Vietnam: one day at a time

Random photos taken in Vietnam

14.6.06

Dinh at Khuc Thuy

The village dinh (communal house) at Khuc Thuy is a very fine one, reflecting the village's former prosperity. These days it could do with some restoration, though I hope it wouldn't be done in the garish colours that decorate the pagoda down the road! Anyway the dinh is where the village elders used to meet to decide the affairs of the village and it remains the centre of 'traditional', but non-religious business, the biennial village festival being the main example. I don't know why they only hold it every second year (money?), but it celebrates the founding of the village about a thousand years ago. Until late in the colonial era Khuc Thuy was a prosperous silk trading village, but most of the traders left for Hanoi and the local economy declined. Rice cultivation is now the main occupation. There are some fabulous old buildings - chiefly domestic architecture - from the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the village was rich. This front gate of the dinh probably dates from that era too.

1 Comments:

At 11:14 pm, Blogger melanie said...

The old decorations were done with ceramic glaze. Now they just use cement and paint. This is my new hobby - I'll see how long it lasts! Thanks for the nice words.

 

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