A forgotten old quarter in Tay Ninh province

Trang Bang old quarter has been in existence since 1818 – one of the oldest quarters in Tay Ninh province.

Since the early days, people from many places have crowded the streets, conducted business and sold and bought goods.

According to Dang family annals, since 1811 Dang Van Truoc, a man of Binh Dinh origin, followed an army advance toward the south to broaden country.

He chose Trang Bang area, Tay Ninh province (at that time it belonged Tong Duong Hoa region, Binh Duong commune, Gia Dinh citadel) to set himself up in business and set up house.

From a neglected area and thick forest, Truoc reclaimed and built houses step by step. He got many people to come here to work and live. Truoc taught them do business, work and reclaim land.

Until 1818, Truoc officials set up Phuoc Loc village, Gia Dinh citadel. He asked people to build roads, dig canals so boats from Vam Co River could go to the village to do business. Since there, goods have been exchanged that have arrived from many places. Many people from other places abandoned boat and become new citizen here. The village became more and more prosperous. It eventually became a market quarter.

In 1822, Truoc was elevated village elder by village’s citizen as he was accredited with building the village and market quarter. His prestigious fame was well-known in the area but he was also a thorn in side of robbers.

One day, when he was on the way back home, he was injured by robbers and he died on his horse.

Village citizen set up a communal house in the village to worship him and his horse.

Dang Binh Chi, the 7th descendant of Truoc said in 1990, to develop and expand the economy, TayNinh province leaders moved old Trang Bang market to a new place near highway 22. Since then, Trang Bang ancient village became urbanized with ancient features fading.

Today, few of the original 300 houses remain, most of them were repaired or rebuilt.

A house at 124, Dang van Truoc, Trang Bang town still has been kept in its original style.
The house’s owner, Ms. Huynh Thi Kha, said she was born and grew up here, she wanted to keep the old style of the house so she has only destroyed woodworm.

She confided that today life conditions are more and more comfortable so young generations care less about preservation, special characteristics of the old quarter have been lost. Travelers from many places felt longingly to remember each time they have a chance to stop for a while in the area.

Tay Ninh is located in the key economic area of the south which connects with the economic centre of the country, HCM City, and other strongly developing provinces in the south, such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau.