Thai Lai Community-based Ecotourism Village, Hoa Nhon Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang, is an ideal destination for tourists who want to visit, entertain and learn about a peaceful and quiet countryside. The journey to discover this place will be more interesting when visitors stop at the Tich Thien Duong, which has existed for 200 years, bearing the imprint of the ancient architecture of Vietnamese villages.

Top to bottom: carved stone stele in front of Tich Thien Duong ancient house, the gate of the house, sophisticated carvings, owner Do Huu Minh introduces visitors to the ancient house. Photo: THANH LAN

The link between past and present

Located on the left bank of the Tuy Loan River, Thai Lai Community-based Ecotourism Village features charming and poetic scenery with beautiful landscapes from rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, fields, orchards and many ancient architectural works.

Although it is a small village, this place fully converges the features of the old Vietnamese village that few places still keep today. Geographical, ecological, and human factors have created Thai Lai a simple and harmonious beauty in a relatively quiet space next to the dynamic and bustling Da Nang.

Thai Lai village was formed nearly 500 years ago during the Le Dynasty, and the name at that time was Bau Trai village. In 1818, it was renamed Thai Lai village. This is a village rich in cultural and historical values, a peaceful land with a poetic natural ecosystem, and the highlight of the 300-year-old Thai Lai ancient communal house.

In particular, the ancient house of Tich Thien Duong of owner Do Huu Minh is the place to preserve a peaceful world and is a link between the past and the present, between the long-standing sedimentary cultural values of Viet Nam and the modern rhythm of life.

Tich Thien Duong has long been popular among a wide range of domestic and foreign tourists as a unique village tourist destination since it still retains ancient Vietnamese architecture with yin and yang tiled roofs bearing architectural Asian architecture style, along with carvings having sophisticated patterns.

Having an area of nearly 80m², the house also has a wooden architectural structure with 36 large columns carved with very sophisticated patterns, and walls built of thick brick that have been colored with ancient moss. The house also has an old-fashioned design with low and narrow eaves. Notably, the internal components are all made of rare wood. In front of the gate leading to the main house, there are apricot trees and longan trees that have been over 120 years old. In the garden, there are many types of art and architectural works in ancient, harmonious, and unique styles.

Moreover, lots of octagonal, hexagonal-shaped houses are under shady trees for guests to sit, drink tea, rest, relax and enjoy the view of rockeries with beautiful landscapes nearby. On top of that, utensils such as flour mills, rice mills, printed cake mold, coal iron, and copper pot reflected quite clearly the rural village life at that time have been kept in the house.

In addition to the Tich Thien Duong ancient house, visitors can also come to the communal house of Thai Lai village, where the village's original village convention is preserved, as well as discover unique cultural values in some model gardens.

Spreading cultural values

As one of the pioneers in deploying the eco-tourist house model in Thai Lai village, Mr. Do Huu Minh wants the countryside to become a place to spread local cultural values to the community. In particular, it is necessary for locals, sectors, and the authorities to join hands to create appealing products to attract visitors for the sustainable development of ecotourism.

In the past time, the People's Committees of Da Nang and Hoa Vang District have paid great attention to tourism development, especially the development of community eco-tourism combined with new rural development. Accordingly, Thai Lai village was selected as a model of community-based tourism development.

According to Mr. Phan Van Ton, Chairman of Hoa Vang District People's Committee, the locality has built community eco-tourism venues in parallel with the deployment of tourist attractions in the district, contributing to the city's high-quality tourism products. Thai Lai community-based eco-tourism village is expected to continue to exploit and spread the cultural, historical, and natural values, in tandem with protecting the natural landscape and environment for tourism development. Most importantly, it is necessary to focus on exploitation associated with conservation and preservation and develop services that are suitable for green tourism criteria, making a difference in perfecting the destination to attract tourists.

Reporting by THANH LAN- Translating by T.VY