Tho Ha, an ancient Vietnamese village on the northern bank of Cau River (Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province) still retains many traditional historical and cultural values.
In the past, people knew Tho Ha as a pottery village, where there are ancient communal houses and pagodas with famous festival spaces in the North, but few people know that Tho Ha is also a countryside that preserves many ancient temples. Ancient house in Bac Giang.
Ancient house architecture – a sign of Kinh Bac ancient times
Stepping into the old houses, you feel like you are immersed in a quiet, fresh space separate from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Drink a glass of cool water, listen to stories about the family customs surrounding the old house passed down from generation to generation despite the ups and downs of the times… which makes you love this land of people more.
Placing your feet on the dark red square tile floor in the old house brings a feeling of coolness, comfort and closeness.
Mr. Trinh Dac Mui, in hamlet 4 of Tho Ha village, the owner of the old house said: “This house is nearly 200 years old. My great-grandfather, Trinh Dac Keo, passed it down to my grandfather, Trinh Dac Mat, and my father. is Trinh Dac Trac.
The old house has three continuous layouts in a large campus, including: The 3-room bridge in front is used to receive guests, the 5-compartment main house is a place to live and worship ancestors, and next to the yard are three kitchen rooms. Unfortunately, due to flood conditions in 1991, the toilet had to be removed.”
The old house of Mr. Trinh Dac Mui’s family is in Tho Ha ancient village, Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province.
The old house of Mr. Mui’s family has a monogram-style architecture with seven rooms, with five outhouses and two rooms. The house is 7.5m wide and 17.5m long.
The edges of the porch are lined with rectangular green stone slabs that have been polished and flattened by time. This type of house with a wide heart is popularly called the “Dai Khoa” house. The roof is built with corrugated iron, covered with funny-nosed tiles, and the ridge has soft strips of lemon flowers.
The ironwood frame is still sturdy. The female and military columns have discolored over time and become glossy black, with an average diameter of 25-30cm. Because the roof is mounted in the style of a gong rack, the two roofs are mounted in the style of a gong.
Embossed carvings of flowers and leaves, rattan and sword patterns, geometric patterns, and flower strings on architectural structures. In particular, the gooseneck system inherits the ancient architecture from the Le Dynasty, giving the house a very unique and ancient architectural feature.
In this ancient house, three altar rooms are arranged and displayed. In the middle is the worship of the Ancestors, the next space is the worship of the Holy Master and the innermost space is the quiet space to worship Buddha. Leading us around the house, Mr. Mui pointed out to the yard and confided:
“Along with the ancient house that is nearly two hundred years old, in front of the brick yard are two ancient ceramic jars from Tho Ha pottery village. Star fruit trees, fruit trees… have witnessed many generations being born, growing up, growing old and returning to heaven and earth in this very house. In my family, up to my generation, 8 generations have lived in this old house.”
The old house of Mr. Cap Trong Duong’s family is in hamlet 2, Tho Ha ancient village, Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province.
Unlike Mr. Mui’s house, Mr. Cap Trong Duong’s house in Hamlet 2 has the typical ancient feeling of old houses at first sight. This house is over 100 years old, the tile roof is dark, the ground is still made of rammed earth, the summer is cool but the large wooden columns support the rafters, the tile roof is still stable as if it has stood the test of time.
After 7 generations, the house is still quite intact and has not had to be repaired much. In addition to the incense burners, altars, altar thrones, incense burners, horizontal panels, parallel sentences… Mr. Duong’s family also hangs a wooden calligraphy inlaid with ivory white snail shells on a very beautiful and luxurious glossy black wooden background on the side. in front of the ancestral altar.
Underneath is an ancient kneeling altar with a fish stomach placed on four ancient ceramic bowls from the craft village. Above is a wooden altar with elaborately carved curtains, delicate patterns of vines, arrows, and rattan patterns. In the altar, there is a wooden altar throne painted with gilded vermilion.
Next to it is a picture frame of the worshiping ancestors. On the altar’s surface are ancient incense bowls and many other valuable worship items. Each worship space is decorated with parallel sentences and a horizontal painting… exuding the national soul with an ancient and majestic look.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thuy’s house in hamlet 4 is not “grand” but has another ancient beauty. Inside the house, in addition to the carvings on the architectural structures, the altars are also decorated with many horizontal panels, parallel sentences and calligraphy.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thuy confided: “The old house was left by my father. In the past, my father used to learn Chinese characters, be a scholar, and interact a lot with intellectuals. In the old house, there are still hanging horizontal panels with parallel sentences. Big is the letter left by my father.”
Maintain family style
Every year, on the death anniversaries of Tet, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thuy’s extended family gathers at the shareholders’ house to pay tribute to his father and ancestors. This is also an occasion for brothers and relatives to gather and visit each other.
On this day, old people tell stories from the past, young people listen attentively so that tomorrow they will have stories to tell their children and grandchildren about the old house, about grandfathers, grandmothers, great-grandparents, and their ancestors. … In those old stories, Mr. Thuy did not forget to recall the days when the flood waters of the Cau River rose and flooded the backs of house columns.
His family had to nail the top of the column, use rope to hold the wooden trap and worship items on the altar up high to avoid flooding. When the water receded, the whole family had to focus on cleaning and repairing, to protect the wooden column frame. old house.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thuy confided: “According to the will left by my father, I have also stipulated to my children that: this ancient house belongs to the ancestors, absolutely cannot be sold. Children and grandchildren live here so is responsible for taking care of and preserving the house. All children and grandchildren must join hands to shoulder the responsibility of death anniversary, worship, and house repair…”.
The stories always show the spirit of caring, loving, sharing with each other and mixed with pride in a well-ordered, emotional family.
Whenever any member of the big family is in trouble, the rest of them join hands to help; contributors, contributors, no one needs to be reminded, everyone wholeheartedly takes care of and nurtures the family, especially paying filial piety to parents. That house style, that family style, Mr. Thuy’s family has saved for many generations to cultivate and build.
In Tho Ha village, the owners of ancient houses not only preserve the unique features left by their ancestors, but more importantly, preserve the family style. They teach their children and grandchildren the good things of traditional rituals, absorb new and appropriate things to make life richer and more prosperous.
Mr. Thuy also shared: “My father always taught and told us the good and right things in life, the traditional morals of the nation. Now we have stable lives of our own. If you are far away, the death anniversary will be slow and you won’t be able to return until Tet, but people who live nearby often come back to this old house.”
So, the ancient houses in Tho Ha are not only beautiful because of their ancient architectural lines and precious antiques… but also because of their family lifestyle rich in love and tradition… That is also the soul. of ancient houses, is the precious capital of the village.
Tho Ha village still preserves about 15 ancient houses with different architectural features. Most of the ancient houses are over 100 years old, built in the 19th and early 20th centuries such as the houses of Mr. Trinh Dac Luu, Trinh Dac Tam, Mr. Cap Trong Duong, Trinh Quang Liem in Hamlet II, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thuy, Mr. Ms. Trinh Thi Van, Mr. Nguyen Cong Hung in hamlet 4….
Every ancient house has its own unique features, not only beautiful in its ancient architecture but also in the memorabilia and treasures passed down through generations, decoration… ancient houses are even more beautiful because of family customs.
For more than a hundred years, despite many changes from generation to generation, the people of Tho Ha village still respectfully preserve a part of their “countryside soul” through the ancient houses of Kinh Bac – Bac Giang.
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