Tour recreating the old Tet in Vu Dai village

Vu Dai village or Dai Hoang village, Hoa Hau commune, Ly Nhan district, is a typical village of the Northern Delta, famous in the work Chi Pheo by writer Nam Cao. The village is located nearly 40 km from the center of Phu Ly city, about 80 km from the capital Hanoi and about 1 hour and 45 minutes by car.

Vu Dai village today is often the destination of tours every time Tet approaches because of its famous braised fish dish and nostalgic spaces.

A photo tour of "Old Tet" was carried out by 6 members from Hanoi in early January. Mr. Tran Tien Dung, one of the participants, said he was very happy to experience the journey to recreate the images of the old Tet. The images he took had a strong power to convey, spreading the unique, long-standing culture of the people here.

The old Tet atmosphere at the house of Mr. Tran Van Trung (58 years old) - a resident of the village. The house was originally a level 4 house left by his parents, so the old architecture such as the tiled roof, red brick porch and utensils such as bowls, aluminum trays, iron pots and even a subsidy-era bicycle are still preserved.

"Just looking at the scene, my emotions came flooding back," said one experience member.

Mr. and Mrs. Quynh, over 90 years old, villagers participating in the program, said that every Tet holiday, they gather their children and grandchildren to wrap Chung cakes.

Ms. Hoang Thi Tho, owner of a fish stew establishment for more than 10 years, said that fish stew is an indispensable dish during every traditional Tet holiday in the village. The fish used is large black carp, after cleaning the scales, marinated with 10 spices, then placed in a clay pot and boiled for 12-14 hours.

"The special flavor of the braised fish dish produced here that only the locals use is the crab essence," said Ms. Tho.

Braised fish is cooked entirely on a wood stove.

"Smelling the smoke from the burning firewood in the kitchen and the familiar aroma of braised fish, I remember the meals I had with my parents as a child," said Nam, 34, a member.

After experiencing and taking photos of the steps of making braised fish, visitors will enjoy this dish in a traditional Tet lunch prepared by the host. According to Mr. Nam, the fish meat is firm, not mushy, and the fish bones are soft. The spices are deeply and evenly absorbed inside, creating a moderate rich flavor. In particular, even though cooked on a wood stove, the fish pot does not have a strong smell but is still fragrant.

Tourists on the trip were of many ages, but most were middle-aged, having spent their childhood in the 1980s. Foreign visitors, who were participating for the first time, were also excited.

Ms. Marsha Bell shared: "We walked around the village, many people saw us and smiled and said 'Hello'. They also gave us fruits grown in their gardens. The Tet scene in the countryside of Vietnam in the past was very simple, the food was delicious and the people were very enthusiastic."

According to VnExpress