Vietnamese village gates in the northern delta

INTRODUCTION
1. Significance of the thesis
The traditional culture of Vietnames people has been much preserved for
thousands of years in villages. Villages in Northern Delta were early settlements
of the Vietnamese people. Most of the work in vilaages was farming. In terms of
village look, there are local roads, pagodas, ponds and markets etc. An
indispensable feature of many villages is a village gate.
Village gates have been listed by scientists as matetial cultural heritages a
long with other art and architectural relics such as communal houses, pagodas,
temples, shrines and family ancestral worship houses etc. However, village gates
are not only material cultural heritages, behind the uniquely looking and
unforgettable gates, there are non-material cultural values which help to
understand more about Vietnamese villages and culture if they are given proper
attention to by researchers.
Being an integral part of Vietnamese village, the village gate has its own
function. It represents the village community’s dream and desire, bearing a
spiritual value which has become an unforgettable symbol for the villagers. In
addition, the village gate is the boundery seperating one village from another and
the place where authorities control villagers. This function has been changing.
Traditional features and changes in the architecture and sculpture together with
borrowed elements of the village gate as well as its significance in the village
culture in the past and today need to be studied. A systematic study of the village
gates in the Northern Delta of Vietnam will help to uphold traditional cultural
values of villages, contributing to the study of current changes in culture.
The state of village gates has posed a number of issues of concern. At
present, the number of old gates is small for different reasons. There have been
different explanations and response to these changes. Is it necessary to preserve
traditional features of the gate in each village to suit its landscape? Will the
existence of a village’s gate enhance its age-old beauty or will it limit the
people’s living atmosphere becoming an obstacle to traffic when the size and
number of vehicles increase? What needs to be taken into consideration during

the construction of a new gate or restoration of an old gate?
In the process of open door policy, integration, economic and cultural
development, the village gates, like many other forms of arts and cultures have
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been adversly affected by time, by the market economy and shortcomings in
cultural management, and especially by a too rapid urbanisation. The face,
function and value of village gates along with the traditional culture have been
reduced. To preserve, promote and make use of the historical and artistic values
of Vietnamese village gates in the Northern Delta in modern context, I have
chosen the topic of “ Vietnamese Village Gates in the Northern Delta” for my
research.
2. Aim and Objectives of Thesis
2.1. Aim
Identify village gates in the Northern Delta of Vietnam in the course of
history and describe their appearance, function, value and role in traditional and
modern society.
2.2. Objectives
2.2.1. Study the working of village gates in the Northern Delta in history
2.2.2. Analyze the function and values of traditional village gates
2.2.3.Study current trends in response to village gates
2.2.4. Present views on roles of village gates in modern society, predicting
their future
Realising those objectives, the writer of this thesis provides answers to
the following research questions:
- When did village gates first appear? What dis they look like? What social
function and values did they have?
- How have they changed in the modern society?
3. Subject and Scope of Study

3.1. Subject of Study
Subjects of study are tradtitional and new village gates in Northern Delta of
Vietnam
3.2.Scope of Study
3.2.1.Study Area
Study area includes village gates in the Northern Delta of Vietnam, which
is a vast area. Besides an effort to provide an overview, the author has selected
areas for case study.
3..2.2.Time of research
The author conducted a study of village gates in the Northern Delta of
Vietnam from 2009 to August, 2015. Information on periods prior to 2009 was
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collected from recalls by local villagers or from old documents, newspapers and
magazines.
4. Methodolgy and research methods
4.1. Methodlogy
4.1.1.Place village gates in the village context (including geographical
conditions, physical and socio-cultural atmosphere).
4.1.2. Examine the subjects in the working process making use of the
knowledge on history, culture and arts to explain changes, the appearance of new
elements as well as the disappearance of old elements
4.2.Research methods
4.2.1. Methods of collecting and classifying secondary documents.
Documents on village gates are relatively rare. Very often, only a dozen of lines
of related information can be found in a book or an article.
4.2.2.Methods od field study. The author had surveyed 47 village gates in
Hanoi and in the provinces of Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Thai Binh , Hung Yen,
taking pictures and interviewing local people.

4.2.3. Analytical and synthetical methods in folklore study. From
suggestions by previous researchers, the author understands that the village gate
is a total of many factors.To understand it, it is necessary to analyze specific
factors and then synthesize them.
4.2.4. Method of consulting experts.The author consulted 4 specialists in
the fields of Folklore and Chinese-Nom
4.2.5. Comparative method. The author compared and constrasted village
gates to understand the similarities and differences between them in each area
and of a particular period . A comparative study of villages in Northern, Central
and Southern Vietnam was conducted.
5. New scientific findings of thesis
5.1. Provides a culturally systematic insight into village gates in Northern
Delta of Vietnam, giving important dates in its historical process (with the
available documents ), describe and analyze village gates in details.
5.2. Analyze functions and values of village gates, identifying the role of
these functions in the course of history.
5.3.Presents trends in response to village gates in the modern life, giving
proposals and suggestions for managers and researchers.
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6. Theoretical and practical significance of thesis
6.1. Theoretical significance.
6.1.1. Help to identify the village scape and the spiritual, cultural life of
rural Northern Vietnam before August, 1945 Revolution, recognizing their
changes in modern time.
6.1.2. Clarify the relationship between elements within a system and the
whole system itself and the interaction between elements within a system.
6.2. Practical significance
6.2.1. The findings of the thesis will be references for managers and

