Ninh Binh preserves and promotes value of ancient houses in Trang An heritage area

Figures from the provincial Department of Tourism showed that there are over 100 ancient houses in the core area of. Most of them were built before 1945, and are located mainly in Truong Yen and Ninh Xuan communes of Hoa Lu district.

Though these houses were made of different construction materials and have distinctive architectures, they all have reflect the creativeness and artistry of predecessors.

 Nguyen Huy Tuan's nearly 100-year-old house is one of a few ancient houses in Truong Son village in Truong Yen commune, that retains the typical architecture of wooden houses found in the Red River Delta. The wooden house has three main rooms and two auxiliary rooms. All pillars are made from large trees and the roof are connected by rafters. Wooden doors, wooden pillars and stone steps are carved elaborately and exquisitely.

In the house, many generations of Tuan's family have lived together and preserved the cultural traditions of the homeland.

Truong Yen commune is home to 55 traditional houses with the typical architecture of three-room or five-room wooden houses.

The traditional houses in Truong Yen are not simply living spaces for families, but also places that fully reflect the values of sculpture, organised living spaces, and the artistry of dealing with nature. However, over the time, these houses have deteriorated and are in need of preservation to promote their value and serve sustainable tourism development.

Bui Van Manh, Director of the Department of Tourism, said in order to preserve and promote the value of the ancient houses, Ninh Binh has issued numerous legal documents and guiding documents related to preserving and promoting cultural values. In mid-2023, it issued a number of policies to support the renovation and repair of houses with traditional architectural styles that are 50 years old or more in the core heritage area.

In the time to come, the province will continue to build criteria set for ancient houses in the heritage core Trang An and to make a list of them, then to build mechanisms and policies and mobilises resources to repair and upgrade the ancient houses, thus serving tourism development, Manh said.

It will also pay attention to promote the role of local residents in preserving and promote the cultural values of ancient houses; create sustainable livelihoods for local people in the heritage area.

The province will also pay heed to preserving ancient houses in combination with zoning off residential areas in the core and buffer zone of Trang An, he added.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy