Walk into a laterite village lived in for twelve centuries
The first village given national protection
Lanes of dark red laterite walls, communal wells and gates opening into courtyard houses with heavy timber frames, spread across several hamlets in farmland west of the city.
Why it's unique
Duong Lam was the first ancient village in the country to be declared a National Cultural and Historical Relic, in 2005. Over nine hundred houses built from the local red laterite stone survive, many of them three to four hundred years old, with clay-tiled roofs and internal courtyards.
It is also the birthplace of two Vietnamese kings. What makes it a record rather than a preserved street is that people still live in these houses and still work them — this is a functioning village that happens to be four centuries old, not an open-air museum.
Before you go
The houses you can go into are the ones whose families have opened them, usually signalled at the gate. They will give you tea and sell you what they make — soy sauce and peanut candy, mostly — and buying some is the polite way to pay for the visit.
Hire a bicycle at the village gate rather than walking. The hamlets are spread out and the distance between the main gate, the communal house and Ngo Quyen's temple is more than it looks. Go on a weekday; weekends bring domestic coach parties and the lanes are narrow.