Duong Lam Ancient Village

Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên · CC BY-SA 3.0

An old Vietnamese village built of laterite, birthplace of two kings, forty kilometres from central Hanoi.

Duong Lam was the first ancient village in Vietnam to be listed as a national heritage site, and what sets it apart from every other village is the material: laterite. This pitted red-brown stone was cut from the hills around the village, dried hard, and built into house walls, lane walls and village wells — which gives the whole place a red-brown tone you will not mistake for anywhere else. The village keeps its old gate, its banyan tree, the communal house at Mong Phu, and timber houses centuries old still lived in by the families' descendants. Duong Lam is also called the land of two kings: Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen both came from here, and both have temples in the village.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Duong Lam Ancient Village?

October to December, or the rice harvest in May

How much does it cost to visit Duong Lam Ancient Village?

20,000d (indicative)

How long do you need at Duong Lam Ancient Village?

Half a day

What are the opening hours of Duong Lam Ancient Village?

07:00 - 18:00

Did you know

This was the first ancient village in Vietnam to be classified as a national heritage site.
Houses, lane walls and village wells are all built from laterite quarried locally.
The village is known as the 'land of two kings', for Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen.
It lies in Son Tay, about 40km west of central Hanoi.

Travel tips

Rent a bicycle at the village entrance — the lanes are narrow and walking it all is a long way.
Many old houses are still lived in; ask the owner before entering and before photographing.

Source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/18772124

Updated: 2026-08-16