The Project

German Conservation, Restoration and Education Projects (GCREP) is currently engaged in a third project that addresses the needs of local people directly: the restoration of the old village hall in Tran Dang, near the capital Hanoi, in the north of Vietnam. GCREP will also make recommendations on the conservation and restoration of the entire historic village core, an ensemble comprising the village hall – the 'Dinh' – a pagoda, a bell tower, a spring-fed well, bridges and gates. Major events in the life of the community have unfolded here since time immemorial: village assemblies, the market, and ceremonies in honour of guardian spirits. The 'Dinh' is surrounded by small ponds in the shape of a turtle, one of four creatures that the Vietnamese hold sacred. Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sport & Tourism has declared the 700-year old building a monument of national importance. Local people repaired and also often extended the 'Dinh', over the centuries, as best their means allowed. Yet pests, rain and the passing years have taken their toll. The villagers lack the specialist skills and funds to tackle it alone. Scheduled to run from 2009-2010, the present project will put a brake on deterioration and allow the historic village core to look more its old self – and to look to the future.

Restoration

The villagers' respect for tradition and shortage of money fortunately saved the 'Dinh' from inappropriate modernisation. However, the entire ironwood construction, the altar extension and the roofs of the main building were all in serious jeopardy, which sparked off this project. Beautifully crafted, in part colourful depictions of folkloric, mythological and ornamental figures are carved in the roof-beams. On the ridge of the main building stand sacred animals, sculpted using a rare black ceramics technique that originated at the time of the Le dynasty. The brightly mosaic-ed sculptures on the ridge and gables of the altar extension were made probably under the Nguyen dynasty. The most pressing step here is to put a permanent end to the termites and death watch beetles. The original roofs, corbels and exterior walls of both parts of the building are being repaired respectively reconstructed both from ironwood – 'lim' in Vietnamese – and the traditional materials used for bricks and plaster. A copy of the original has already replaced the plain modern altar. New electrical circuits and sanitary amenities are also foreseen. Restoration of the rare sculptures on the buildings' ridge and gables will be tackled at a later date. The villagers' contribution to the process is to clean the entire historic core, including the ponds and spring-fed well. The restoration team is also cataloguing damage throughout the whole ensemble – in the pagoda, bell tower, main gate, perimeter walls, bridges and spring-fed well – and will make recommendations on how best to alleviate the worst problems. Work is expected to continue here after the end of the project, not least because the 'Dinh' must be seen as part of the whole ensemble to be fully appreciated. The restoration and recommendations on future measures comply fully with UNESCO standards and the principles of the internationally ratified Venice Charter.

History

The village hall or 'Dinh' is the oldest building in the historic village core of Tran Dang, which dates back to the Tran dynasty (1225–1400). Under the Le dynasty (1428–1788), the altar extension and pagoda were added to the 'Dinh' in honour of the village's tutelary god while the turtle-shaped pond that encircles the building is a reference to General Cao Lo, who is honoured within. Local legend claims that the creature played a crucial role in the victory of his emperor An Duong Vuong, at the time of the Thuc dynasty in the first century BCE. The bell tower, the spring fed well, the bridge to the 'Dinh' and the main gate on the square all date back to the Nguyen dynasty (1802–1945) as do, too, the last architectural alterations of any art–historical significance. During the American War, the alarm rang out from the bell tower to warn nearby villages of an imminent air raid. Rice and other foodstuffs were stored in the village hall. After the war, makeshift repairs were made to the 'Dinh' and it again became the hub of community life. In 1988, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism declared it an historic national monument.

Key players

The restoration of the village hall of Tran Dang and catalogue of recommendations on the entire historic village core has received funding in the framework of the Cultural Preservation Programme maintained by Germany's Federal Foreign Office. The German Embassy in Hanoi steers and monitors the project. The 'German–Vietnamese Society' (DVG) will direct the project from 2009–2010. Restoration is in the hands of the team from German Restoration, Conservation and Education Projects (GCREP), which collaborates closely with the experienced architect Mr. Ly Truc Dung, of the Vietnamese practice Buffalo Architects, who is responsible for construction planning, management and monitoring. The villagers' own contribution to the project is to clear and clean up the entire historic core area.