Home to century-old houses surrounded by mossy rock fences, Loc Yen village in Quang Nam central province is called the land of fairies.

Loc Yen is an old village located in Tien Canh commune, Tien Phuoc district. Legend has it that Tien Phuoc was visited by 15 fairies from heaven. Each fairy stayed at a separate place whose name was prefixed with the word tien (fairy). The places where the fairies stayed are now the communes of Tien An, Tien Cam, Tien Canh, Tien Chau, Tien Ha, Tien Hiep, Tien Lanh, Tien Lap, Tien Loc, Tien My, Tien Ngoc, Tien Phong, Tien Son, Tien Tho, and Tien Ky township.

Loc Yen is in Tien Canh (fairy scenery), a name which truly reflects the beauty of this old village. The village lies in a lovely valley surrounded by various mountain ranges, including Rung Cam, Da Ban, Ho Cho and Rung Gam. At the foot of these mountains are rivers, streams and canals weaving through the village.

A ritual dedicated to the tutelary god in Loc Yen. A small rock alley in Loc Yen village. A rock wall covered by green moss.  Road paved with rock and rock fence are a typical feature of the village.  Life may be bustling somewhere, but Loc Yen remains green and peaceful. A rock entrance and fences of a house in Loc Yen.  Loc Yen’s beauty lies in its old rock structures. Loc Yen’s beauty lies in its old rock structures. A fence ranged from flat rocks.  Traditional wood houses in Loc Yen village. Visitting an old house in Loc Yen village. Langsat, a specialty of the old village.  Produce of Loc Yen village.    Green rice fields give a feeling of peace.

With fertile soil and favorable weather, Loc Yen is green all year round and has luxuriant orchards of oranges, mandarin oranges, mulberries, pomelos, bananas, jackfruit, blue dragons and durian.

Loc Yen’s beauty not only lies in its greenery but also in its old rock structures. Mossy rock fences, gates and roads create a unique charm for the village. Solid rock construction also protects the village from floods, landslides and erosion.

Loc Yen has about ten houses which are more than a century old. The old houses are made of shiny yellow jackfruit wood which is as solid and durable as ironwood. Before 1975, Ngo Dinh Diem, president of the former Saigon regime, twice asked to buy an ancient house in Loc Yen, but was refused by its owner.

Life may be bustling somewhere, but the fairy land of Loc Yen remains green and peaceful, being an ideal destination for lovers of the countryside.

 

By Thanh Hoa