In every corner, people can see ancient houses.

Most of these houses are built with traditional materials of Duong Lam, such as laterite. The system of columns and rafters are usually made of jackfruit wood or chinaberry wood, with a few wealthier families using ironwood. The roofs are typically covered with traditional tiles. The most common architectural style is the five-room house. The three main rooms serve as places for worship and receiving guests, while the two side rooms are for personal activities. The skilful Vietnamese craftsmen of the past didn’t forget to meticulously carve simple yet soft patterns on many wooden parts of the house, adding charm to the building.

The oldest houses in Mong Phu have now become favourite tourist destinations, including those of Nguyen Van Hung, Ha Huu The, Ha Nguyen Huyen, and others. The oldest house in Nguyen Van Hung was built in 1649. Despite almost 400 years of weathering, it has been well preserved. Like many other ancient houses in Mong Phu, as well as Duong Lam in general, Hung’s house features a small gate leading to the courtyard and garden area. Duong Lam is famous for its soy sauce-making craft, so in almost every courtyard, one can see large jars of soy sauce, made for both personal use and sale. The courtyards filled with soy sauce jars have now become popular check-in spots for many tourists.

In Duong Lam, people can not only see the ancient houses but also easily explore old traditions of daily life.

Herds of cattle leisurely pass through the village gate to graze in the fields. Elderly people sit by the tea stalls at the village entrance while old ladies chew betel nut. Old men with white hair walk with canes on red brick-paved roads. These are something that people typically only see in films or documentary photos.

In addition to the communal house and ancient homes, Duong Lam also has a large pagoda called Chua Mia (Mia Pagoda). It houses 287 statues, including 174 gilded terracotta statues, 107 wooden statues, and six bronze statues. Mia Pagoda is well known both within and outside the region for its sacredness and ancient beauty. If Duong Lam Commune, particularly Mong Phu Village, is considered a museum of ancient Vietnamese villages, then Mia Pagoda is a museum of ancient Buddhist statues.

In 2013, determining that preserving and promoting the heritage value of the ancient village of Duong Lam is an important task, the city approved the Plan for Preservation, Restoration and Promotion of the Value of Duong Lam Ancient Village. Then, in 2014, Hanoi issued the Project "Investment in Restoration, Restoration and Promotion of the Value of Duong Lam Ancient Village". From the plan and project, Son Tay Town has implemented specific solutions, such as investing in and renovating important relics; investing in and renovating valuable ancient houses; and preserving and maintaining public spaces of the ancient village. In particular, Son Tay Town has issued designs for 20 house models. Along with preserving ancient houses and valuable houses, the authorities have encouraged households to build new houses that comply with the height and apply the proposed designs. In September 2019, the Hanoi People's Committee issued Decision No. 4851/QD-UBND "On recognising the ancient village tourist site in Duong Lam", creating momentum for tourism development in the ancient village.

In addition to conservation measures, Son Tay Town has also implemented activities to shift the economic structure and create livelihoods for the local people. The most notable initiative is the Project on Agricultural Economic Development, in conjunction with Trade and Services at the Ancient Village in Duong Lam. This project encourages economic sectors and businesses to invest in developing various forms of services and tourism to effectively exploit the values of the Duong Lam Ancient Village heritage site. The project has been materialised through initiatives such as the preservation and restoration of Mia chicken, Cam Lam tea, and sweet potatoes and developing the craft of making soy sauce and soy sauce-based products, as well as traditional confectioneries, such as peanut candy and sticky rice candy. OCOP product introduction and sales points have also been established to promote and sell these local products.

Duong Lam residents have also received training on tourism, allowing hundreds of households to participate directly or indirectly in tourism activities.

Duong Lam residents have also received training on tourism, allowing hundreds of households to participate directly or indirectly in tourism activities. Nguyen Dang Thao, Head of the Duong Lam Ancient Village Relic Management Board, said: “Currently, Son Tay Town is developing a project titled 'Investment in Restoration, Conservation, and Promotion of the Value of the Duong Lam Ancient Village Relic Site, Son Tay Town, from 2024 to 2030, with a vision toward 2035', continuing the project from 2014 to 2020. One of the key objectives is to prepare a dossier to propose that Duong Lam Ancient Village be recognised as a Special National Heritage Site, aiming for UNESCO recognition as a World Cultural Heritage. By 2030, Duong Lam aims to attract between 150,000 to 200,000 tourists annually”.

Duong Lam is a rare location that still preserves the overall beauty of an ancient village, featuring both common characteristics and unique traits that create its charm. This combination of values has made Duong Lam one of Hanoi’s most attractive tourist destinations. Today, visitors to Duong Lam have a variety of options: visiting important historical relics such as temples, pagodas, and communal houses; experiencing the charm of ancient homes and pathways made of laterite and red bricks; and exploring distinctive features such as village gates, ancient wells, and communal markets. The entire village serves as a "film studio" for tourists.

Duong Lam is a rare location that still preserves the overall beauty of an ancient village.

However, it would be remiss not to mention Duong Lam’s cuisine. Several restaurants in the village cater to visitors, and many ancient homeowners also offer local dining services. Duong Lam is known for its rural specialties, such as the famous Mia chicken, renowned for its delicious meat. One of the most elaborate dishes in Duong Lam’s cuisine is roasted pork. Pork belly is marinated with spices such as cumin, pepper, dried shallots, fish sauce, and salt.

The key ingredient that makes Duong Lam crunchy roasted pork attractive is guava leaves. Young guava leaves are chopped and marinated with the meat for about an hour, while the mature leaves wrap the meat before roasting. After being marinated, the meat is wrapped around a large bamboo pole lined with banana leaves inside. The roasting process is also very elaborate as the pork is grilled over charcoal, and it usually takes up to 6 hours to finish the roasting process.

A typical tray of food to welcome tourists in Duong Lam often includes Mia chicken, roasted pork, young rice cakes, vegetables, and fermented soy sauce. Sweets include ‘che lam' (nutty ginger sticky rice bars), ‘keo bot’ (candy made from molasses, ginger and sesame), and ‘keo doi’ (candy made from peanuts, sugar, vanilla, and glucose syrup).

Tourists to Duong Lam can participate in many activities, including visiting heritage sites, cycling to explore the countryside, enjoying cuisine, and resting in ancient houses.

Recently, the local authorities, in coordination with the Duong Lam Ancient Village Management Board, organised a programme every Saturday entitled ‘A Night in the Ancient Village’ at the gate of Mong Phu village.

The programme features stalls selling products made by the villagers, souvenirs, and typical dishes of Duong Lam Village. 

There are also folk games and performances of traditional folk-art forms, such as dragon dance, drum dance, Chau Van (spiritual) singing, flute and Quan Ho (love duet) singing by members of arts clubs in the village. In addition, at village creative spaces, such as Doai Creative and Nghe Lang, visitors can learn about lacquer and join workshops and creative activities.