Communal experience

      Co Vien Lau Village offers a unique glimpse into an older way of life in northern Vietnam’s Red River Delta.
Nestled amid the famous grottoes and karst landscapes of Tam Coc-Bich Dong in the northern province of Ninh Binh, the village’s twenty 18th-20th century houses have been transplanted from villages throughout northern Vietnam.
Facing the nearby Thai Vi Temple, Ngo Dong River and the Cua Quen Mountains, the houses have beautiful natural views of the stunning countryside: winding canals and rivers snaking their way through rice paddies and jagged limestone hills and caves.
Each house boasts the traditional architectural traits of its home village or district.
The Luu Phuong house is made of jack wood and bead tree, with a fish fin tile roof.
The curved beams of the Van Hai house are shaped like the neck of goose and chiseled with intricate carvings.
The Khanh Hoa house’s unique pair of lacquered panels engraved with Chinese characters display poems from the 18th and 19th century.
Most noteworthy is the Nghenh Tan Cac Royal House built by King Gia Long in 1820. Moved from its original home in Hoa Binh Province’s Cam Son region, the house’s famous lotus-like design has inspired generations of Vietnamese poets.
Then there are the majestic village gates of Tam Quan and Ang Ngoai, which along with the Thanh Liem Communal House are exemplary of northern Vietnamese architecture.
Inside the old houses are antiques and artifacts dating back hundreds or even thousands of years ago. There are indigenous Vietnamese tools from the stone age, the bronze age, the pottery age, such as hand shovels, saws and jars, as well as drums and other everyday items.
After visiting Co Vien Lau, take a boat trip along the rivers of Tam Coc-Bich Dong or a visit to the ruins of Vietnam’s first capital city, Hoa Lu.
The Co Vien Lau hotel rents rooms in replica of traditional Vietnamese homes, outfitted with modern amenities, VND300,000-800,000 (US$17.50-46.80) a night.