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City Guide
Apr 01, 2017 / 20:53

Exploring unique features of 500 years- old villas village in Hanoi

Translated by Nguyen Xuan

Cuu Village in Van Tu commune of the suburban district of Phu Xuyen is one of the oldest "modern" villages in Hanoi. Unlike the famous Duong Lam Village, which is a typical traditional village, Cuu Village boasted a more luxurious veneer because its buildings are a combination of French style and Vietnamese features.

 
At Cuu village in Hanoi city.
At Cuu village in Hanoi city.
Cuu Village belongs to Van Tu commune, Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi. It is called “western village” as it has preserved dozens of villas that were built in a typically European architectural style.
It is an old village that has literally risen, phoenix-like, from the ashes. The "Village of villas," as local residents call it, owes its relative modernity to a fire that happened nearly 100 years ago.
Cuu village attracts visitors to a quiet and peaceful land.
Cuu village attracts visitors to a quiet and peaceful land.
The village has been known for many years as a tailoring hub. Thanks to the industry, local residents have become rich. Their prosperity is shown in the architecture of houses built in the first decades of the 20th century. The houses that bring western ancient architecture only add to the beauty and unique characteristics of the village by sitting alongside typically Vietnamese constructions.
The structures in Cuu Village were built with lots of architectural innovations in line with Vietnamese culture and notions of beauty.
The Vietnamese features could be seen in houses constructed of ironwood with curved roofs. Dragons, kylins, tortoises and phoenixes were carved at the ends of the beams. The gardens typically had pines, bamboo trees, daisies and other typical flora.
Each house had a specially designed gate. There were idiomatic phrases or parallel sentences carved on them. The architectural features had more than aesthetic purposes. They also aimed at highlighting the cultural spirit of the village.
Particularly, the most unique feature of Cuu village which has been considered as the most beautiful village in Vietnam by researchers  The gate at the village entrance was big and built to look like a giant open book. In the past, the village was a close-knit community. 
Entrance to Cuu village in Van Tu commune, Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi
Entrance to Cuu village in Van Tu commune, Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi
Currently, Cuu village has about 37 villas and is still peaceful and quiet at a time internet cafés and karaoke parlors can be found in most villages in the country. It is a place with great potential for tourism growth because there are no signs of commercialization.
Cuu village has become the destination for many people passionate with art like photographers or architecture students.
Visiting Cuu village, tourists will run into lots of ancient mansion houses with French, Japanese or Chinese architecture in almost every road. Their beauty is fading away along with time, and some are even abandoned. The village possesses a special feature, beautiful but blue.
 

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