Dong Van Old Quarter - Ha Giang

The vestige consists of the market and two villages (Quyet Tien, Dong Tam) of Dong Van commune, Ha Giang province has attract many tourists in Vietnam travel with architectural style and unique culture.

Located at the center of Dong Van town, it was built on early years of the 20th Century. At first, the Old Quarter only has Tay and Hoa people. During years 1940, 1950 of the 20th Century, there are some ethnics like Kinh, Dao and Nung also settled in these area. It has distinct identities of local people.

Nowadays, Dong Van Old Quarter has more than 40 old house. Of which, the oldest is the house of Luong family which was built since 1890. The Old Quarter is a consistent architectural community including, market and opposite to market is the row of the house of the local people which are very unique and suitable with Feng Shui of the rocky highland area.

The architecture of the houses in Dong Van Old Quarter

The architecture of the houses in the Old Quarter have quite similar appearance but contains unique architectural feature of each ethnic minority:

  • The houses frame is 2-storey, made of wooden.
  • All columns and pillars are made from iron wood without jointing and fussy carving, which remain rigid even at present;
  • The wall is compacted clay (adobe) with an average thickness of about half meters while the roof is is covered with yin and yang tile, a fashion very typical for ethnic minority people in the Northern boundary;
  • The yard and the three-step staircase are hand-made from bluish limestone while pillar footing stones are carefully carved.

In general, Dong Van Old Quarter is combination between architectural style of local people with people from Hoa Nam – china.