The gate of the house is still 47C Duy Tan In front of the house gate is still the familiar blue-painted iron door and the house number plate clearly says “47C Duy Tan”. According to a person who understands about Saigon, in the past, this street was named Duy Tan, and later changed to Pham Ngoc Thach. Duy Tan Street (Saigon) has entered poetry and music with: “Duy Tan Street with long shade trees” (Pham Duy) and Trinh house still keep the old signboard as if reminiscent of a time. The collapsed where Trinh often sat to receive guests Entering the gate of the house is a picture of a long wooden collapsed with two benches that has been tinged with time. Heard, the musician often receives guests at this place. There are posters on the wall on the house wall, but Trinh’s program has a program every year, so the posster wall is hidden. Souvenir photos of Trinh On the side of the corridor leading to the living room, the owner hung commemorative pictures. From photos of Trinh in his youth to those of Trinh taken with musician Van Cao, photos taken with a group of friends, or pictures of Trinh thinking about … These photos have remained there for years and have been tinged with color over time. . Photo taken with musician Van Cao In the office, all items are still intact. It seems that Trinh has just gone somewhere a bit and will return to work. The old computer, the frayed chair with the imprint of time and many souvenirs are solemnly displayed by the owner. Not only that, throughout the house, there are many reliefs, the most impressive one is that the relief of the politician is placed at the entrance as if Trinh is still here to welcome everyone. Trinh altar And the main room in the room is the Trinh altar. On it, Trinh’s photo seems to be still pondering over his sadness. And the altar is always smoky and comfortable, and those who love Trinh visit, burning incense to commemorate the talented musician. Trinh’s self-portrait A photo of Trinh at a young age The statue was loved by Trinh Reliefs of musician Trinh Cong Son

The old chapel of the Nguyen family church. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

For hundreds of years, the ancient houses have been considered as unique treasures of the people of Hoi Ky village, Hai Chanh commune, Hai Lang district in particular and the people of Quang Tri province in general.

However, under fluctuations of wars, natural disasters, time, now the preservation, restoration and transmission treasure This is for the next generations who are having many difficulties. To protect the ancient house is not only the efforts and efforts of the homeowner, but it is necessary to enter and care of the functional branches …

Unique cultural “heritage” of a countryside

Located next to the romantic O Lau river with three sides bordering the river, Hoi Ky village was established about 500 years ago. Considered land “Spirit of masterpieceSo this place is chosen by many mandarins, landlords, and wealthy families as the place to build land and build a house.

The old-school houses were born like that. Currently, Hoi Ky village also has 16 old communal houses, of which there are 15 houses and 1 family church. Most of the communal houses here have a lifespan of over 100 years. In particular, there are many houses with a lifespan of more than 200 years such as the house of Mr. Duong Quang Dan, descendants of Mr. Ky’s house (the rich man of the old landlords village); the house of Mr. Duong Van Tue, a descendant of the chief physicist; Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung’s family is descended from Mr. Do …

Taking us around the village, Mr. Nguyen Be, Secretary of the Branch, Head of Hoi Ky village said that each house of Hoi Ky ancient communal house has its own unique spirit of ancient architecture and lifestyle. To make these unique homes, its owners have to store wood for many years.

Those are the types preous wood Chosen for size color, block-tight box. The craftsman chosen to build a house must also be highly skilled. Every detail, even the smallest, of the house is meticulously designed.

In particular, according to many people, when the house is completed, when the house is checked and accepted, the owner will use a large mug of water to pour into the joint position between the wooden pillars. The house is rated when water does not flow through those locations; If the water is leaking, the landlord will “arrest” the worker. Therefore, each old house is an expensive and enthusiastic work of art, valuable in terms of history, culture, architectural art of both the builder and the owner.

Designed in the form of 3 rooms with 2 wings or 1 room with 2 wings, the middle room for ancestor worship and reception desk, the Western room for men to live and the East room for women to live, the houses here are all bearing signs The private countryside of the Central region when there is a mezzanine known as “tra” to store rice, rice, utensils and is a shelter for families when flood water rises.

Hoi Ky schoolhouse has a distinctive design with many typical architectural elements such as roofing with tile; the textbook door opened and closed like a book; The system of incense sticks, columns, trusses, racks are elaborately carved according to the aesthetic of the homeowner, depending on the class of mandarins or landlords to have suitable and diverse patterns …

Away from the bustling life of the city, to the old house of Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung (56 years old), Hoi Ky village, Hai Chanh commune, visitors may think they are lost in the past with the areca trusses. rows of betel nuts, yellow apricot trees in front of the alley and green tea trees are carefully trimmed.

