Sitting in the airy space of the house, Aiko talked and introduced us to Yoriko, an architect and a cultural preservation specialist who works as a volunteer in the village. She said: “Aiko’s job is to measure and check structures and wood materials and give out solutions. My work is to survey the customs, cuisine and costumes of the local people.” Therefore, Aiko is very close to the local people and she has learned many things. She has learned how to make Tuong (soya sauce), a specialty of the village and Che lam (puffed rice candy). She also knows how to drink green tea, pick corn and dig potatoes. She talked a lot about her life here. “I feel this place is very intimate and friendly as if I were living in my homeland.”
Aiko graduated from the Cultural Heritage Preservation Specialist program at University College London and she has worked in Duong Lam Village since 2009. She said: “Many people have not yet recognized the value of the ancient village. They have primarily evaluated the architectural factors in terms of time while ignoring other important factors, such as customs, cuisine and traditional costumes. It is necessary to evaluate all these areas in order to recognize the entire value of the ancient village. We need to hand down measures to sustainably restore and preserve the cultural and historical values and maintain and improve the locals’ living standards by promoting tourism activities.”
Over the years, Aiko has thoroughly researched, surveyed and participated in many spiritual cultural activities. She realizes that Duong Lam Village has such basic values as nature, diverse scenery, good-natured and open-mined people, long-standing traditions, costumes, ancient houses, the landscape of ancient houses, and a very agricultural production method. If there are not enough of these factors, the village will lose its typical features. For this reason, besides researching and preserving the works, she and her colleagues have organized competitions and field-trips for students to learn about the ancient village.
At present, she and Prof. Tachibana in Showa University, Japan have helped to develop the cuisine service in the ancient houses and have made a map of the ancient village to assist tourists. She and other Japanese volunteers are also helping the villagers realize the value of the ancient village and to become aware of how to preserve the heritage and develop it as a unique tourism destination.