authorities at different levels responsible for preservation of material cultural
heritages and modern rural planning.
6.2.2. The thesis will contribute to raising awareness of Vietnamese people
in general and of the youth in particular in their search for and way toward roots,
with the morality of remembering one’s roots and thus enhancing their
patriotism.
7. Structure of thesis
Besides the Introduction, Conclusion, References, the thesis includes 4
chapters as follows.
Chapter1. History of village gates study, an overview of the Northern Delta
and Vietnamese villages and applicable theories (p.8 - p.47)
Chapter 2. Identification of traditional village gates in the Northern Delta
(p.48 - p.86)
Chapter 3. Functions and Values of village gates in the Northern Delta
(p.87 - p.120)
Chapter 4. Village gates in the past and in modern time, issues of
discussion. (p121 - p.147).

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Chapter 1
HISTORY OF VILLAGE GATES STUDY, AN OVERVIEW OF THE
NORTHERN DELTA AND VIETNAMESE VILLAGES,
APPLICABLE THEORIES
1.1. History of village gates study
1.1.1. Sporradic documents on village gates
Village gates have been given little attention to by previous researchers and
if mentioned by them, only a dozens of lines had been written on the defense and
protection function of village gates

1.1.2. Compiled documents on village gates
There have been three compiled documents on village gates namely the
Master Degree Dissertation by Giang Thi Thu Hien, a book by Vũ Kiêm Ninh and
a journal article by L.T.L. These are very useful references for us1.
With a special interest in village gates, in 2011the author of this thesis
completed her master degree dissertation entitled “Village Gates in Suburban
Hanoi traditions and changes”. Following thoughts and suggestions by previous
writers, the author had surveyed and studied changes to village gates in modern
time in the communes of Duong Xa and Kim Son of Gia Lam District, Hanoi.
The dissertation just provided a comparision between village gates in the
suburban district of Gia Lam, Hanoi and discussed the issue of preservation of
village cultural heritage. In this thesis, the author has made used of the findings in
her master degree dissertation. Thus, the field trips were conducted by the author
from 2009 to 2015.
1.2. An Overview of Northern Delta and Vietnamese Villages
1.2.1. An Overview of Northern Delta
The Northern Delta is presented in this thesis as only in here can be
found traditional village gates. This is a fertile land with early settlements and
crowded population and a meeting point of external cultural routes.
1.2.2. Vietnamese Village in Northern Delta
1.2.2.1. The terms of “village””commune” and names of villages
In his study tilted Structure and organization of traditional Vietnamese
villages in Northern Delta”( first edition in 1984), the ethnologist Nguyen Tu
1

References stated in the thesis

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Chi under the pen name of Tran Tu distinguished between village, commune
and hamlet. There are different types of village names.
1.2.2.2. Village is a residential community in many respects
These include the respects of geographical areas, lineage, zodiac, parties,
societies , guilds etc.,
1.2.2.3.Common views in village
These include village roads, village banyon and bamboo trees, village
markets, pagodas, commune house, temples and village gates.
1.2. Applicable theories
We have approached the issue of village gates from the perspectives of
folklore study. The principles of this field of science were set by Dinh Gia
Khanh in his book “ On the way tho understand folklore” ( 1989) in an article
titled “To capture the nature of folklore” (1977). He said, in a broader term,
folklore includes all material and spiritual activities of the people and the
creators of folklore are farmers, artisans and also Confucianist writers.
In our research we have taken account of the functional theory in folklore
study under which village gates satisfy the villagers’needs of defence , selfexpression and separation from other villages. Structurally, the village gate is an
integral part of a viallge, but is a complete whole in relation to its components
such as pillars or wings.
During the process of thesis writing, the author also made use of the theory
of value. Value is counted only when things or activities can serve human
interests. Here things are examined as right or wrong, as to whether they are
useful to social living.
Summary
There are few documents on Vietnamese village gates except a few lines in
some books and three documents by Giang Thi Thu Hien, Vu Kiem Ninh và
L.T.L on this subjects.
Only villages in Northern Delta of Vietnam have traditional gates.
Therefore, the thesis provides an overview of Northern Delta of Vietnam
distinguishing between villages, communes and hamlets, looking at villages at

different angles and identifying features of an ancient village.

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In her study, the author used principles of folklore study suggested by Prof.
Dinh Gia Khanh , the functional theory of B.Malinowski and A.Racliff Brown
and theory of value summarized by Prof. Ngo Duc Thinh.
The approaches of secondary literature collection and systematization, field
study, analytical and sythetical folklore study, expert advice and comparative
study were used by the writer of the thesis.

