VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has many odd villages, such as the village of twins, the village in carp shape, the village that is built by earthenware containers (used for reburial) mixed with bee honey, etc.

The village of twins




With tens of twins, the oldest twins of over 60 and the youngest twins of 2-3 years old--Hung Hiep village in Hung Loc commune of the southern province of Dong Nai is the village with the highest number of twins in Vietnam.

In 2007, Hung Loc commune had over 60 twins, including 40 in Hung Hiep village. The village has been called “Twins village.” At present, Hung Hiep has over 70 twins out of nearly 100 twins in Hung Loc commune.

In recent years, the number of twins in the village has not increased but rumors about this strange phenomenon have kept spreading.

Local people said that most of women who gave birth to twins in the village had a similar dream about two similar babies playing in their courtyards whey they were pregnant.

People also said that women in the village had twins because of the village’s water sources. As a result, infertile couples from many provinces have visited the village to ask for water.

The carp-shaped village



Hanh Thien village in the northern province of Nam Dinh was set up in around 1500, named “Hanh Cung Trang.” In 1823, King Minh Mang changed its named into “Hanh Thien,” meaning this place only does good things. The king also presented the village four words “My Tuc Kha Phong” (recognizing the village’s nice tradition).

Hanh Thien is an ancient village but it was built in a very scientific way: carp shape. The village is surrounded by two ramifications of a small river of around 7m wide, named Con River.

The village elders said there are two suppositions about the ramifications. The first is that they were created naturally and villagers built their village between them. The second, which is warmly supported, is that the first villagers dug up the two ramifications and built the village in the carp shape. The goal of this was to fit with geomancy and to prevent robbers.

The two river branches make the carp shape for the village. Looking from above, the ramifications create the edge for the village, which separates the village from the neighborhood. Bridges around the villages are built at positions which are similar to fins of the carp. The carp’s eye is a well, with pure water, which is called “fish eye” well.

If Hanh Thien village is a carp, the area from the middle of the carp stomach to its gills is the residential area, with 14 small hamlets. Houses are built along a road, with branches like fishbone. The carp head is the village’s market. The fish tail is the village’s cemetery and temple.

Today’s people have to admire the creativeness of the people of over 500 years ago. According to historical books, all roads in the village were paved with green stone. Along roads are brick-made water sewers. The village, therefore, has never suffered from flood because all water runs to sewers to the two river branches around the village.

The village still maintains the carp-shape today.

The village that is built by earthenware containers and bee honey



That is Tho Ha village in the northern province of Bac Giang. As an ancient pottery village, local people took advantage of broken earthenware containers to build walls.

These earthenware containers are empty and have holes; they have become ‘houses’ of bees. Each wall in Tho Ha has tens of beehives.

There is an unwritten rule in Tho Ha: nobody is allowed to collect bee honey because bees can go away or attack humans. It is told that a bee thief was chased and bitten by bees.

The village of single men



Bong Dau in the central province of Quang Nam is known for a delicious fruit named bon bon. It is also called the village of single men.

There are 28 families in the village, with nearly 150 residents. However, most adult men in the village do not get married.

There is no problem with local men’s physiology. They do not adore single life. Just because most of them are very poor so they cannot get married.

Because of poverty, Bong Dau’s men traveled everywhere to do many jobs to earn their living but finally they had to return home to work as builders to support themselves and their parents.

At present, the village has had electricity and modern means of communication which have reached this remote village. It is hoped that Bong Dau’s men will not be alone.

The village where worms are food



In the early rainy season, worms appear and destroy crops in the Central Highlands. Local people used pesticide to kill worms but it did not work effectively. They then caught worms to process into food.

At the beginning, they were afraid of infectious diseases from worms, but they are now addicted with this odd ‘food.’

Whenever they are free, they use rackets to catch worms from senna trees to process into cuisines. Within only 30 minutes, one can collect a small basket of worms.

Locals usually steam, fry or grill worms.

VTC