(Baonghean.vn) - For the people of Kim Lien commune (Nam Dan district), ancient wooden houses are not only a cozy and affectionate place to live, but also a place to preserve many good traditions.
Currently, many households in Kim Lien commune still preserve and conserve ancient houses of over 100 years old, some even hundreds of years old. These houses are scattered in the hamlets. In front of the alleys of ancient houses, old houses in Uncle Ho's hometown, people often preserve ancient trees hundreds of years old, including many elm trees. Photo: Huy ThuThe old houses here are usually wooden houses with many rooms (3 rooms, 5 rooms), roofed with scale tiles, most of which have been renovated, embellished, and have a corrugated iron roof in the front, but still retain the old wooden structure. Some houses have had their floors re-paved, walls added, etc. In the photo: The old house of Mr. Pham Van Mai's family in Hong Son hamlet, Kim Lien commune, built in 1941. Photo: Huy ThuMr. Pham Van Mai (75 years old), in Hong Son hamlet, shared: The house his family is living in was built by his grandfather. Having existed for many years, he recently had it re-roofed... "Many people came to ask to buy the house, but I did not sell it. My family kept it as a souvenir," Mr. Mai said. In the photo: Mr. Mai next to the family's antique cabinet. Photo: Huy ThuAccording to local elders, the old wooden houses in Kim Lien commune were often built by carpenters from Nam Dan and Hung Nguyen. People here often built houses with many columns, low beams, and sturdy wooden planks all around. Photo: Huy ThuThe ancient houses are mainly made of ironwood, jackfruit, and rosewood, with simple wooden frame decoration. In the past, the front of these houses was often designed with large shuttered doors and two gables with sliding shuttered windows. Some houses have the year of creation and renovation engraved on the roof. The famous beautiful ancient house in the commune is the house of Mr. Vuong Hoang Dong in Hoang Tru hamlet. Photo: Huy ThuThe ancient houses in Kim Lien commune, like those in other rural areas, are often divided into two parts: the “outer house” is used for worship and receiving guests. The “inner house” is used for family activities. The ancestral altar is decorated according to traditional customs, both solemn and cozy. In the photo: The worship space in the outer house of Mr. Nguyen Van Thoa’s family in Lien Hong hamlet. Photo: Huy ThuMr. Nguyen Van Thoa (60 years old) said: The house where his family is living was bought from Lieu market area (Hung Linh, Hung Nguyen) before the August Revolution. The house has 5 rooms made of ironwood, jackfruit, and roofed with scale tiles. Over the years, it has been renovated to some extent to suit the living conditions. The wooden house is not only a cozy and peaceful place to live, but also a place to preserve the family's good traditions of solidarity, filial piety, studiousness... from the generation of his great-grandfather until now. Photo: Huy ThuSome families with old houses still preserve the old landscape around the house such as brick yards, gardens, ornamental plants, wells... Photo: Huy ThuMr. Pham Van Kiem (77 years old), in Lien Mau hamlet, shared: The house where he and his wife are living was built by his ancestor, who was an official in the Le dynasty, and is now nearly 300 years old. Originally, the house had 5 rooms and 2 sides. In 1966, his father sold 2 rooms. In 1993, he removed some pillars and built a surrounding wall as it is now. This ancient house preserves many artifacts, especially 3 precious royal decrees of the Le dynasty, Canh Hung period, given to his ancestor. Photo: Huy ThuPeaceful and affectionate life under the ancient wooden roofs in Kim Lien commune. Families who still preserve the old houses all say that they consider the preservation, restoration and maintenance of the houses as the responsibility of descendants towards their ancestors and family traditions. Photo: Huy ThuMr. Vuong Ba Tung - Vice Chairman of Kim Lien Commune People's Committee said: Depending on the specific conditions and circumstances of each household and each house, families in the area preserve and restore ancient houses in their own way. Preserving and conserving ancient houses is a beautiful feature in the cultural tradition of local people. Photo: Huy Thu
