic space at the seven-bay ancient house located on the village road. This house is a culmination of familiar materials from the Northern Vietnamese countryside such as wood, earthen walls, and traditional tiled roofs… This creates a space that feels familiar and intimate, while simultaneously maintaining aesthetic appeal and architectural sophistication.
Mr. Khuat Van Thang renovated the house so that it faces away from the street and towards the yard, but he designed a series of windows at the back, with hinged panes like folding doors. This design makes the house an open space in both directions, one side facing the street and the other overlooking the yard. The old house was re-tiled and redesigned to include some functions for cultural activities.
Upon arriving in Duong Lam, visitors will have the opportunity to discover a cultural and artistic space at the seven-bay ancient house located on the village road.
Doai Creative's space retains a classic feel while creating a warm and intimate atmosphere.
The architects utilized recyclable old materials, employing eco-friendly and familiar materials from Đường Lâm, and rearranged and reorganized them to suit their intended function. The old brick and mortar walls were rebuilt using a mixture of earth and straw, a traditional method used in rural houses in the Northern Delta region. The addition of this mud-based material mitigated the drawbacks of traditional houses. This resulted in a space that retains its ancient charm while creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Doai Creative is an art and craft space perfect for tourists wishing to experience traditional Vietnamese villages and ancient settlements. Visiting these ancient villages, the scenery, atmosphere, and culture inspire artistic creativity. Doai Creative also provides an environment for expressing creativity, especially for children, art students, and international tourists.
Doai Creative is an art and creative space perfect for tourists who want to experience traditional Vietnamese craft villages and ancient settlements.
At Doai Creative, visitors can experience various art activities such as painting roof tiles, making paintings, sculpting, making kites, and making Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns… However, the most unique aspect is that this space encourages people to create art using eco-friendly materials and always bearing the mark of tradition.
For example, instead of dismantling and discarding the ancient roof tiles in Duong Lam, we can now utilize them as creative materials, helping people better appreciate the unique values of Duong Lam. Or consider familiar materials and products from Vietnamese folklore such as Do paper, kites, Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns, and wood carvings…
What makes this space unique is that it encourages people to create using eco-friendly materials and always bearing a traditional imprint.
Doai Creative constantly seeks out and develops new materials and diversifies its activities, helping people access cultural and artistic values in an exciting and proactive way. In addition, to foster creativity among visitors, Doai Creative's team always has assistants working in the arts to support them in creating their own artwork.
It can be said that the first thing that attracts visitors is the space at Doai Creative, which is rich in cultural and artistic elements. However, once you've been there and experienced it, each person has different feelings and preferences. Some love the creativity of the paintings, while others enjoy the peaceful and intimate atmosphere. Many are engrossed in conversations with friends, while others are excited by the meticulous process of creating their own artwork. In the eyes of visitors, Doai is a story about a place of creativity and art in Duong Lam, but it's also a story with hundreds of different interpretations depending on each person.
After visiting and experiencing this place, each person will have different feelings and preferences.
In addition to everyday experiences, Doai Creative also organizes many other art performances, workshops, and creative development activities. Currently, Doai Creative is actively developing meaningful programs to attract tourists and the people of Duong Lam to participate.
Some of the programs that Doai Creative has organized include: the August Wooden Fish Exhibition - aiming to preserve and develop the wooden fish drum culture in Duong Lam; the June Childhood Perspective Event - honoring creative works through the eyes of children; and the May Online Event "Creativity Without Barriers" - encouraging people to overcome barriers to create their own works… Doai Creative's events are mostly on a small to medium scale, but primarily aim to convey artistic and cultural values further.
The August Wooden Fish Drum Exhibition - aims to preserve and develop the cultural tradition of the Wooden Fish Drum in Duong Lam.
Sharing further with Travellive readers, Mr. Khuat Van Thang conveyed: “In the process of preserving and developing the cultural values of Duong Lam in particular and Vietnam in general, Doai Creative clearly recognizes the importance of cultural values deeply rooted in national identity. Especially in modern society, where everything is becoming more 'flat,' and the public is importing too much foreign culture while forgetting the unique voice of Vietnamese culture in this internationally integrated world, only the preservation and development of traditional Vietnamese culture is the strongest affirmation of the patriotism of today's youth.”
