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Soya Sauce Making at Duong Lam Ancient VIllage, Hanoi

Duong Lam Ancient Village – Is it worth a visit?

Posted on February 10, 2019March 16, 2020 by Fiona Mai

Duong Lam Ancient Village is one of the most recommended options for a day trip from Hanoi Vietnam.

For travelers who only have a couple of days in Hanoi, the question of whether Duong Lam Ancient Village is worth a visit might be a little tricky, given so many options to choose from. To make it easier for you to decide, I’ve written below a short review of my day trip to Duong Lam, including photos of what to do and see in Duong Lam plus tips and recommendations. Hope this helps!

Old lady sitting in front of her ancient house in Duong Lam ANcient Village
Old lady sitting in front of her ancient house in Duong Lam Ancient Village

About Duong Lam Ancient Village

With the government’s strict regulation on renovation, Duong Lam is considered one of the most well-preserved ancient villages in Hanoi.

Duong Lam comprises of 9 villages, all of which feature typical elements of a traditional north-Vietnam village such as the central well, banyan trees, temple yards, rice paddy fields and lotus lakes. There are more than 900 aged-old resident and communal houses here, some of which are dated back to 400 years.

How to get to Duong Lam Ancient Village

Located 45 km from Hanoi city center, Duong Lam is easily accessible by motorbike and public transportations. You can take bus no.71 from My Dinh Coach Station to Son Tay station, and then take a xe-om or taxi to get to the village. Driving there from Hanoi is also quite easy thanks to well-maintained roads throughout.

Traditional house at Duong Lam
Traditional house at Duong Lam

What to see and do in Duong Lam Ancient Village

  • Walk through traditional alleys and say hi to the locals (most of whom don’t speak English btw, so your experience will be much better with a local guide)
  • Visit ancient houses, some of which also offer homemade lunch and homestay service for tourists. My boyfriend and I tried a homemade lunch with boiled chicken and vegetables, sitting in the garden of a 300-year-old house. It was an authentic experience but the food quality was not that good considering the price we paid (150,000 VND).
  • Observe how locals make soy sauce and store them in big jars at the front yard of their houses. Making soy sauce is the traditional profession of many households here.
  • Visit the town square where the locals, young and old, often gather during special occasions
Aged-old alleys in Duong Lam Ancient Village
Traditional alleys in Duong Lam Ancient Village
Traditional house at Duong Lam Ancient Village
Traditional house at Duong Lam Ancient Village
Homestay at Duong Lam Ancient Village
Homestay at Duong Lam Ancient Village
A typical garden at Duong Lam Ancient Village
A typical garden in Duong Lam Ancient Village
A shop selling antiques at Duong Lam Ancient Village
A house full of antiques at Duong Lam Ancient Village
Soya Sauce Making at Duong Lam Ancient VIllage, Hanoi
Soya Sauce Making at Duong Lam Ancient Village, Hanoi
One of the many temples at Duong Lam
One of the many temples at Duong Lam
Homemade lunch at a local house in Duong Lam
Homemade lunch at a local house in Duong Lam
Rice paddy fields at Duong Lam
Rice paddy fields at Duong Lam Ancient Village

Is Duong Lam Ancient Village worth a visit?

My answer is both yes and no. Duong Lam can make a good day trip from Hanoi due to its proximity to the capital. The village is also ideal for those with an interest in the traditions and ways of living of people in northern Vietnam.

However, there are some downsides of Duong Lam Ancient Village that put me off coming back.

  • The village is getting more and more commercialized, making the visiting experience less genuine than before. It is understandable though that when the number of tourists increases, staged authenticity also becomes more common to show tourists what they want to see rather than how the locals really are.
  • Services such as lunch for tourists or homestays are not guaranteed for quality. Our hosts at Duong Lam gave us a warm welcome, but their uninspired lunch with dry rice and tough chicken meat somehow destroyed our mood.

One tip to enjoy your trip to Duong Lam Ancient Village

If you’re still determined to visit Duong Lam Ancient Village, keep in mind this one tip to make the trip most pleasant.

During my trip to Duong Lam, I discovered that the most interesting part was neither taking photos of the old houses nor entering sacred temple sites, but rather talking to the locals. I learned a lot about how life was like in northern Vietnam hundreds of years ago, as well as how people there nowadays still tried to preserve their traditions and commemorate their ancestors in different ways.

For tourists who don’t understand Vietnamese, the visit can become dull. You only see houses and rice paddy fields and that’s it! Therefore, don’t forget to find a tour guide who can accompany you to Duong Lam and explain to you everything about this special village 🙂

Pin this for future reference!

Pin this for future reference!

  • Duong Lam
  • 28 thoughts on “Duong Lam Ancient Village – Is it worth a visit?”

    1. Kashlee Kucheran says:
      February 16, 2019 at 4:18 pm

      great tips about how foreigners would enjoy the trip better with a guide! I still think it’s worth a look after your review 😉

      Reply
    2. Carly Matthew says:
      February 24, 2019 at 11:19 am

      This is really helpful. I’m an American expat English teacher living in Ho Chi Minh City and I’m always looking for day trips. Since I can only get 3-4 days off at once, spending my time wisely is so important. Thank you! I’ll be following your blog and social media for inspiration. 🙂

      Also, I’m working on learning Vietnamese from Duolingo and Vietnamese Pod 101. Do you have any other recommendations? I am still working on the basics!