Chapter 2
IDENTIFICATION OF VILLAGE GATES
IN THE NORTHERN DELTA
2.1. Location and distribution of village gates
2.1.1. Location
In the construction of a village gate, authorities and villagers have to
choose a place which suits the landscape and natural and ecological
environment, and is convevient for entrance, exits and the village’s security.
Historically, the South-East was often chosen for winds and sunrise. The
location must also compatible with the village elders’ zodiac signs. The gate
location also depends on the village’s geographical position. Normally, the main
gate is located at the head of the village while the secondary gate is at the end of
it laeding to the fields or the village’s cemetery. Compared to pagodas and
temples, gates are less influenced by Feng Shui as more attention is given to the
link with spiritual elements of the surroundings etc. The choice of location, date ,
of construction, consideration of Feng Shui are all aim to bring joy and peace to
the villagers.
2.1.2. Distribution and location of of village gates

Villages in the Northern Delta of Vietnam are linked with water and land
not with mountains and forests. As the land does not change much, there are few
changes to these villages which fertile land and concentrated population.
According to the researcher Diep Dinh Hoa, each residential type represents the
unique features of a specific locality: “In the Northern and Northern-Central
Delta of Vietnam a common type is concentrated clusters. Villages are formed in
clusters or distributed in a stripe along water ways convenient for the living.
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There are no limits to the number of village or hamlet gates. This depends
on the village’s structural and geographical features. Normally, a village has one
or two gates. The primary gate marks the head of the village leading along the
village main road to its end where a second gate called secondary or back gate
can be found. This gate is used by farmers going to the fields or by a funeral
procession if the deceased passed away on the festive days of the village etc.
This type of gates are found only in villages whose hamlets concentrate in a
cluster and the village roads are not inter-village such as those in Nom Bridge,
Uoc Lem Kim Son, Tho Ha, Dai Ang Villages etc.
2.2. Classification of village gates
2.2.1.Classification by materials
Village gates can be classified according to different criteria. By materials,
there are bamboo and non-bamboo gates. The non-bamboo ones are built with
bricks and wood and later with cement, iron, or laterite such as the one of Vung
Village in Mong Phu Village, Son Tay Township, Hanoi. An example of gates
built with stone is the one in Phuong Cach Commune, Quoc Oai District, Hanoi.
The earliest bamboo gates appeared by the 13th century at the latest protecting
the village from the Mongol-Chinese invasion.
2.2.2. Classification by style
Village gates are designed differently and variously. Each gate has its own

architectural features. Some gates look simple like a wall with one hole ( single
entrance) while some others have three entrances like those of a pagoda with 2
layers and 8 beautifully carved roofs ( there may be three-entry or five-entry
gates). The gates are built with bricks lime, motar, stones and tiles. The
entrances are of two styles: arched or rectangular shape supported by four pillars.
If the gates have roofs, they are usually curved like the ones on temple’s
roofs but much shorter. On the upper level, there is a lot of space for the
villagers to climb onto for observation forwards or downwards. At the top of the
roof, in the middle there is a Yin-Yang symbol surrounded by a flame. These
gates are often built in a symmetrical composition. In the centre of the gate’s
forehead is a line of big letters representing the name of the village. On the two
pillars there are proportional parallel sentences inside or outside the gate.
There are 5 main types of gates: with high forehead, without forehead, with
forehead outside and tiled inside, built in the style of “higher house-lower
entrance”, and built like a residential structure. Those of the last type are found
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with 2 variations with single entry or multi-entry with 3-5 entrances. The single
entry gates are varied with high forehead or without high forehead. The multientry gates are similar to those of pagodas or temples with an attic for the
guards’ observation purposes.
2.2.3. Classification by time of construction
The time of construction of many gates have not been identified so far,
therefore, they can be roughly divided into two mail kinds.
Gates built and repaired before 1945: these can be found in the provinces of
Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hung Yen and in some areas of Hanoi such as Son Tay,
Gia Lam, Dong Anh, Thanh Oai, Hoai Duc, Quoc Oai. These have been repaired
at least twice by the local people. There is a very small number of ancient gates
in Thai Binh, Hai Duong and Nam Dinh provinces.
Gates built or restored after 1945. Newly-built gates are found mainly in

new urban residential areas where villages were turned into urban centres. Gates
were built with concrete, cement, iron and steel in the form of welcome gates
concentrating in suburban districts of Hanoi such as Dong Anh and Gia Lam.
2.3. Sculpture and ornaments on village gates
Traditional visual arts are usually linked with architectural constructions. In
particular, sculpture and ornaments are often found on house gates as well as
gates of pagodas, temples etc. Each decorative animal on a gate has its own
significance. People in the past paid much attention to proportion, lines and
shapes as they thought the gate represented the face of the whole village. Thus,
gates were designed to suit the history of the village. Normally a small village
had a small gate and a large village had a larger gate accordingly. Previously,
simple vehicles were used (hand-pulled or people just simply walked) and so
gates did not need to be too large with doors to be opened or closed.
On the pillars are reliefs of lions, carps, turtles, bats, phoenixes or dragons.
At the foot of the pillar sometimes there is a stone dog. A common
ornamental feature is the flower of the “Thi Tree”( on the rails of Uoc Le
Village) or lime tree flower ( on the rails of Tho Ha Village). These ornaments
sometimes bear religious characters revealing the village’s religion and beliefs.
In Catholic villages there are no ornaments of lions or dragons but European
patterns such as those on gates of Nhat Tao, Thuong Thuy in North Tu Liem
District of Hanoi. These decorative patterns show a mutual relationship between
the royal, learned and traditional cultures.
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The animals on the gates, though modified, still look simple and
recognizable. If separated, they become works of fine arts with cultural
meanings attached to them by the villagers, which makes them both familiar and
special.
2.4. The link between village gates and village pagodas and temples.