Mr. Dung is a descendant of the 5th generation teacher Do, one of the famous people in the village in the past. Carrying out ancestral training, up to now, many generations of Mr. Dung’s family have preserved and kept the old house order. His house has a panel called “Four great roads” roughly translated as 4 generations of father-son-grandchildren always living in the same house. This is the advice and desire of the person who gave birth to this house to send to generations and descendants.

Currently, Mr. Dung’s family has two old-school houses, in which the main house in the middle of a room with two roofs is still relatively intact, but the other house has been modified and restored to serve the needs of use. like preserving the house.

Mr. Dung confided: Carrying out the teaching of his ancestors, his family is still trying to keep the house order according to instructions. Currently, the most difficult problem in preserving and conserving ancient traditional houses is the severity of natural calamities, especially before storms and floods like last year. Not only his family’s communal house, but also other families were severely degraded, and the structure of the house was damaged.

The roofs of the ancient houses of Hoi Ky are covered with tile (yin and yang). (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

It is very difficult to preserve the old traditional traditional houses, when the cost is very high and skilled workers are very rare. The temporary way in the short term is to keep the ancient system of the old chest intact and repair damaged places with bricks, cement …

Mr. Dung said his family had to repair many details such as the roof, the body, the front porch support system … to be able to serve the needs of using as well as protect the house.

Hundred year old school house conservation

In the two old houses of the Dung family, the East house was repaired with a concrete wall, the floor was re-tiled with flower tiles, the tile was also new in a modern style instead of tile. double-door instead of scientific door … However, the system of trusses and ancient chest is still intact with separate motifs. For the main house in the center, it still retains the ancient features, has not been affected much in the structure and construction structure. However, the system of pillars on the front porch and wall was repaired, renovated, built with cement …

Like Mr. Dung’s, Duong Quang Dan’s house is also in a similar situation, although the system of the communal house still remains unique because the system of ancient temples over 100 years old, scientific doors and tile …

However, due to the time factor, the house was degraded, Mr. Dan also restored the house to suit the needs of use. The 4-pillar system in front of the eaves has been rebuilt with concrete, the side of the house is rebuilt with cement walls, the floors are tiled with flowers … This is the common feature of most ancient houses in Hoi Ky village today. . In order to suit the needs of use as well as overcome the impact of time and natural disasters, most ancient houses are renovated and remodeled by the owner.

With a unique imprint on the personality and soul of a countryside from the time of opening and setting up a hamlet, but today, this communal house is facing the fierce of time and natural disasters. Currently, many houses have been seriously degraded. Besides, the repairs encountered many difficulties when the implementation cost was very high. Most of the houses are renovated in the form of renovation when it is not possible to restore the original condition according to the original design.

A house of Hoi Ky ancient chest has been repaired and refurbished. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

Mr. Bui Van Sinh, Chairman of Hai Chanh Commune People’s Committee, said the biggest difficulty in preserving the throne ancient communal house Currently, they are not properly preserved but mainly rely on the restoration of the house owner. Because of the difficulties in the maintenance and maintenance funding, many families want to sell old traditional houses because of the above reasons.

Facing this situation, the commune held propaganda and advocated people not to sell but to take measures to protect and preserve for the next generations. The commune government is also working with the Hai Lang District Department of Culture and Information to develop a project to connect Thac Cho – ancient village of Hoi Ky. Hopefully, the development of tourism will bring economic efficiency, help people restore, repair and protect as well as contribute to promoting the beauty of Hoi Ky ancient village to tourists from near and far.

The Hoi Ky ancient communal house system is a unique culture left behind by the ancestors’ generation that needs to be preserved and passed on to the next generation. However, to accomplish this, it is necessary to enter the conservation functions according to the original values ​​of the old traditional houses.

Mr. Do Van Binh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Tri province, said that Hoi Ky ancient village is a distinct advantage of Hai Lang district in terms of culture and history, this is also a place to visit. full of fun.

In order to promote the value of the old traditional houses, in the coming time, the Department will direct the professional departments to continue studying and preparing documents to recognize the title of Ancient Village, creating a premise for tourism development. community to attract domestic and international visitors to visit. Thereby, it creates conditions for promoting the unique image of Hoi Ky ancient village as well as generating income for the locality, contributing to the protection and restoration of ancient traditional houses.

The Department will accompany the locality in planning and mobilizing tourism development resources associated with conservation, restoration, embellishment, and promotion of the values ​​of culture and heritage … /.

