Homemade Vietnamese cooking
Traditional Vietnamese cuisine has been highly appreciated by its cooking style and fresh ingredients, each Vietnamese dish has a distinctive flavors and present the cultural feature and life of region throughout the country. Vietnamese homemade cooking in Yen Duc village reflects the original taste of Northern Vietnam food. Most of raw materials are collected in the organic garden of village, prepared by locals, the homemade Vietnamese food in Yen Duc village will amaze you by its fresh and delicious tastes. Moreover, the Vietnamese food is also good for health by a certain vegetable portion in the meals. In each presented dishes, there will be also story of food recipes, appreciation of family tradition and local community connection. Visit Yen Duc village and experience the best original Vietnamese food of the Northern Vietnam will be sure to enrich your Asian taste.
Fishing
Most of the local houses in the village have organic vegetable gardens, and fish ponds to provide healthy food. The pond is located in front of local house, next to garden creating typical natural scenery of village. It also becomes a local custom feature in village life. The pond is an important part of the house; it contributed to the lives of all the villagers who live on farming and gardening. Through these activities, the natural environment is being made healthier; it also creates the cultural lifestyle in the countryside lasting for centuries in Vietnam.
Visit to Yen Duc village, you will engage in agricultural activities, especially fishing activity gives you a unique experience. In the Yen Duc village trip, you will be guided to a local house with colorful garden and fish ponds where the rural people help you to use fishing-tackle, a common tool used to catch fish in the pond. The locals help you catch fish; it is not only an interesting activity but also chance to have better understanding of rural life. The fresh fishes you catch under hands of the chef will be very special dishes for your dinner. Thus, catching fishes will be a great fun and help you to understand typical local lifestyle.
Gardening
Besides the charming rice fields, the image of a vegetable garden sticks with Vietnamese villages. This is an important part of the house in the countryside, provide vegetables and improve living environment; creating open space for the house. In the garden, locals plant many kinds of vegetables, herbs … which is extremely close and practical for the daily life of local people such as:
Participating in Yen Duc village trip for 5 hour tour or overnight stay, you will have experience with gardening activities in a local vegetable garden. Local people will explain to you about kind of plants in their garden and guide you to do gardening as a true farmer. Enjoy it and get your own experience in our village.
Water puppetry
“Coming out here, need I tell you who I am?” And just like that, Chu Teu, the host of water puppetry will take you on an exciting journey to explore Vietnamese’s rural folklore reenacted inside its own original ambiance. Chu Teu is no real person, the show’s stage is actually a pool and the theatre is open and set amidst Yen Duc Village’s rice fields that smell enchantingly in autumn.
Water puppetry is such a perfect representative of Vietnam’s rural life because it brings many beloved folk stories to life in an attractive and fun manner. Many generations of diligent farmers have embraced and refined the art so delicately that it was brought to theatrical stages to amaze curious tourists but, nothing can compare to the luxury of watching water puppetry performed in a true Northern Vietnam village. Yen Duc village will not fail to stun you with its pure beauty and way of life that few Vietnamese rural villages are able to remain. Take a stroll around the village to admire the endless green rice fields where storks soar into the sky, lovely lotus lakes that sparkle at every dawn and slow down here or there to wave at diligent, gentle and optimistic residents. These hospitable farmers also would not hesitate to let you try living their daily work.
Such heaven of tranquility on earth serves as the best stage for an unforgettable water puppet show. Lively wooden figures picturing different individuals of a rural village such as farmers, fishermen, maidens, even fishes, ducks and dragons will appear from behind the curtain to tell history’s tales, folklore legends or any story close to people’s lives. The stage is a shallow pool whose back side is decorated as a typical temple entrance. Puppets move so smoothly on the water surface that no member of the audience can imagine some of them may weigh over 15 kg. When the show is about to conclude, admirable men and women will unveil themselves after hours soaking in cold water to dedicate to audience such incredible works of art. That in a theatre may have already impressed you, but only in the middle of flooded rice fields can the art reflect its original days whilst farmers transform themselves into mysterious performers behind the curtain and their daily workplace was turned into the most beautiful stage.
Just when tourists are guessing the tour is coming to a peaceful end, this terrific little wonder in Yen Duc village will bring the excitement back and create an epic finish that lasts in mind for long.
Visit a local house
The house is the living space of Vietnamese family, gathering two, three and even four generations in the same house. From old time, people were born, living childhood and absorb tradition in this house. By visiting a local house in the village, you have the easy access to our tradition and lifestyle.
In Yen Duc village trip, we will take you to visit local house of Mr Tề, this is one of the most ancient house in village, date back to 100 years ago, dedicating to memory of a big family. The house has a garden, yard, ponds, well and wooden structure, turning to the South to hang sunshine. Inside the house, there is a family altar to worship the ancestors every lunar month. This house is more special because it keeps the family record of different generations in a genealogical tree of relationship.
The family host is a warm man living all of his life in village to share with you a lot of his family structure, village story and culture as well. Along with modern life, his sons are living in the city they sometimes visit the house of childhood. Coming to his house, you are also to know the change in country life of Vietnam now.
Visit local market
Local market is normally located in the central of village with easy access, people come to exchange products, and here you will find all the need for living. Back to the old time, local people just bring to market rice, vegetables, fishes, eggs, chicken; bamboo products… things are grown up and made inside village. The modern life brings more new things to village and market becomes the sale points of all items from food, clothes, medicine till very small things needed.
Furthermore, market is the meeting place of people in village and exchange information, people come there to share information, talk about daily life or just mention about family, people, etc…. As a result, it is not only a commercial business activity but also a custom of local life. Local market in different region is also different to each other. Visiting a local market, you can know the whole story of village, meet and talk to many locals, sharing their happiness and smiles.
Local market in Yen Duc village will be a nice part of your trip to know the true local life and many interesting story, just come and enjoy community.
Visit pagoda
Pagoda is the holy place in ritual life of Vietnamese, a source of culture and tradition of locals following Buddhism. Every first day and mid- day (1st and 15th) of lunar month, people in village present at pagoda and pray for their life with full of happiness and fortune. Canh Huong pagoda in Yen Duc village which is located in the central of village, is an ancient pagoda, built under Tran dynasty (XIII-XIV century), the pagoda bears legendary stories of Vietnamese King Tran Nhan Tong leaving the court to follow a religious life.
Cycling to visit Canh Huong pagoda, you will feel the quietness of peace in your soul. You will see elders and monk praying in front of Buddhist, featuring a very unique culture of country side Vietnam. During the trip, our guide will explain to you about Buddhist religion and more about customs of Vietnamese.
A trip to Canh Huong pagoda will recall your memory of life, all the things which have passed by, forget the bad story and look forward to good things in future. Local people are very optimistic so you are to love the way.