Through observation, it is thought that village pagoda and communal house
gates are suggestions for the locals to build their village gates. Therefore, some
gates resemble pagoda and communal house gates. Generally, pagoda and
communal house gates do not have foreheads like the ones on village gates.
(communal house gates often have roofs). This is understandable as they do not
have defence functions but spiritual roles separating the ouside from the mystical
inside world. In some cases, the previous communal houses have been turned
into village gates due to the wartime destruction like the ones in Yen Binh
Village, Duong Xa Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi. Or, sometimes, the
village gates are located in the same location as the communal house and thus
are called commune house gates.
Summary
Generally villages have gates, many with only one head gate and an end-ofvillage passage through the bamboo bush to the fields. Some have two gates: a
front gate and a back gate. Some villages have solid-built gates of the same
appearance and size with different big-sized letters or parallel sentences.
The main gate is often located at the head of the village, through which
important guests and visitors enter the village. Some other villages have many
gates. The number of gates depends on the village location, and the gate location
is decided by the type of village population concentration or the location of the
village communal house.
There are a number of village gate classification methods. By material,
there are bamboo and non-bamboo gates. Among non-bamboo gates, there are
gates built primarily with wood or wood combined with bricks or laterite or
stones. People often used available local materials to build gates, which makes
some village gates very unique.
Except for the bamboo gates, the solid-built gates can be divided into 5
main categories according to the look on the gates’ forehead. Gates can also be
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grouped according to the number of entrances with gates built before 1945 and
after 1945.
The sculptures and ornaments on village gates represent the skills and
artistism of the ancient builders. Through the animal and plant reliefs on the
gates, an influence of the learned culture on folklore is present. At the same time,
cute innovative changes by the popular artisans can be seen such as the lion on
Nom Bridge ( Hung Yen) or the stone dog on the An Tho village ( Buoi
Commune, Hanoi) gate or the relief of the water yam plant on the West Gate of
Duyen Ha village ( Thai Binh)
Village gates also reveal the relationship between themselves and the
village pagodas and communal houses. These appeared earlier than village gates
and did not often have roofs and foreheads. The difference can be explained by
the fact that pagoda and communan house gates do not have a defensive function
such as that of village gates.

Chapter 3
FUNCTIONS AND VALUES OF VILLAGE GATES IN NORTHERN
DELTA OF VIETNAM
3.1. Functions of village gates
3.1.1. Defensive function
Many villages have similar rules about defence and protection. This shows
that defence and protection are common needs of the old villages. Because of
these needs, the villagers had to set up fences of bamboo bushes sometimes 10
metres tall surrounding the village. Some villages even have small rivers
protecting the head or the end of the village. To enter the village, one must get
through the gates. After the gates are closed, it is impossible for the robbers and
thieves to break in. In time of flooding, in some villages, even water can not
overflow the gates.
3.1.2. The symbolic and informative function
The symbolic ( representative) function of village gates is that they determine

the borders between villages and between the inside and ouside of it.
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When one villager had some fights outside his village and was on the weaker
side, he would rush in through the gates. Even if the doors were open, the bullies
following him did not dare to get in. In stead, they could only stand outside shouting at
him, threatening him and then left.
Migrants were not allowed to live inside the village, and they have to stay
in an out-of-village hamlet. Only after many generations of being good residents
fulfilling all duties to the village or making great contributions to the repairs of
pagodas or communal house, were they let in to become permanent villagers.
Hence, village gates are symbols, setting internal and external borders not
only physically but also spiritually
The informative function is expressed through the big letters on the gate’s
forehead. Some language experts could even decipher the Chinese charaters on
the pillars to get the name of the village. The decorations, letters could also tell
if the village had many scholars and royal court officials. The gates’size and
shapes could reveal if it was a well-off village or a business village. The tea
house beside the gate is the place where the villagers and visitors get much
information.
3.1.3. The Educational function
In addtition to the overall appearance of the gate, the pillars and the roof
have high aesthetic value distinguishing one village gate from another. Normally
the ornaments for the pillars are parallel sentences. It can be said that pillars are
a combination of literary and decorative arts.The parallel sentences are either in
Chinese characters or modern Vietnamese letters.Below are examples of the
parallel sentences.
The Ho Village (also called Ho Gate) now on Thuy Khue Street, Buoi
Commune, Tay Ho District, Hanoi) is the one with many gates. On the Left

Gate in the North of the village ( also called the Well Gate) are the following
parallel sentences
古往今來行正道
Cổ vãng kim lai hành chính đạo
南逰北翫嚮西湖
Nam du Bắc ngoạn hướng Tây Hồ
Which translates:
- Traverlers must follow the main road
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- The North and South must face the West Lake.
The implications of these parallel sentences are that villagers and visitors
must have good conduct, be honest following the right religious and life paths.
The North and South must face the West Lake in order to receive light.
背後國都新景色
Bối hậu quốc đô tân cảnh sắc
面前李代雉城池
Diện tiền Lí đại trĩ thành trì
Meaning:
- Behind the royal palace is new beauty
- At the front is the Ly Dynasty’s citadel
The parallel sentences at the East Gate (甲東門“Giáp Đông môn”):
美俗純風永照西湖明鏡
Mĩ tục thuần phong vĩnh chiếu Tây Hồ minh kính
善言好事長留茉莉名香
Thiện ngôn hảo sự trường lưu mạt lỵ danh hương
Meaning:
- Good traditions are reflected on the West Lake clear water
- Good conduct, good words are as good as the aroma of the jasmine flower