The roofs of the ancient houses of Hoi Ky are covered with tile (yin and yang). (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

Each house has a diaphragm, which is the advice of the ancestors to leave for their descendants. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

The house of Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung (56 years old), Hoi Ky village, Hai Chanh commune, the 5th descendant of teacher Do, one of the famous people of the previous village has been restored due to natural disasters and space. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

The house of Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung (56 years old), Hoi Ky village, Hai Chanh commune is the 5th descendant of Mr. Do, one of the famous people of the village before. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

A house of Hoi Ky ancient chest has been repaired and refurbished. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

All the doors of the old traditional houses are locked doors that open and close like a book. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

The system of trusses of the ancient communal house is engraved elaborately. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

The system of trusses of the ancient communal house is engraved elaborately. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

An ancient painting over 100 years old has been preserved by the people to date. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

The old chapel of the Nguyen family church. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

The old chapel of the Nguyen family church. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

The house of Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung (56 years old), Hoi Ky village, Hai Chanh commune, the 5th descendant of teacher Do, one of the famous people of the previous village has been restored due to natural disasters and space. (Photo: Thanh Thuy / VNA)

To be sure, the two leaders will also discuss how to deal with a rising China, North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Narrow a large cognitive gap

For now, the Biden administration will put an emphasis on promoting cooperation with allies, including Japan, and this is warmly welcomed by America’s allies. .

However, as China continues to rise and the US is urging its allies to assume greater responsibility in international affairs, there is a danger of a large gap between the US and Japan. awareness.

Although Japan is very concerned about China’s behavior, in recent years Tokyo has maintained a cooperative rather than an adversarial approach.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (left) and US President Joe Biden (right) will discuss many ‘hot’ issues. (Source: AP)

In October 2018, former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo visited Beijing, and Japan signed memoranda of understanding with China on more than 50 joint projects related to infrastructure construction in third countries. .

Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to make a state visit to Japan in April 2020, but the tour was subsequently postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under Prime Minister Suga, figures of “doves” and “hawks” toward China in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) often fought for influence.

The hawks have sought ways to postpone Xi Jinping’s state visit when it comes to Xinjiang and Hong Kong issues. LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, a supporter of Prime Minister Suga, opposed the delay, but the visit is not expected to take place in 2021.

Although Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged China to resolve the Xinjiang issue, Tokyo still shied away from imposing economic sanctions on its neighbor because of its lack of legal frameworks. like that.

Therefore, the US should prepare mentally that Japan will adopt a more moderate approach towards China. Japan will certainly continue to strengthen the role and mission of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) within the framework of the Peace Constitution and the US-Japan alliance.

At the same time, Japan will also seek a clear commitment from the United States to avert Chinese military provocations, especially around the Senkaku Islands (which China also claims and calls for). Diaoyu) after China passed a new Customs Law last month, granting China’s coast guard the right to use weapons.

Analysts say the US will certainly be disappointed if it wants Japan to take significantly more aggressive military action against China. Although Japan passed a security law in 2015 that allowed the SDF to engage in limited collective defense activities, constitutional restrictions essentially forbid Japan from using force for purposes of does not involve defense.

Furthermore, the Japanese public still supports Article 9 – the peace clause – in the Rape and has little desire for the SDF to engage in combat missions that pose a risk of casualties.

Get cooperation back on track

About North Korea, both leaders advocated adopting a tough approach. Unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, Mr. Biden is not too close to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Mr. Suga will be anxious to express his tough stance towards North Korea in the face of domestic public opinion when asking for US assistance to repatriate Japanese citizens previously kidnapped by North Korea.

President Biden had to find a way to reassure the US-Japan-Korea trilateral partnership that Trump has ignored. The key bottleneck here, however, remains tensions between Japan and South Korea over forced labor – issues that have engulfed the enthusiasm of cooperation between the two countries even though they share a common desire to curb the chapter. North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Addressing climate change and fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic will be a “fertile ground” for the US-Japan to promote cooperation.

Regarding climate change, President Biden quickly brought the US back to the Paris Agreement and is scheduled to hold a climate summit with 40 world leaders from April 22-23.

Prime Minister Suga pledged that Japan will reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

Since the financial institutions of the US and Japan lead the world in supporting the use of coal, under the leadership of these two countries, it is likely that the world will be promoted to transform energy, without using fuel. fossils that turn to renewable energy could eventually forge clean energy partnerships.

With regard to Covid-19, Since Japan and the US have a long history of cooperation in international health, the lack of cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is surprising. A lot of people fear that the Tokyo Olympics will turn into a super infectious event this pandemic.

More communication against Covid-19 did not yield much results. This includes Japan’s use of a supercomputer in an AI-based Covid-19 study, American doctors’ experience in treating Covid-19 patients, and the logistics of government vaccination. Mr. Biden.

Japan and the US could also support more multilateral efforts, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the EU-operated Covid Tool Access Accelerator, to help stop the spread of spread globally and vaccinate people around the world before the emergence of resistant mutations.

The US-Japan summit provides an important opportunity to get bilateral cooperation back on track. However, to best strengthen cooperation and close the perception gap, these two allies should not shy away from discussions regarding thorny issues.

(according to EastAsia Forum)