[Nam Dinh] Dich Diep Trang - An ancient purely Vietnamese village over 1,000 years old

Dich Diep Trang (Dich Diep village) in Truc Chinh commune, Truc Ninh district, Nam Dinh province, is an ancient village with a very long history.

Dich Diep village was formed around the early 11th century under King Ly Thai To with the name Dich Diep Trang. This was a downstream land of the Red River belonging to Tay Chan district of Son Nam Town, and later Thien Truong Prefecture. Experiencing the harshness of time, this land has still retained its name and become a village in Truc Chinh commune, Truc Ninh district, Nam Dinh province.

The local people are still proud that to this day, no other ancient village is more purely Vietnamese than Dich Diep.

The beauty of Northern Vietnamese countryside

The village was built in the general style of a traditional ancient Vietnamese village with ancient features such as temples, pagodas, water wells, rivers, banyan trees, bodhi trees, etc. Dich Diep village is shaped like a ship where the bow is the South Gate and the stern is the West Gate.

Anyone who has visited this village once will surely find it hard to forget. The imprints of an ancient village with gates, bridges, roads, and trees seem to contain a message from time inside.

In the past, from the beginning  to the end of the village, there were village gates, including gates leading to neighboring villages. Over a long period of time, the ancient village of Dich Diep now has only one southern village gate standing next to a curved stone arch bridge across a poetic river, built in 1864.

Following the village roads, visitors will immerse themselves in a gentle and peaceful countryside. One-story houses made of wood, brick laid with sugarcane molasses, and covered with fish-scale tiles appear and disappear under the shady canopy of ancient trees. Looming ancient houses, though leaning with time, are still preserved by the locals. Along the roadside, hedges are not made of cement mortar but of perfectly straight rows of acanthus and Indian camphorweed.

Along the village road are small ponds - a prominent feature of the old Northern countryside. Ducks dive freely in the water and preen their feathers under jackfruit trees heavy with fruit. The village scene is relatively quiet, occasionally punctuated by the sounds of ducks, chickens, and the lowing of buffaloes calling their herd.

The ancient village still preserves several old houses and gates from ancient times. In Dich Diep, the imprint of time is etched onto the house gates. The gates are usually built with arched parabolic vaults 1-2 meters deep, with some gates reaching several meters deep, featuring soft, curving gate roofs. Depending on the position, terrain, and conditions of each household, the gate arch varies in scale and majesty, yet all remain harmonious and convenient for travel. A common characteristic in Dich Diep is the tiled roof of the gate, connected to the gate arch by two vertical gate pillars, intricately decorated. The pillars often feature raised couplets written in Kai script. The gate facade is also elaborately decorated with raised large Chinese characters expressing the owner's philosophy of life or noble character.

The house of two sisters, Mrs. Vu Thi Cuc and Mrs. Vu Thi Quy, is one of the oldest in the village. Mrs. Cuc shared: “The ancient house we are living in is over 100 years old. The house is made entirely of ironwood, with an old tiled roof, 3 compartments, doors facing the garden yard. Decorative patterns on the rafters, pillars, wooden couch, and furniture remain almost intact.”

According to the village elders, the villagers of Dich Diep originally engaged in agriculture, and later expanded into weaving, at which point handloom weaving began to take shape. In 1947, the villagers padded jackets for the soldiers and crafted a silk shirt as a gift for Uncle Ho, receiving a letter of praise from him. Over time, the traditional weaving craft has been passed down from generation to generation and continues to thrive in Dich Diep to this day…

The communal house still preserves a horizontal lacquered board with 4 characters “Thien, Tuc, Kha, Phong” bestowed specifically upon the village by King Tu Duc, expressing the wish that the village continue to promote good customs, preserve and pass them down to future generations.

Not far from the ancient communal house is the village pagoda named “Co Lieu Linh Tu”, built long ago without a known era name, except that the pagoda bell was cast in the 6th year of Gia Long's reign (1818). The pagoda has been continuously restored by the villagers over many years.

The system of ancient relics in Dich Diep village also includes a temple dedicated to three guardian deities: Great King Chuong Tau, Great King Lau Khe, and Zen Master Pham Vu. These are 3 figures with great contributions to resisting foreign invaders, defeating Song, pacifying Siam, helping the locality expand agricultural land, teaching literacy, and using benevolence combined with human heart to forge good customs here.

Nearly 1,000-year-old “Venerable Bodhi Tree”

In addition to physical architectural relics such as the water wharf and communal yard, Dich Diep village is fortunate to retain an ancient bodhi tree around 800 years old. The villagers call it “Venerable Bodhi Tree” to distinguish it from the “Ancient Tree Spirit” in the neighboring village. The ancient bodhi tree has large roots about 40 cm in diameter growing from the trunk, resembling the tentacles of a giant octopus. Each branch connects with another, and the roots intertwine as they plunge straight into the ground, helping the “Venerable Bodhi Tree” stand firm against storms.

The village elders all believe that the ancient bodhi tree is also a symbol of longevity, good health, and the steadfast, patient, and quiet character of the people of Dich Diep. Therefore, to the local people, this bodhi tree is like a “venerable immortal,” whom they can only respect and never betray. It is estimated that the trunk of the bodhi tree requires about 5 people embracing to span its girth. The villagers believe that during wartime, this bodhi tree served as a shelter for the villagers. Despite being hit by bombs multiple times, the ancient tree remained unharmed and stays lush and green to this day.

Through time and historical ups and downs, the ancient village today is gradually changing and constantly developing, yet without losing its ancient, poetic beauty. The traditional cultural values of the homeland, with “names of land, names of villages” that have entered history books, are still being preserved, conserved, and passed down to future generations by artisans and elders.

Xem chỉ đường tới Cửa Hàng Trang Sức Pnj near Dịch Diệp, Trực Chính, Trực Ninh, Nam Dinh, Vietnam