These sentences remind the villagers to live honestly, to remember history
and to conduct good living.
On the newly-built gates such as the gates of Dai Tu Village ( Hanoi) Thuan
Tien Village (Hanoi), Trai Dong Giau (Tay Binh Cach, Thai Binh), Dong Hamlet,
Dao Xa Village ( Thai Binh), the parallel sentences are all written in modern
Vietnamese letters các câu đối đều được ghi bằng chữ quốc ngữ.They all have an
educational significance.
Here are the sentences on Trai Dong Giau Gate
Cổng dựng nơi đây tiếp đón con em về bái tổ
Làng chờ trong đó chúc mừng bè bạn đến tham quan.
(The gate was erected to welcome you to your home to pay respect to
ancestors, to welcome visitors to the village)
And
Đi đưa về đón khoa danh rạng rỡ tại làng này
Vào hiếu ra trung sự nghiệp vẻ vang từ cổng ấy.
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(Welcome successful, faithful students to return home through this gate)
Here are the sentences on the Thuan Tien Village ( Hanoi) gate
Đồng tâm tươi đẹp thắm quê cha.
Chung sức dựng xây tươi đất mẹ.
(Let’s join hands to make the home village prosperous)
And
Quốc thái văn minh xã hội đa phồn thịnh.
Dân an Thuận Tiến hương thôn tất phú cường.
(A peaceful country and a civilized society, security and prosperity for
Thuan Tien people)
The sentences express a desire for a prosperous and happy lifelife for the
villagers, reminding the children to be faithful and loyal trying to be educated and

remember their roots etc.
3.2. The value of village gates
3.2.1.The bonding value
In the past a majority of Vietnamese people lived in villages. Trước kia đại
A village gate is its face comparable to that of others. Like the banyan tree, the
communal house,and the village well, villages gates are both examples of
material culture and spiritual culture, becoming its symbol and glue attaching all
members of the village regardless of their differences in social positions in the
village, age and economic status. The village gates witness important events of
the village such as festivals or visits by royal court officials or homecoming of
successful village expats.They are also the meeting place for villagers and a
shelter for travelers during bad weather.
3.2.2. The historical value
A village is born before its gates. The older the gates the longer history a
village has. Words recorNhững dòng chữ ghi năm tháng xây dựng hoặc trùng tu
ding te dates of construction or repair and related documents will tell us about
the age of the village. It is also an evidence of the ups and downs in life and the
desire towards their roots and origins of the Vietnamese in the Northern Delta.
3.2.3. The aesthetic value
Beauty lies in harmony and proportion. Village gates with appropriate size,
style and colours which suits the overall appearance of the village and the village
pagoda and communal house. In terms of decoration, the pictures and reliefs of
plants and animals, the letters and parallel sentences , all have to suit the village
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traditions. Together with the banyan tree and the water well, the village gate is
so familiar with many generations of the villagers who live and work there and is
a memorable place for many expats.
3.2.4.The inspirational and materialistic value for artistic and literary works.

The village gate itself is an art work and, at the same time, a part of the
rural reality. Naturally, it is an inspiration providing materials for artistic and
literary creation.
3.2.4.1. Village gates in literary works
Literature consists of folklore and written literature. Folklore is collective
oral works created ,spread and enjoyed by farmers, craftsmen, merchants, poor
city dwellers, singers and humble knowledgeable people etc. There are several
types of folklore including “ca dao” (popular poems) which can be called poetry
of the people. Through a six-word line and an eight-word line, the emotion of a
rural young girl who is standing at the gate waiting for her lover after school is
revealed. Hearing the school bells , she rushed to meet him:
Chiều chiều ra đứng cổng làng
Nghe trống bãi tràng, em chạy đón anh.
In written literature, there is not much of the village gate’s image. The gate
representing obsession of confinement and imprisonment was described by Ngo
Tat To in his novel “ Lights Off”. Recently, a young writer
Tong Ngoc Han, a young author of a short story titled “Village Gate”
criticized the leaders of a highland commune who went against the people’s will,
when they wanted to build village gates to boast themselves.
The poetic beauty of the village gate is seen in a work written prior to 1945 by
Bang Ba Lan. The poet had expressed deep feelings towards the village gate in his
poem “ Village Gate”. He saw both happy and sad moments there: a cool windy
afternoon, early dawns, hot summer noons, sad windy and rainy weather, clear
moonlight, dull winter days, happy spring festivals, and overall is a love for his
home village, his home country.
3.2.4.2. Village gates in fine arts
Artists, during their field trips to cultural areas from rural to urban, from
lowland to mountains receive warm welcome by locals. They feel as if this is a
trip to their home village, their roots and childhood with days riding on a water
buffalo’s back, cutting the grass to feed him, playing hide and seek under the

banyan tree at the entrance to the village. The village gate often serves as an
15


