Nom Village: Not Just Any Village

Published: 02/01/2012 by Pat

A typical village usually requires the following things: a village square, a big tree at the entrance, and abridge with nine spans. But Nom Village isn’t like any village.

Situated 30 kilometers east of Hanoi in Hung Yen Province, Dai Dong Commune, Van Lam District, Nom Village is known for its historical architectural structures, breathtaking natural sights and traditional costumes. And while these features may be common in most rural areas in the north, Nom Village stands out from all the rest in that it has a patriarchal custom that practices Confucian tenets – down to the last letter.
 
Girls in the past as young as 16 had to quit school and start a business and use the money they earn to send their husbands to school so they could become government officials. Girls had to give 20 trays of copper or build several dozens of red brick road when they got married. That is how piously they follow the Confucian philosophy.
 
With its geographical features, village gate, village pond, old houses, market, and seven ancestral worshipping houses, Nom Village is a complete complex. Its nine-span bridge crosses the Nguyet Duc River and gives villagers from the other side access to the Nom Market. For a long time, it has made travel and transportation of goods to and from the village possible because of its strong construction of big rocks.
 
Nom Pagoda is one structure the village is also known for. Built in 1680 during the Le Dynasty, it was the biggest pagoda in the north. More than 100 ancient statuettes are found in the pagoda which, according to legends, was in the midst of a pine tree forest at the time it was built. Today, it stands in front of an old market and a big cotton tree.
 
Nom Village is said to be home to many highly-educated people. But for some contradicting reason, scrap trading is the main occupation of the villagers. In fact, the village is so famous for the vocation that a song was made about it.
 
Nom Village has more than 10 houses that are more than one hundred years old. One of the oldest houses is about 200 hundred years old, owned by Ta Van Long. It has intricately-designed wooden columns and beams reflective of a rich culture during those times. But like most civilizations today, modernization and urbanization has altered the once historically-rich village. What used to be beautiful ponds and ancient houses are now high-rise buildings. What remains of the once majestic Nom Pagoda are its horizontal lacquered boards.
 
Some features which made Nom Village famous before remain unchanged though, like its village gate and nine-span rock bridge. But like most communities touched and mesmerized by technological advancement today, the destiny of the once mighty village rests on the hands of each Nom resident, whether he/ she chooses to preserve its historical richness, or embrace the new world of advancement and commercialism.