Cultural heritage creates the unique identity of each community. In order to create a clear change in the construction of villages, hamlets, and residential areas with synchronous development, the Hoa Vang District People's Council issued a project to build a ‘Characteristic Cultural Village’ in Phong Nam village, Hoa Chau Commune and Bo Ban village, Hoa Phong Commune by 2030, with a vision toward 2045. This project not only preserves and promotes traditional cultural values of the countryside, but also contributes to preserving the unique identity of the district.

A garden house imbued with the spirit of the Vietnamese countryside is preserved in Phong Nam village, Hoa Chau Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang. Photo: DOAN HAO LUONG

Preserving the beauty of ancient villages for tourism development

Time-honoured Phong Nam village, that appeared more than 500 years ago, has so far still preserved many traditional values including tangible culture such as Than Nong communal house, temples, ancestral worship houses, ancient houses and intangible culture such as customs, practices, unique festivals, traditional occupations, the most typical of which is Muc Dong festival.

In addition, the strong development of grassroots cultural construction movements has made the village and neighbourhood relationships increasingly close. Many traditional handicrafts are still preserved by 22 households such as making rice paper, Quang noodles and weaving.

In the village, there are also 5 ancient houses with 3-room architecture, yin-yang tiled roofs, earthen floors, and elaborately - carved wooden pillars. In particular, the ancient house of Mr. Le Duc Phuc is on the list of valuable works in the city, approved by the municipal People's Committee in Decision No. 2238/QD-UBND dated October 14, 2023. These highlights will facilitate the preservation of the beauty of the countryside.

Mr. Le Duc Hung, Chairman of Hoa Chau Commune People's Committee, said that before the project to build a ‘Characteristic Cultural Village’, the commune’s authorities issued a resolution on preserving and promoting cultural values and building Phong Nam into a cultural village with its own identity. The commune proposed to maintain and restore the Phong Le village’s Muc Dong Festival (referring to the young children who take care of the buffalo) to be held every 3 years as before.

To ensure the natural landscape of the village, the commune will issue regulations on the architecture of fences, gates, according to the ancient village. In addition, it will mobilize people to comply with the village's village regulations and the cultural and civilized urban lifestyle. In particular, it will build the village’s inner-field roads into rural culinary routes running around the fields and agricultural markets.

“The project has two main purposes: the first is to embellish and preserve the Phong Nam ancient village; the second is to develop tourism to generate revenue for the benefit of the people. To do this well, the commune will establish a tourism cooperative and build a farm tool exhibition house with an expected investment of VND15 billion. In addition, agricultural production will combine experiences and connect spiritual tourism with the Nam Son pagoda in Cam Nam village and Duong Son flower area in Duong Son village.”, said Mr. Hung.

Mobilizing people to join hands and unite

Compared to other villages in Hoa Vang District, Bo Ban village, Hoa Phong Commune is located near the district centre, so it is easily affected by the urbanization process. Therefore, preserving the cultural identity of the village in the village is a big challenge without the cooperation of the community. According to the Hoa Phong Commune People's Committee, in Bo Ban village, there are currently two main roads from Tuy Loan market to Thach Bo and from Con Mun to Bo Ban.

In the village, there are still many households maintaining traditional occupations such as making rice paper, making ‘banh goi’, ‘banh tet’ and vermicelli. With more than 500 years of formation and development, Bo Ban village still retains the typical cultural features of the ancient countryside with valuable cultural relics and works such as Bo Ban communal house, Than Nong temple, ancestral tombs, ancient wells and 4 ancient houses over 100 years old... along with many traditional festivals. Cultural and sports movements are always maintained regularly, attracting over 40 - 45% of the population to participate.

“In the immediate future, the village will step up mobilising local residents to build houses in the old architecture style, bearing the characteristics of the village, limiting the construction of high-rise buildings and multi-storey houses. In particular, heed will be paid developing traditional crafts such as rice paper, ‘banh tet’, ‘banh goi’, ‘banh duc’, Tuy Loan Quang noodles and calling on locals to use traditional cakes in parties, weddings and engagements”, Ms. Duan emphasised.

Along with preserving and maintaining traditional craft villages and the culture of the Co Tu ethnic group, the successful implementation of the project to build ‘Characteristic Cultural Village’ in Phong Nam and Bo Ban villages not only preserves the cultural values of the villages, but also improves the material and spiritual life of the people, thereby expanding to many villages, contributing to building Hoa Vang District with its own identity according to Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU of the Standing Board of the Da Nang Party Committee on developing Hoa Vang District until 2030, with a vision toward 2045.

Reporting by DOAN HAO LUONG - Translating by A.THU