Duong Lam (Duonglam) Ancient Village

Phung Hung (761-802) and Ngo Quyen (808-944), who were born and grew up in the village, led the resistance to and had victories over China's Sung and Southern Han troops to recover national independence. They both became kings. After they died, temples were erected to worship them.
 
Because Duong Lam Ancient Village is of cultural and historical importance it attracts many tourists. The village is in Duong Lam Commune, about 60km from Hanoi. It consists of more than six hamlets. Among these hamlets, Mong Phu is the biggest and the most famous.

The village is a place to see for tourists from far and wide. It is included in tours of many travel companies. Two of its famous places are Sung Nghiem Tu (Mia Pagoda) and Mong Phu Temple. Mia Pagoda is on a small hill in Dong Sang Hamlet. It was constructed before 1632 and has been upgraded and restored many times. Now it is a national cultural and historical site. Mong Phu Temple is in Mong Phu Hamlet. It was set up with ancient Vietnamese architecture in 1638. In the village, tourists can also see ancient houses and small lanes as well as study the everyday life of residents.

One special thing about the village is that most of the buildings here are made of laterite and mud, two materials that are abundant in the area. Laterite is used on house walls, gates, wells, temple walls, and so forth. The mud is taken from ponds.

Apart from its historical and tourism values, Duong Lam Ancient Village is an important place for scientists to study resident communities in ancient agriculture. Recent studies by a number of scholars show that Mong Phu Hamlet is Asia's only representative of water paddy that remains.