Visiting Duong Lam village outside Hanoi

Rusty Compass is running the risk of becoming a tribute website to the elderly of Vietnam. Last week I posted a video of a wonderful 90 year old woman in Hanoi. And here I go again - after a visit to Duong Lam village this week.






Duong Lam is around 50kms from Hanoi and I’ve been meaning to visit for some years. The fact that it’s billed as a “traditional village” for tourist purposes has made me a little skeptical. Vietnam tends to manage anything with the words “tourism” and “traditional” with a pretty heavy hand.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I finally made the journey.

Photo: Mark Bowyer Duong Lam Village outside Hanoi, Vietnam

Photo: Mark Bowyer Duong Lam Village outside Hanoi, Vietnam

Photo: Mark Bowyer Duong Lam Village outside Hanoi, Vietnam

Photo: Mark Bowyer Duong Lam Village outside Hanoi, Vietnam

Photo: Mark Bowyer Duong Lam Village outside Hanoi, Vietnam

There are some nicely preserved buildings dating back hundreds of years, it’s a pleasant place to explore on foot - and the people were lovely as well.

The houses were still lived in. And unlike Hoi An, they weren’t overwhelmed with tacky souvenir stalls. Nor were there sellers on the streets.

Let’s hope the local officials can find ways to ensure the locals earn a decent return on their heritage asset - without ruining the experience for travellers.

The fact that I travelled there late in the afternoon and the place was virtually free of tourists, made a big difference.

The most memorable part of the visit to Duong Lam was the interaction with the locals - especially the opportunity to sit in the ancestral courtyard of a traditional house and chat with 4 generations of a local family. The family matriarch Ba Phi was a delight. At 85, she has all the vigour of someone half her age. You can see her in action in the video.

It’s not often that you get to sit with four generations of any family. Even less so in the place were centuries of their ancestors also gathered.

Check out the video above.

For a handpicked list of things to do in Hanoi click here - See and do Hanoi