inspiration for various paintings. The beauty may be its old and weather-beaten
look, worn-out letters covered with moss, a bird’s song from the distance, the
shade of the banyan tree or worn-out narrow brick roads etc. These have touched
the heart of the artists inspiring them to associate with space and shape theories
and to visualize dark and light areas, detailed descriptions and sketches. Painters
have left us a number of excellent works on village gates.
Summary
Village gates have three main functions: defensive, symbolic and
educational. Among those three, the defensive was recognized first.The
remaining two are no less important.
A village gate has multiple values. It its one of the factors bonding the
members of the village community including those who are living and working
in the village and expats linking the past and the present. It also has a historical
value. With only three words “Bắc Giáp môn” ( Northern Giap Gate) on a gate,
an ethnologist can analyze the importance and role of a giap- a group of people
separated by their sex to perform spiritual work in ancient Vietnamese villages.
By the ornamental images of dragons, phoenixes and lions…and other
supplementary documents, art researchers can identify whether a village gates
belongs to the Le or Nguyen Dynasty’s styles, which helps us see the ups and
downs of a period of history. Besides, village gates have aesthetic value being an
art work and inspriration for artistic and literary creation.

Chapter 4
VILLAGE GATES IN THE PAST AND IN MODERN TIME, ISSUES
OF DISCUSSION
4.1. Village gates in the past

The village gate came into being in the 13th century at the latest. Le Van
Lan, a renowned historian remarked “ this was the village gate made of dong
plants in an old fence style which closes and opens by pulling in and our or up
and down”. Later, together with bamboo gates there were solid built gates. An
example is the gate of Mong Phu Village quite simly built with laterite without
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ornamental details. By the early 19th century, brick gates were rather common in
the Northern Delta of Vietnam. There are many types of solid-built gates. The
simplest kind was one with two pillars and a strong roof. There was a type of big
gates with one main entrance in the middle and two smaller entrances at either
side. On its top was an observatory large enough for several people standing
watching. These were mainly built in early 20th century because cement, iron and
steel were available by then.
During the Resistance War of the Vietnamese against the French
Colonialism, a number of gates were destroyed by both sides for wartime
reasons. From 1955 to 1975 village gates were considered remnants of the old
rules, thus left unattended without repair. Some were even demolished to recover
bricks for the construction of collective pigsty or destroyed by Ameriacan
bombing.
4.2. Village gates in modern time
There are several ways to determine the date for modern time. Like many
other authors, we assume that modern time dates from late 1986 till today as the
VI Congress of Vietnam Communist Party held in December, 1986 marked the
start of the Renovation period.
So far the Renovation has been going on for 30 years. The process has not
completed, but the country has made remarkable progress in terms of ideology,
politics, economy and culture. In this context, a great number of tratditionnal
curtural traits have been lost while new ones have appreared or modified. Many

others have remained. Vietnam has many opportunities, and yet at the same time
faced a number of challenges and risks. There are both positive and negative
changes in culture. Therefore, the attitudes towards village gates have been
varied.
4.2.1. Non-preservation trend-a reserved attitude towards village gates
Due to economic development and an increase in population and the
number of vehicles, some village gates such as the one in Dong Ky ( bac Ninh)
were destroyed for larger vehicles to get through easily. Another reason for a
reserved attitude towards them was a change in taste of a part of village
population. During our field trips it was noticed that some young people who
were born in the village and are even now working there do not appreciate the
gates of their village an dthe village itself. Attitudes of the youth have changed
because they think that cities are more civilized than the countryside. Therefore,
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the young people in Dai Tu, Linh dam ( Hanoi) do not seem to want to preserve
the word “village” for the place of their residence and accordingly the village
gates. Their desire is to call it “ an urban commune”.
4.2.2. Preservation trend- repairing old gates and building new ones.
There are several sub-trends
The first trend is successful restoration and repair of old gates including the
gates of Uoc Le Village (1994); the front gate of Cau Nom Village; and that
gates of Tho Khoi Village ( 1994)
The secon trend is building new gates in traditinal styles. An example of
this is the back gate of the Cau Nom Village.
Among the newly-built gates it is very often that the gates follow a modern
simple style and design similar to welcome gates. This is, the case in Duc Tu,
Dong Anh District, in Loc Ha Village, Mai Lam Commune, (Dong Anh), the
Luong No Village in Tien Duong Commune ( Dong Anh), and the Linh Quy

Village, Kim Son Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi.
Some successful decendants of the villagers and businesses have sponsored
funds for repair or construction of village gates of Duong Danh (Duong Xa, Gia
Lam, Hanoi) and of Tri Le Village ( tan Uoc, Thanh Oai, Hanoi)
The overseas Vietnamese also want to contribute to their home village and
to let the villagers be informed about them. A short trip to home village is a
chance for them to confirm their status spiritually despite being far from home
for a life-long period. The Uoc le Village has two gates. The front gate was built
a long time ago and is still well preserved, so only the roof was repaired. The
back gate, similar in size and appearance, funded by an overseas Vietnamese,
was built in the 1990s
4.3. Issues of disccusion
4.3.1. The role of spiritual factors affecting the existence of village gates
Many of the old villages have shrines and temples in deserted places or big
ponds in the middile of the fields or and thick bamboo bushes. These places are
said to be haunted. The ghosts are often said to be ladies in white or ladies with
babies. Sometimes the ghosts can be elderly men or white snakes. Ghost
sometimes appeared in the form of chilly winds or human cries. We have
conducted recall interviews with local people in the four old area of the Northern
Delta to study their living and spiritual life. Village gates have been associated
with historic events, social changes bearing mystical stories. These have been
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orally passed on from people to people, from generations to generations. Thus
people are feared by these stories, and do not dare to damage village gates. Many
cyclists report having a feeling of being pulled back or feeling startled, falling sick
back home and getting well only after performing a religious ceremony at the gate.
Ghosts even throw something at people causing itches all over their bodies etc. For
these spiritual reasons, old village gates have survived until today.

