Please don't "forget" the village gate.
Along with communal houses, banyan trees, and wells, village gates have for generations been a cultural symbol in the hearts of every Vietnamese person. In recent years, with the flourishing movement of national unity in building a cultured life, village gates have been built in increasing numbers throughout the countryside.
Along with communal houses, banyan trees, and wells, village gates have for generations been a cultural symbol in the hearts of every Vietnamese person. In recent years, with the flourishing movement of national unity in building a cultured life, village gates have been built in increasing numbers throughout the countryside.
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Elderly people in Na Lan village (Chau Ly commune - Quy Hop district) plant trees next to the newly built village gate. |
First, there's the issue of design, construction, and site selection for village gates. To ensure consistency in village gate construction, in 2004, the Provincial Center for Culture and Information issued guidelines and design templates for village gates. Based on these guidelines and templates, many places have creatively built village gates that meet standards and aesthetic requirements. However, there are still many poorly constructed village gates in unattractive locations. Some village gates violate traffic safety corridors, and some gates are located near intersections with side wings that obstruct the view of passersby.
What is written on the village gate is also a matter worth discussing. Many villages have paid real attention to this, from choosing couplets and slogans to fonts and colors... As a result, the inscriptions on these village gates meet aesthetic requirements in form and content, conveying cultural values that reflect the village's spirit of unity and striving, while also reminding each villager to live up to their ancestors' traditions. However, in some places, the work has been completely outsourced to craftsmen who freely create ornate designs and arrange the inscriptions in a clumsy manner, detracting from the beauty of the village gate.
Sadly, many village gates were built just in time to receive the "Cultural Village" title, only to be... forgotten afterwards. The author of this article was deeply saddened when visiting one such "Cultural Village," where the gate's inscription was so worn and tattered that it was difficult to understand, and the celebratory flags were worn and tattered from years of exposure to sun and rain, and hadn't been replaced by the villagers for a long time. It is thought that careful consideration and attention should be paid to the construction of village gates. Let's not "forget" village gates, so that they may always stand majestically, adding beauty to cultural villages.
Text and photos: Cao Duy Thai