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        February 24, 2019 at 6:05 pm

        Hi Carly, thank you for visiting my blog and I’m glad you find this article helpful. Speaking of learning Vietnamese, there are many language exchange groups in Saigon where you can practice the basics and make some local friends. They organise weekly meetup events where people just come and have a chat. You can also find a language exchange partner there who wants to learn English and is willing to help you practice Vietnamese in return.
        I’m also based in HCM city at the moment so if you have any question or want to catch up, feel free to send me a message 🙂
        Have fun exploring Vietnam!
        – Fiona

        Reply
    3. Clara Fields says:
      February 25, 2019 at 9:44 am

      So glad I found your review! I might consider skipping Duong Lam for one more day in the old quarter. Do you think 2 days would be enough for Hanoi?

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        March 1, 2019 at 11:42 am

        Hi Clara, 2 days are not enough for Hanoi I think. It depends on what you like to see and do, but I’d say 3 days or more will allow you to visit most of the popular attractions here 🙂

        Reply
    4. jenny bhatia says:
      March 1, 2019 at 10:12 pm

      It is always important to engage with the locals while traveling. This is where you really learn the customs, cuisine and history. It isn’t always about taking the best Instagram picture. It is about learning and growing. It is too bad that a place like this becomes commercialized. Maybe they can keep it as is, I am sure they try.

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        March 17, 2019 at 2:53 pm

        Yes it is so sad when traditional values become commercialised 🙁 I also hope they will still keep what’s quintessentially theirs for now and in the future as well.

        Reply
    5. Jas says:
      March 5, 2019 at 2:06 pm

      I was literally just in Hanoi last month and am soooooo bummed out that I never even heard about this village until now!!! Would defs love to visit an ancient house and the homemade lunch sounds amazing. The soy sauce jars are so unique too. For me, travelling is about learning new cultures so this is for sure worth a visit in my books. Will have to add it to my bucket list for the next time I’m back!

      Reply
    6. Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions says:
      March 6, 2019 at 7:25 am

      I will be in Vietnam later this month and of course am hoping to visit Hanoi. I didn’t know about this day trip until I read your post, so thank you for sharing! I also love your suggestion about speaking to the locals, which I’ll be sure to do if and when I visit Duong Lam!

      Reply
    7. Christopher Mitchell says:
      March 9, 2019 at 6:57 am

      Very cool, I’d honestly never heard of this, so was pretty stoked to read about this place!

      Reply
    8. Mark says:
      March 6, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      Nice place I most say. I especially like its closeness to nature. Hope you had fun.

      Reply
    9. NATURALLY FREE says:
      March 6, 2020 at 5:15 pm

      Seem like a wonderful place. Love the aesthetic.

      Reply
    10. Kathy Kenny Ngo says:
      March 6, 2020 at 8:47 pm

      I think that I would love to go ahead and visit this place. It looks like it has a lot of story to tell.

      Reply
    11. Chad says:
      March 6, 2020 at 9:44 pm

      It is one of my dreams to go live in a village like this one. That would be just amazing, quite an experience.

      Reply
    12. catherine santiago jose says:
      March 6, 2020 at 10:26 pm

      Wow! To be honest, this kind of place and environment is what makes me calm and to have peace in both body and spirit. Loved the scenery, loved the food. I think I loved everything you’ve just show us. This is definitely a worth of trip.

      Reply
    13. Chelsea Sauve - Wandure says:
      March 6, 2020 at 10:38 pm

      I’ve never been to Vietnam, but will absolutely mark this down as a must see when I make my way to Hanoi!

      Reply
    14. Jon Maldia says:
      March 6, 2020 at 10:59 pm

      We usually like to stay off the beaten path. Love to go where we can immerse in local culture and not just touristy stuff.

      Reply
    15. Julia says:
      March 7, 2020 at 2:39 am

      This is so interesting. I love finding places I have never heard of. Would love to go there someday!

      Reply
    16. April Perez says:
      March 7, 2020 at 4:15 am

      I’ve been to Vietnam but not Hanoi. Maybe I can consider visiting this when I return.

      Reply
    17. Sarah Winton says:
      March 7, 2020 at 6:49 am

      Duong Lam Ancient Village looks beautiful! I would definitely visit!

      Reply
    18. Fransic verso says:
      March 7, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      Being one of the oldest villages that sticks to old habits, it makes it even interesting to visit. I never heard of this before.

      Reply
    19. Sundeep says:
      March 7, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      I am in love with this village. The culture of this place is what I want to learn. I am planning to visit to some village and spend atleast 4-5 days.

      Reply
    20. tweenselmom says:
      March 7, 2020 at 7:58 pm

      This is an amazing place, so ancient looking and yet classical to look into, you are lucky to see it.

      Reply
    21. Garf says:
      March 9, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      I want to go to Vietnam. So many ancient looking places to see.

      Reply
      1. Fiona Mai says:
        March 12, 2020 at 3:55 pm

        Welcome!

        Reply
    22. Ryan K Biddulph says:
      March 10, 2020 at 6:29 pm

      Fascinating. We only stayed in town, in Hanoi. Rocking review.

      Reply
    23. Jayashree Sengupta says:
      March 12, 2020 at 10:09 pm

      Wow!!! The place looks so peaceful. Wonderful place to have a healthy staycation indeed.

      Reply
    24. Katie says:
      March 14, 2020 at 10:49 am

      We visited Hanoi in December and wish we had seen this village. It looks so pretty and it would be wonderful to get a local experience in such a crowded area of Asia.

      Reply

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    Welcome to Fiona's blog!

    A 20-ish Vietnamese travel blogger who has been to 21 countries so far, Fiona was lucky enough to call herself a past resident of Helsinki, Berlin, Brisbane, Hanoi, and Kingston upon Hull. Even more fortunate right now to be back to where she comes from: Saigon, Vietnam. Read more about her journeys here.

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