4.3.2 The effects of mass media on the existence of village gates
Ass media have had positive effect on the local people’s awareness of
preserving village gates such as the one in Tho Ha Village which appeared in a
popular television program “ Golden Bells” or the Uoc Le Village and cau Nom
Village’s gates being televised in “Journey to Ancient Vietnamese Villages ”,
“Village Gate’s Autobiography ”; “Travelling through the TV by ” củtruyề
VTV1, VTV3, An Vien TV and National Assembly TV. The gates of Kim Son
Village and Duong Dinh Village, Gia Lam, Hanoi are shown in TV programs
about ancient Vienamese villages.
Thus, mass media have helped promote the beauty of village gates
nationally and internationally.
4.3.3. The role of villagers and the issue of socialization in preserving
village gates
Village gates owe their successful preservation, restoration and
construction to the concensus of the people and authorities. In some cases the
funds come from the whole village. In other cases money come from a family or
from successful expats. Some businesses donate fund in return for the land given
to them by the village. Many gates get repaired or built thanks to overseas
Vietnamese. However, there is not alwayss agreement among people themselves
and with authorities. While old people are for conservation, the young are
against.
4.3.4. Reasons for unsuccessful construction of village gates.
Besides success story, in some areas there are examples of failures .The
gates are tall, but the pillars are rather thin, which makes them look rather
disproportional. On the gates are pictures of colourful scenery, reducing the
solemnity of an architectural structure linked with spiritual world. The
modernized gates have lost sacred character of village gates and without parallel
sentences or words on them, they also lose their educational and aesthetic
values.The informative value is quite small as only names of villages or
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residential areas are provided. Some gates have simple design with two iron
poles or concrete columns on which is a big steel sign which reads” Cultural
Village” or “ Luong No Hamlet”, “ Loc Ha Hamlet” etc. These, in fact are not
village gates but welcome gates because they do not suit the countryside
surroundings.
4.3.5. Reasons for replacement of village gates by welcome gates
When new village gates are built in the form of welcome gates, they will
lose their defensive and control functions but still manage to maintain the
informative, educational and border determination functions. In terms of beauty,
usefulness and modernity, the slimness with vertical and horizontal lines of new
gates represent a new taste of the industrial youth. This movement from
traditional gates to modern looking ones is normal trend. Howerver, thorough
study needs to be conducted so that the gates suit the rural setting.
4.3.6. Village gates and urbanization
Village gates are integral parts of the village. Gates only have roles and
importance when the village exists itself. The gates’ functions also experience
changes and movement. In the modern time, the defensive role has become less
important when villages have their own patrol groups to ensure security. These
groups need not stand and watch at the gates. However, the informative,
aesthetic and educational functions remain. Therefore, when the living space
becomes too small requiring expansion, Dong Ky Village had to demolish three
old gates and build two new ones. Similary, the Linh Dam Village was replaced
with Residential Clusters No 18 and 19 of Hoang Liet Commune, Hoang Mai
District, Hanoi. Its old gate is submersed by the high-rise modern buildings and
has lost its protective and control function. The area is accessible easily at any
time. The old gates was beautiful as its suite the surroundings with a dirt path
getting through it and bamboo bushes at either side of the gate. Today it only has
a historical and nostalgic value for the older generations.

4.3.7. Border determination function of village gates/welcome gates.
Previously village gates had a border determination function. They
separated the inside of the village (where people live) and the outside (where
there are fields for farmers to cultivate crops). The cultivation area may have
been very large including fields more than one village, so it was difficult to
determine which village the area belonged to. Due to economic changes, today
the functions of gates have also changed. They do not just separate the
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residential area from the farming areas of one village but also set the borders
between larger areas, separating one village from another. Looking at the borders
outsiders can now tell which village the living and farming area belong to.
4.3.8. The fate of village gates in modern life
We have seen a coloured picture of old and new village gates which are
cultural heritage and an integral part of traditional Vietnamese villages in the
Northern Delta. Whether to preserve or demolish these gates and build new ones
is a controversial issue.
There is no single answer to this problem as it depends on the local people
and authorities on the advice of experts and must comply with laws. In my
opinion, Those traditional old villages like Mong Phu, Uoc Le that have
managed so far to keep their gates almost intact should preserve the gates. In
new areas, built in traditional Vietnamese style and architecture like the Viet Phu
Thanh Chuong
(Hanoi) or Co Vien Lau ( Ninh Binh), there should be gates in traditional
styles.
Summary
From the 13th centrury to 1975 besides bamboo gates, the Vietnamese
people in the Northern Delta already had solid-built gatets. As to when the first
gates were made is still unknown. One thing for sure is by the early 19th solidbuilt gates were already common. The village gates have been damaged by time,

