The ancient beauty of a century-old village in the heart of a modern city

11/10/2024 | 05:30

Da Nang:

TPO – In the middle of modern urban Da Nang, Phong Nam ancient village, Hoa Chau commune, Hoa Vang district attracts tourists with its peacefulness, simplicity and ancient features preserved through many generations.

Phong Nam ancient village is located about 10km from the center of Da Nang city with an area of ​​about 1.62 km2. Although it has been a hundred years since the village was founded, this place still retains the ancient and rustic beauty of the countryside. Photo: Giang Thanh.

The place name Phong Le appeared during the Ho Dynasty in 1404 in Da Ly region (almost covering the entire area of ​​Hoa Vang district today). In the first year of Thieu Tri (1841), the name Da Ly was changed to Phong Le, which can be considered as "a pioneer village in reclaiming and expanding land to the South".

By the 8th year of Thanh Thai (1896), Phong Le village was divided into two small villages: Phong Le Bac (Phong Bac) and Phong Le Nam (Phong Nam). The name Phong Nam village (now Phong Nam hamlet) was officially formed.

Right on the main road into the village is the temple of the ancestors of the clans who had the merit of establishing and building Phong Le village. This is one of the long-standing cultural and religious works of Dang Trong region.

Today, on the anniversary of the ancestors' death every year, representatives of all ethnic groups gather at Phong Le Ancestral Temple to pay homage and pay tribute to their ancestors. The Ancestral Temple is the place of worship for nearly 30 clans, of which 17 clans are honored as ancestors and descendants.

The exterior of the temple of the ancestors of the Phong Le village clans is built with images of: Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix, Moon, Bamboo, Willow, Pine, Apricot, yin-yang tiled roof... This is the spiritual, religious and cultural space of the clans here, preserving the soul of a land with a long history and rich cultural identity.

Phong Nam ancient village also has many communal houses, pagodas, and temples that are hundreds of years old. Among them, there are 5 ancient houses that have existed for nearly 2 centuries and have been preserved and maintained by generations of villagers over time.

Coming to Phong Nam ancient village, it is easy to see ancient roofs lying under the shade of bamboo and green areca trees stretching far and wide. Although affected by time, the ancient houses still stand to tell the story of the unique history and culture of the village.

Nowadays, although people's lives are more prosperous and stable, the old roofs are still preserved, standing tall next to new, spacious and modern houses, creating a unique feature of this land.

According to Mr. Ngo Van Xi (Head of Phong Nam village), over the years, generations of people here have actively preserved and promoted the unique architectural values ​​of this rustic village, creating an attractive tourist destination right in the middle of the bustling, modern city of Da Nang.

Here, many ancestral temples, clan temples, communal houses, temples... still retain the ancient, original architecture from hundreds of years ago such as Am Linh temple, Tam Vi temple, Thai Giam temple (in the photo) , Ba Hoa temple, Than Nong temple...

In Phong Le village, there is a ceremony to welcome the God of Agriculture performed by the village shepherds, called the Shepherd Festival. Up to now, this festival has been maintained regularly by the people here every year, becoming a unique cultural festival of this countryside.

Recently, the People's Committee of Hoa Vang district has a project to build a "Characteristic Cultural Village" in Phong Nam village by 2030, with a vision to 2045 to preserve and promote the traditional historical and cultural values ​​of the locality, promote tourism development, and traditional craft village services. "With that premise, the inherent beauty of the ancient village will continue to be preserved. We also hope to develop rural tourism associated with agriculture and eco-tourism to create sustainable livelihoods for the people," said Mr. Xi.

Jiang Qing