[Nam Dinh] Dich Diep Trang - A Purely Vietnamese Ancient 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 long-standing history.

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

The locals take pride in the fact that to this day, no ancient village remains more purely Vietnamese than Dich Diep.

The beauty of the Northern Vietnamese countryside

The village was built in the general style of traditional ancient Vietnamese villages, featuring ancient, picturesque elements such as temples, pagodas, water wells, rivers, banyan trees, and bodhi trees... 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 the ancient village, with its gates, bridges, roads, and trees, seem to hold within them messages of time.

In the past, from one end of the village to the other, there were village gates, including gates leading to neighboring villages. Over a long period of time, the ancient village of Dich Diep now retains only a single south village gate, standing beside an arched stone bridge built across a poetic river in 1864.

Following the village road, visitors can immerse themselves in a gentle and tranquil countryside. Single-story houses made of wood and sugarcane-molasses mortar bricks, topped with fish-scale tiles, appear and disappear beneath the shade of ancient trees. Glimpses of old houses can be seen—though leaning with time, they are still preserved by the locals. Along the roadside, the fences are not made of cement mortar, but of perfectly straight hedges of acanthus and camphorweed.

Along the village road lie ponds and small pools—a prominent feature of old Northern villages. Flocks of ducks dive freely in the water and preen their feathers under jackfruit trees laden with fruit. The neighborhood scenery is relatively quiet, occasionally punctuated by the quacking of ducks, clucking of chickens, and lowing of buffalo calves calling to their herd.

The ancient village still preserves several old houses and historic gates. In Dich Diep, the imprint of time is etched onto house gates. Gates are usually built with parabolic arched roofs 1 to 2 meters deep, with some reaching up to three meters, featuring soft, graceful curves. Depending on the location, terrain, and circumstances of each household, the archways vary in scale and grandeur, yet all remain harmonious and ensure convenient passage. A common feature in Dich Diep is that the gate roofs are tiled, connected to the archway by two vertically built, elaborately molded pillars. The pillars often feature raised couplets written in Kai script. The gate facade is also intricately decorated, embossed with large Chinese characters depicting the homeowner's philosophy of life or noble character.

The house belonging to the 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 where we live is over 100 years old. It is made entirely of ironwood, with an old tiled roof, 3 bays, facing the courtyard and garden. The decorative motifs on the rafters, pillars, wooden couches, and tables and chairs remain almost intact.”

According to village elders, the residents of Dich Diep originally practiced agriculture before introducing weaving, at which point handloom weaving began to take shape. In 1947, the villagers sewed padded vests to send to the soldiers and made a silk robe to present to Uncle Ho, receiving a letter of commendation 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 bearing the four Chinese characters “Thien, Tuc, Kha, Phong” bestowed specially on the village by King Tu Duc, wishing for the village to continue promoting its good customs, preserving and passing them on to future generations.

Not far from the ancient communal house is the village pagoda named “Co Lieu Linh Tu,” built in ancient times with an unknown 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 local people over many years.

The system of ancient monuments 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 were three generals with great merits in defending against foreign invaders during the campaigns against the Song and Siam, as well as helping the local area expand farmland, teaching literacy, and using benevolence combined with compassion to form good local customs.

“The Grand Elder Bodhi Tree” nearly a thousand years old

In addition to tangible architectural heritage such as water wharves and communal yards, Dich Diep village is fortunate to preserve an ancient Bodhi tree around 800 years old. Villagers call it the “Great Elder Bodhi” to distinguish it from the “Great Elder Tree Spirit” in the neighboring village. The ancient Bodhi tree features roots about 40 cm wide growing from its trunk like tentacles of a giant octopus. Each branch and twig links together, and the twisted roots drive straight into the ground, enabling the “Great Elder Bodhi” to stand firm against storms and tempests.

The village elders all believe that the ancient Bodhi tree is also a symbol of longevity, health, and the steadfast, patient, and quiet character of the people of Dich Diep. Therefore, to the locals, this Bodhi tree is like a “venerable immortal elder,” deserving only reverence and never betrayal. It is estimated that the tree trunk is so large it takes about five people embracing it to encircle it. Villagers believe that during wartime, this Bodhi tree served as a shelter for the locals. Despite being struck by bombs multiple times, the ancient tree remained unharmed and continues to thrive lushly 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, along with the names of lands and villages recorded in history books, continue to be 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