by the French and American armies and also by the wrong attitudes of the
Vietnamese people.
In the last 20 years there has been an in crease in awareness of culture. The
Vietnamese people are more confident in the international integration in every
aspect. Villages have expanded, more houses have been built choking village
gates. Some old gates covered with mosses have become too frail, yet local
people do not dare to demolish or to repair them for fear of spiritual reasons, of
being punished by god not because they want to preserve the relics. Villages
gates are not appreciated as before because the village’s population has now
changed with different attitudes and taste. Another trend is towards preservation
of village gates: restoration of old gates and construction of new gates which
need to receive approval by local people, authorities and advice by researchers
and artists.
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CONCLUSION
1. The Northern Delta of Vietnam is a cultural geographical area with
fertile land and favourable conditions for farming. It is a populous region with
rich paddy rice cultural traditions, skilled traditional crafts and diverse folklore.
The people here received very early cultural influences from outside. Then the
cultural achievements of the Northern Delta began to spread to other parts of the
country after receiving and adapting these cultural influences.
In Northern Delta, except for very few urban centres, Vietnamese villages
surrounded by thick bamboo bushes were predominant. This feature was absent
in Central and Southern Vietnamese villages. In the village, there were
communal bodies including hamlets, lanes, communes, guilds and wards with
more than 70% of which having their own authorities. The Central and Southern
Vietnam did not have such organization. The village often reminds people of
small farmers making up the majority of population, the fields, the farm markets,

pagodas, water wells, the banyans trees at the entrance to the village, the
festivals and even the village accent and the village gates. However, the village
gates are a feature of the Northern Vietnamese Villages only, which can not be
found in Central and Southern Vietnamese villages.
2. In their study of a village’s history and customs surrounding village
pagodas and communal houses, researchers often focus on written documents. In
Vietnam thousands of written documents on this have been collected and a
number of books have been published. Nontheless, no documentson village gates
have been found so far.
3. Based on indirect sources, it can be said that by the 13th centrury during
the Tran Dynasties bamboo gates had already been erected for the people to get
through and to prevent the enemies, thieves or robbers by pulling up and down.
If suggestions by Dao Duy Tuan are correct, a document shows that in the
middle of the 16th century there appeared a built gates with doors made of iron
wood, which resemble a house looking from the distance. Its appearance was
quite rough and simple. By the 19th century, Western scholars had marked the
common image of bamboo bushes and brick built gates in Northern Vietnamese
villages. The brick gates were various in size and style. Bamboo gates were still
found sometimes in Nghe Tinh after the appearance of brick gates.
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4. Whether being made of bamboo or brick, a village gate has defensive
and control functions. Bamboo gates like brick gates have a symbolic and
informative function, determining borders of the village. Living inside the gates
are the villagers while outside it are guests and outsiders. Living off the village
bamboo bushes are migrants. The brick gates continue to perform the defensive
function, even better than the bamboo ones. Besides, they have better
informative, symbolic and educational functions. Looking at the grand letters on
the roofs of village gates, a village name is known; the decoration patterns and

letters also reveal if the village had good learning tradtions with many of its
villagers passing important national exams and being appointed royal court
officials ,or if it was a well-off or fertile village. The parallel sentences on the
gates remind the villagers, especially the young abou self-made living and
efforts, living with morality and dreams for a peaceful and prosperous life. The
ancient gates covered with mosses and worn out letters prove an old age of the
village. In addition, village gates have a community bonding value as well as a
historical, aesthetic value which serve as inspiration and materials for literary
and art works.
5. In feudal times, village gates disappeared together with the destruction of
the village. During the War of Resistance against the Frech Colonialism ( 19461954) most gates had been destroyed or damaged by both Vietnamese soldiers as a
war tactic and by the French army. From 1955 to 1975 and even before the start of
Renovation in Vietnam in 1986, village gates were considered remnants of the old
feudal regimes. In the 1960s village gates had been demolished for other
construction purposes or for the military vehicles to get through. The gates were
not only demolished by the local people but also destroyed by American bombing.
6. In recent decades, when Vietnam strengthens its renovation process in
the context of peasce and economic development, there are two opposite trends
of attitude towards village gates. One is a reserved attitude, ignoring them. The
other is respect for them with restoration of old gates and construction of new
ones. There have been examples of success story thanks to contributions from
villagers, from a family and overseas Vietnamese. In the construction of new
gates, some localities did not take account of the conditions of the villagers.
Grand-looking gates were built funded by the state funds, but the standard of
living in the village was too low with nearly half the households being under the
porverty line and living in slums. Spending of 300 million VND on construction
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of a new gate is not what the people want as the fund came from the taxpayers.

Unsuccessful new gates include inappropriate, luxury and brightly-cloloured
ones. Another example is when a traditional gate was needed to suit the
surroundings but a very simple, which looked like a welcome gate, was built
instead. The construction of new gates in the style of welcome gates has raised a
question for discussion. Whether is is restoration or construction of gates in any
design and size, the source of funding need to be discussed thoroughly and
openly and must receive approval by local people and authorities. Construction
design should get advice from experts and cultural specialists.

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