Different from the bustling old town of Hanoi or the peaceful old town of Hoi An, the old town in Ha Giang is extremely special because of its different attractions. Coming here, you will have the opportunity to discover and have great experiences about the unique geography, architecture, markets and cafes of the old town. Those are the things you should know when coming to Dong Van old town .
Dong Van Old Town, Ha Giang.
Dong Van ancient town is located in Dong Van town, Dong Van district , Ha Giang province, is one of the main tourist attractions, attracting tourists of Ha Giang. The old Dong Van town center area belongs to Dong Quan canton, Nguyen Binh province, Tuong Van district, Tuyen Quang province and has a history of hundreds of years of architectural and cultural development. This is a place where you can explore and learn about the unique ancient architecture, the ancient markets with traditional culture or the old and old coffee shops,…
Ancient architecture of Dong Van old town
The Old Quarter was formed in the early 20th century, initially with only a few Hmong, Tay and Chinese families living, gradually more and more local residents came. Overall, the old town is imbued with Chinese architecture with 40 roofs nestled in the middle of a valley surrounded by rocky mountains.
When you come here, you will feel a unique and traditional architectural color with two-storey houses roofed with yin and yang tiles – a typical tile of ethnic minorities in the northern border region and the northern border region. Bright red lanterns hang high and it will be an interesting experience to watch the ancient picture of the old town change during the day.
Typical architectural style of Dong Van old town.
The picture of the old town is shown in many colors, changing according to each level of time in a day. In the morning, the Old Quarter puts on the color of an ingenious blend between the brilliant yellow sunlight and the gray color of the old houses with a strangely calm and peaceful space to breathe the fresh air of the morning. . And in the afternoon, the old town in the middle of the stone plateau has the gentle, poetic color of the sunset and the silent, gentle and peaceful atmosphere along with the brilliant colors of the lights that make up the old town. It’s really magical at night.
Particularly in Dong Van market area, there are many old tube-style houses to take advantage of the facade like Hanoi’s old quarter. Since 2006, Dong Van district has held every March “Old Town Night” on the 14th, 15th, and 16th days of the lunar calendar.
The red lantern dispels the cold highland.
Accordingly, households in the Old Quarter simultaneously hung red lanterns as to dispel the cold of the rocky plateau, some activities such as displaying ethnic brocades, performing and selling traditional dishes of different ethnic groups. ethnic groups with the expectation of attracting tourists in the style of an ancient town of Hoi An.
Old Town Cafe
Located in a fairly intact old house formed hundreds of years ago, which was the home of a landowner of the Luong family of Tay people, very influential in the Dong Van area in the past, the house was in the same old quarter. Through many ups and downs and up to now, the Old Quarter cafe still has almost intact its ancient and ancient beauty.
Old town coffee – both classic and modern.
In terms of scale, the house is quite large compared to other houses of the same time in Dong Van, with a wide frontage, many layers of houses and a courtyard. The architecture of the work is similar to the Palace of the Vuong Dynasty of “King Meo” Vuong Chinh Duc in Sa Phin valley, influenced by the architecture of the Qing Dynasty (China) with many layers of houses according to the principle of low outside, high inside. courtyard, closed layout and introspection.
And especially, the peaceful space here gives visitors a feeling of reminiscing about the old times, so that those who trot set foot in will be mesmerized, holding their feet as if they were lost in a completely different world. The noisy, busy city life suddenly left and only the emotions of nostalgia and contemplation remained.
Only a few steps from the old house in front, but the space inside the Old Quarter Cafe is completely different, quiet and nostalgic. The first floor is a set of bamboo tables and chairs placed around the corners of the house, the second floor is a coffee ground, looking directly at the old town. The only light shining here comes from red lanterns, combined with the color of unburnt bricks, making the space more mysterious.
The typical cultural features of the rocky plateau.
Dong Van Ancient Market
Speaking of Dong Van old town, in addition to the beauty of mossy old houses, we also see the typical culture of the Stone Plateau which is reflected in the architecture of Dong Van ancient market.
Looking down from above, next to three rows of markets arranged in a U shape with yin and yang tiles, are two rows of old streets running into the foot of the mountain. A residential area mainly Tay people with dozens of old houses built by workers in Sichuan to work for hire and is considered an important part of Dong Van old town.
A small corner of Dong Van ancient market.
Dong Van market is not only a place to exchange goods between ethnic groups but also a place to exchange and make friends with boys and girls or a place to discover interesting things for tourists when coming to Ha Giang. Pretty girls, smiling faces with traditional costumes, unique souvenirs, attractive specialties in Ha Giang or beautiful brocade panels created by the people here.
From the Mong girls to the Pu Peo, Lo Lo, etc., dressed in traditional costumes, they went to the market to play, make friends, shop and exchange goods. The delicate and unique interference of Vietnamese – Chinese architecture built between 1925 – 1928, Dong Van market is like a beautiful and impressive drawing in the heart of the plateau. All have painted an impressive picture of Dong Van ancient market .
Peaceful, ancient features of Dong Van old town.
And especially, when traveling, you won’t forget to enjoy the specialties of that region, right? The most famous dish at the market in the Dong Van Stone Plateau is thang co – a dish cooked with a “mix” of meat and organs of herbivorous cattle such as horses and cows. With this dish, people often say: “If you come to the highlands without eating Thang Co, you have not been to the highlands”. Enjoying a bowl of Thang Co, sipping a cup of corn wine in the atmosphere of the market day and the sound of the Hmong Khen ringing in your ears, visitors will clearly feel the typical culture of the Stone Highlands.
Dong Van Old Town on Ha Giang Stone Plateau is not too big, but it is enough to accommodate tourists who are people or more precisely souls who want to get lost in the peaceful world, slow down, be nostalgic and reminisce. let your soul breathe deeply in the fresh air and experience the unique and dreamy picture of the old town. Therefore, if you travel to Ha Giang , do not hesitate to come to Dong Van old town once.
Source: Collected internet.