Hanoi (VNA) - Loc Yen, an ancient village in Tien Phuoc districtin the central province of Quang Nam, is dubbed "paradise land" forits heavenly landscape. The village lies at the foot of a mountain andlooks out over rice fields.

According to the elders in the village, Loc Yenwas discovered in the late half of the 18th century by Nguyen Cong Tuyet, fromTan Phuoc village (now in Tam Ky city), who brought people to the region tocultivate land and settle.

The village lies within a peaceful valley and issurrounded by many mountain ranges, such as Rung Cam, Da Ban, Ho Cho, RungGam. Running through the village are streams and channels bringing water fromthe mountain.

The well placed village also enjoys a coolclimate, thanks to its protective surroundings.

In Loc Yen, springtime is full of blossoms,summer brings golden rice fields and showers of sua flowers creating a yellowcarpet. In early autumn, the village is full of lon bon, a fruit foundonly in the area.

The village is also unique with its stonefences, which are rarely seen anywhere else in Vietnam. On the sides ofpaths leading to local houses, the neatly-arranged stones are covered withgreen moss.

Tea trees which are sometimes grown along the path,are skilfully pruned, making the landscape look like a painting.

Eighty-one-year-old Nguyen Dinh Lien said it wasthe locals who helped create the unique beauty of the village.

“There are 100-year old stone roads and wallsand they are well-preserved. Small and big stones and rocks are placed closelytogether and infilled with clay,” said Lien.

“I don’t know when the locals started paving theroads with stone and making stone fences and walls. When I was small, they werealready here."

Loc Yen is a hidden unique gem in central Vietnam. Thelocal houses, alleys, gardens, rice fields, hills, rivers, streams, stonefences create a peaceful beauty.

The village has nine timber houses all more than100 years old. All are built of jackfruit timber, which is ideal for posts andbeams - and carving.

Nguyen Dinh Hoan’s house is regarded as one ofthe most beautiful one with delicate and complex wooden decoration patterns.

It is said that former South Vietnamesepresident Ngo Dinh Diem asked the house owner to sell it to him three times,but the owner refused.

Hoan said he was the fourth generation toinherit the house. Hoan’s father once told him that the house was nearly 200years old. Their ancestor, Nguyen Dinh Hoang, who owned the house, was anofficial with the local authority. The building was done by a group of skilledcarpenters artisans in Van Ha village (Phu Ninh district, Quang Nam province)over three years.

Nearby is the home of 78-year-old Dong Viet Mao,located on Go Tron Hill. The structure features an entrance, main room, siderooms, a shelter for cattle, poultry and a fish pond. The house is said to bemore than 150 years old.

“Before 1970, some villagers sold their houses,but since the 1980s, no villagers can be tempted. I won’t sell my houseregardless of price. This is a treasure and a cultural relic of our family,”said Mao.

The great tourism potential has encouraged thelocal authority to develop community-based tourism. - VNA