GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONYen Lac Village
Yen Lac Village, together with its four counterparts of Do Quan, Lanh Tri, Nha Xa, and Yen Ninh, is located in Moc Nam Commune, Duy Tien Town, Ha Nam Province. The commune lies in the Northeast of Duy Tien, bordering Moc Bac Commune to the North, Chuyen Ngoai Commune to the South, the Red River to the East, and Chau Giang Commune to the West.
Moc Nam’s villages line up the landward side of Dai Ha dyke.The position creates favorable conditions for cultural exchange, trade and service development between Moc Nam and Yen Lac and other provinces and cities. Moc Nam’s position also plays an important military strategy role as a choke point and a must-pass-through spot on the way from Hanoi to southern provinces, both in waterways and on land.
Important Milestones
Moc Nam and Yen Lac hold a long-standing history. Archaeological excavations show that the boat-grave cemetery of ancient Lac Viet people was discovered in Yen Lac. Tombs were found to be buried in the riverine lowlands, which is culturally typical of Dong Son culture boat tombs.
At the beginning of 19th century, Moc Nam Commune was part of Moc Hoan Canton (tổng Mộc Hoàn), Phu Xuyen District, Thuong Tin Prefecture, Hanoi Province. On October 20, 1890, the French colonialists merged parts of Hanoi and Nam Dinh to establish Ha Nam Province. Moc Hoan and Chuyen Nghiep cantons of Phu Xuyen District, Thuong Tin Prefecture, and Trac But Canton of Nam Xang District, Ly Nhan Prefecture were merged into Duy Tien District. Between October 1890 and the prelude of the August Revolution of 1945, Moc Nam had been part of Moc Hoan Prefecture, Duy Tien District. Moc Hoan consisted of 10 communes, namely Nha Xa, Yen Lac, Lanh Tri, Do Quan, Yen Ninh, Yen Hoa, Hoan Duong, Di Pho, Yen Tu, and Kha Duy. Since the foundation of Ha Nam Province in 1890, it had been recognized as part of Moc Hoan, Duy Tien, Ha Nam
Following the August Revolution, five communes of Moc Hoan, including Nha Xa, Yen Ninh, Yen Lac, Do Quan, and Lanh Tri, merged into Moc Nam. The small communes were transformed into village/hamlet-level administrative units.
Present-day Yen Lac is one of the five villages of Moc Nam Commune, Duy Tien Town, Ha Nam Province. Old villagers say most local people are immigrants. In the past, Yen Lac was dwelled by a small number of households. Thanks to its abundant land and riverside location which is favorable for fishery, many people have settled and mainly lived by the river and fished for living. This is why the village was named An Lac or Yen Lac (meaning Peace and Joy) as people came here for a stable life and a joyful work. They strive for an affluent and peaceful life in this new land.
Cultural Heritage
The small village of Yen Lac boasts a rich cultural heritage. The remaining historical documents and relic system found in the village, as well as the archaeological discovery of the boat-grave cemetery of ancient Lac Viet people, show that Yen Lac is indeed an ancient landmark established quite a long time ago. Yen Lac is essentially an agriculture-based village so local people follow the same customs and practices of funerals, wedding ceremonies, festivals, and social norms as other traditional villages in the Northern Delta. It is also home to many valuable historical-cultural relics, contributing to preserving Vietnamese tangible cultural values.
