It is an old village that has literally risen, phoenix-like, from the ashes, but is now in danger of being consumed by unbridled urbanization.

Cuu Village in Van Tu Commune of the suburban district of Phu Xuyen is one of the oldest “modern” villages in Hanoi.

Unlike the famous Duong Lam Village, which is a typical traditional village, Cuu Village boasted a more luxurious veneer because its buildings are a combination of French style and Vietnamese features.

The “Village of villas,” as local residents call it, owes its relative modernity to a fire that happened nearly 100 years ago.

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, a new architectural style came into being that was particular to Indochina – a mix of the old French and traditional Vietnamese styles.

The structures in Cuu Village were built with lots of architectural innovations in line with Vietnamese culture and notions of beauty.