The ancient villages in Vietnam are the best places to experience the local life & long-standing traditions. A trip to the picturesque Vietnamese villages is highly recommended for those who are looking for tranquil places to escape the hustle & bustle of city life. Besides that, Vietnamese people are famous for their sophisticated techniques that create numerous world-famous items such as hand-embroidered paintings, ceramics, silk, bronze casting, carpentry, flower-planting, bamboo-weaving, stone-capturing, vegetable-planting,...Visiting craft villages, witnessing and experiencing the process of making a perfect handicraft product is a great thing to do when traveling to Vietnam.
I - Top villages in Vietnam’s delta area
1 - Vietnamese villages in the Northern region
The most familiar features of traditional villages in the North of Vietnam can be mentioned as:
Village's gate
It was normally built in the style of a unique architecture - "three-entrance gate" which has one main gate in the center and two smaller ones on the left and the right respectively.
Bamboo groves
Bamboo is often associated with Vietnamese life and is a symbol of villages in Vietnam’s northern region. It is used to make household items, agricultural tools, handicrafts, and weapons during the war.
The well of a traditional village - Source: Vu Anh Dung
Village’s wells
The well is the common water source for drinking and cooking of the whole village. It is considered as the source of life and tradition.
The Tutelary God
The Tutelary God (Thành Hoàng Làng - The God of Village) having responsibility for the good fortune and bad luck of the whole village is usually worshiped at a communal house or temple of the village. In almost all villages in Vietnam, the God of village worship day is celebrated yearly and is considered as the biggest festival in the village.
Nowadays, due to socio-economic development, the images of the ancient villages of the Vietnamese in the North have not been popular. Some famous Vietnamese ancient villages in the North that you should not ignore can be mentioned as:
- Phu Vinh craft village: Phu Nghia commune, Chuong My district, Hanoi. This is one of the outstanding craft villages in Vietnam famous for bamboo and rattan products
- Duong Lam ancient village: Duong Lam commune, Son Tay district, Hanoi; Ticket price: 20,000 VND / person ($0.86).
- Dong Ho village: Song Ho commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province. Dong Ho village is a long-standing village famous for traditional paintings.
- Flower: Tay Tuu flower village: Tay Tuu ward, Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi. This is a famous flower village in the capital of Vietnam.
- Van Phuc silk village: Van Phuc ward, Ha Dong district, Hanoi. This is a well-known village with silk, textile, and garment.
- Quat Dong village: There are many embroidery villages in Vietnam and Quat Dong village in Thuong Tin district, Hanoi is the most famous one and is widely known as the starting place of Vietnamese embroidery.
- Bat Trang pottery village: Bat Trang commune, Gia Lam district, Hanoi
2 - Top Vietnamese villages in the central region
Villages in the Central region of Vietnam also have typical images such as village gates, wells, communal houses, pagodas, and so on. However, compared to villages in the North, these typical images seem fainter. In the central villages, each house was built in three-compartment architecture and covered by a tiled roof. In front of the house, there is a garden with lots of flowers and fruit trees such as pomelo, yellow apricot blossom, and jackfruit.
Some famous ancient and craft villages in Vietnam’s central region can be mentioned as:
- Phuoc Tich ancient village: Phong Hoa commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province - 40km from Hue city center.
- Tuy Loan ancient village: Hoa Phong commune, Hoa Vang district, Danang city.
- Thuy Xuan village - a famous Vietnam incense village: Huyen Tran Cong Chua street, Thuy Xuan ward, Hue city.
Cam Thanh eco village in Hoi An - Source: VnExpress
Besides that, you have the chance to visit several ecotourism villages in Central Vietnam. Here, you can experience the daily life of local people and join in exciting activities such as fishing, forming roofs from coconut leaves, boat rowing, cooking, and enjoying awesome local food. Some ecotourism villages:
- Cam Thanh Eco-village: Cam Thanh commune, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province
- Ta Lang Eco-village: Bha Le Commune, Tay Giang District, Quang Nam Province
You may be interested in: An overview about Ecotourism in Vietnam
3 - Impressive villages in Vietnam’s southern region
Old house in southern region's villages - Source: Internet
Villages in South Vietnam are surrounded by lots of rivers, canals, and orchards. Each village has a small flower path, a small canal, or a small creek. The hundred-year-old houses were built in a unique architectural style, intricately carved and mixed with French architecture. Visiting these old villages, you are surprised by the distinctive temple veils, the wooden doors with elaborate and unique patterns created by talented and skillful old Vietnamese craftsmen. Some of the most Vietnam villages in the southern region:
- Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village: Dong Hoa Hiep commune, Cai Be district, Tien Giang province
- Sa Dec flower village: Tan Qui Dong commune, Sa Dec district, Dong Thap province
II - Top 5 villages in Vietnam’s mountainous areas
The mountainous areas in Vietnam are home to many ethnic minorities’ unique cultural features from lifestyle, architecture, customs, and cuisine.
1 - Vietnamese villages in the northern mountainous region
The northern mountainous region is the main living area of the Tay, Dao, Nung, Muong, and Thai ethnic groups, mainly concentrated in small villages with nomadic customs. The villages are normally located in remote valleys and hillsides. The upper people mainly cultivate terraced rice, worship gods of forests, mountains, and rivers.
When visiting these mountainous villages in Vietnam, you should not miss the local markets to enjoy unique dishes, experience traditional handicrafts, admire terraced fields & stilt houses. The best local Vietnamese villages in the northern mountainous region:
- Cat Cat village: San Sa Ho commune, Sapa district, Lao Cai province
- Ta Van village: Ta Van commune, Sapa district, Lao Cai province
- Pom Coong village: Mai Chau town, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province
- Phia Thap village - a typical Vietnam incense village: Quoc Dan commune, Quang Uyen district, Cao Bang province
2 - The villages on the central highland region
The Central Highlands, the beautiful land of Gongs culture and coffee planting in Vietnam is home to many ethnic minorities such as Gia Rai, Ede, Ba Na, Co Ho, Nung, Xo Dang, and so on. People in this region often live in communal houses (a unique type of ethnic architecture). They also remain in the tradition of worshipping the Gods of forests, rivers, and mountains. Each ethnic group has different traditional festivals connected with wonderful epics.
The most famous Vietnam village in the central highland of Vietnam is Ban Don Village in Krong Na commune, Buon Don district, Dak Lak province.
III - Fishing villages in Vietnam’s coastal region
A typical fishing village - Source: Kenh14
In Vietnam, many fishing villages have formed for thousands of years along the over 3000km coastline. Visiting Vietnam, you have a chance to immerse in the stunning landscapes and explore the unique culture & lifestyle of the fishing land. Experiencing the fishing skills; enjoying beach activities with locals such as night squid fishing, fish-catching net making, boat sailing; savoring the local dishes, and buying local specialties are the best things to do in Vietnam. Some famous fishing villages in Vietnam:
- Cua Van fishing village: Halong bay
- Vang Vieng fishing village: Halong bay
- Ham Ninh fishing village: Phu Quoc island
- Lang Co fishing village: Hue city
- Mui Ne fishing village: Mui Ne ward, Phan Thiet city
That is an overview of the list of villages in Vietnam. It will be a great chance for you to have a better understanding of Vietnamese life and customs, cultural and spiritual values, as well as have wonderful experiences with many interesting things to do.
— Quan Nguyen
