Dong Van Ancient Town - a gem in the middle of the stone plateau heritage

On the Dong Van stone plateau, Dong Van ancient town is located at an altitude of 1,000-1,600m in Dong Van commune, Tuyen Quang province.

Formed in the early 20th century, the old town is only about 1 km long with about 40 ancient houses with yin-yang tiled roofs, earthen walls, wooden porches, bearing a strong Chinese and indigenous architectural style. This was once the busiest trading center in the far North, a place where many cultures converged.

Dong Van Ancient Town has been attracting a large number of tourists every year, especially during major festivals such as the Buckwheat Flower Festival, Mong Panpipe Festival, Khau Vai Love Market Festival and major holidays of the country and the province.

This is not only a tourist destination but also a living testament to the history, architecture and life of the Mong, Tay, Hoa, Lo Lo... ethnic communities on the rocky plateau.

1. Old Quarter Anecdotes

Dong Van is a transliteration of the Quan Hoa word "Tong Puon," which means trading field. Historically, this was the trading center of the entire large Dong Van (old) district.

The central area of Dong Van town used to belong to Dong Quan commune, Nguyen Binh district, Tuong Yen prefecture, Ha Tuyen province. Later, it was separated and merged into Bao Lac district, governed by a Tay mandarin named Nong in Bao Lac. When the French colonialists occupied, Dong Van was separated from Bao Lac.

In 1887, the Dong Van area was occupied by the French colonialists and for the convenience of governing, they divided Dong Van into small districts, each district was headed by a local chief. The Dong Van area at that time was governed by the Nguyen family, Mr. Nguyen Chan Quay. Previously, the Old Quarter was just a wild valley with a sparse population.

Dong Van Old Quarter was formed over many years, from the end of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. After the French colonialists completed their invasion of Ha Giang , they realized that Dong Van had an important location, near the Vietnam-China border, so they chose this place to build headquarters, military posts, markets, and houses to serve the work of governing this land. They hired workers from Sichuan (China) to build.

With experience and high skills, they used skillful stone carving techniques to turn green rocks in Dong Van Stone Plateau into giant stone bricks to build Dong Van market; created column bases with many shapes and sizes and decorated with sophisticated patterns with many different motifs, making the construction both ancient and soft.

(Photo: Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of Tuyen Quang province)

2. Ideal time to travel to Dong Van ancient town

The climate all year round in Dong Van ancient town is quite cool and pleasant, so tourists can come here to travel at any time of the year. In winter, it will be a bit cold, but experiencing winter in Dong Van ancient town is also very interesting.

In addition, you can also choose to go to Dong Van ancient town from early October to November, this is the buckwheat flower season. You will be able to explore Dong Van ancient town and admire the scent and color of the brilliant flower fields.

3. What is attractive about Dong Van ancient town?

Dong Van Old Quarter, though small, has a special attraction that makes anyone who sets foot here want to stay for a long time. The most attractive points of the old quarter include:

Take a walk to see the ancient houses

Dong Van Old Quarter, although not large in area, has a charming beauty, enough for visitors to spend a whole morning walking around exploring the small streets and admiring the ancient houses of the highlands.

Standing out among this architectural complex is the oldest house, built in 1860 by Mr. Luong Huy Ngo's family, a valuable cultural relic.

Another characteristic of Dong Van ancient town is the image of graceful lanterns hanging in front of some houses, creating an aesthetic highlight and cozy atmosphere. When walking here, visitors not only have the opportunity to admire the architectural beauty but also chat with the very honest and hospitable locals. Through their stories, the image of daily life in the ancient town becomes clearer and closer. If you intend to go inside the houses to explore the interior architecture, asking permission from the homeowner is always encouraged to preserve respect for local culture.

Surrounding Dong Van ancient town are massive mountain ranges and lush green ecosystems, along with the fresh air typical of the highlands. Every early morning, when the first sunlight filters through the mountain ranges and gently shines down on each old roof, the whole scene here appears a peaceful, poetic beauty, imbued with the unique character of the rocky plateau. Dong Van ancient town is not only a tourist destination but also a symbol of the harmony between culture, nature and people.

(Photo: Dong Van commune electronic information page)

Dong Van Market

Dong Van Market, located in the center of Dong Van Old Quarter, is an architectural work imbued with local culture. The market is designed in a U-shape with three main rows of houses, creating a bustling living space where indigenous ethnic communities come to trade, exchange goods and products.

Not only a place for buying and selling, the market also acts as a social space, a unique feature when it becomes a meeting place and place for young men and women in the area to meet and date.

When visiting this ancient town market, visitors will easily recognize the outstanding beauty of the colorful traditional costumes worn by local people during market occasions. This is also an ideal destination to shop for unique souvenirs, especially sophisticated handicraft products. In addition, Dong Van market also offers many spices and specialty ingredients of the highland people, providing the opportunity to experience indigenous culture through cuisine and typical goods.

Unique cuisine

The cuisine in Dong Van ancient town has its own unique features, rich in the region's character, making it difficult for anyone who visits to miss the opportunity to explore the culinary culture here. It would be a mistake if you set foot in this land without taking the time to experience the traditional dishes prepared by the locals, both simple but rich in typical flavors.

Along the small streets around the old town, you will come across a series of open eateries ready to serve a variety of specialties. The dishes are not only attractive to enjoy on the spot but can also be bought as souvenirs for relatives and friends.

Especially, on weekends or during traditional festivals, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy rare specialties imbued with national culture such as fragrant corn wine, unique thang co, soft and smooth Dong Van rice rolls, nutritious au tau porridge, eye-catching five-color sticky rice, sweet sticky rice in Bac Me bamboo tubes, and irresistible buffalo jerky.

Dong Van Street Food.jpg

Enjoying the local dishes, adding a little spicy taste of local corn wine, will definitely leave you with an emotional and memorable culinary journey in Dong Van ancient town. These experiences are not simply about enjoying delicious food but also a way for visitors to feel more deeply the cultural quintessence of this land rich in tradition./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/pho-co-dong-van-vien-ngoc-nam-giua-vung-di-san-cao-nguyen-da-post1062201.vnp