Arriving to Vietnamese Southwest, you may choose to experience many many fascinating places, such as Tram Chim national park, floating market,… Yet, there are some must-see destination for you: top 5 ancient houses which contain bold nostalgic features of the South-western Vietnam.
Ancient House of Ut Kiet (Tien Giang)
If you have the chance to set foot in Cai Be, you must visit the house of Ut Kiet – the most beautiful ancient mansion in Vietnam by JICA, Japan recognized.
Only about 25 minutes boat trip from Cai Be floating market, visitors can contemplate one of the most beautiful house in the Southwestern Vietnam, a unique place is made entirely of wood in Tien Giang province.
It is a 5-room manor which was made of rare wood (lim,baria,…), built in the shape of “Dinh” letter with nearly 100 wooden columns. The roof is designed of yin and yang architecture. The ancient house is carved, decorated with elaborate pattern. In addition, the walls which were designed cleverly to light up the space are attractive to the tourist.
In over 355 archaic houses in Tien Giang, House of Ut Kiet is the only one sponsored by JICA for restoration. The house has been restored since 1998 due to degradation of the devastating war after 150 years of construction.
Ancient House of Ba Duc (Tien Giang)
Ba Duc’s House is located on 2 hectares of land, surrounded by a bonsai garden and a local orchard such as: Hoa Loc mangoes, oranges, green grapefruit, longan… Situated in a harmonious position, one of the most beautiful orchards in the area, this place has become a suitable tourist destination for visitors to come and enjoy the fruit specialties.
The house is built with a harmonious combination of Eurasian architecture. It is designed subtly and differently compared to another types of construction at the same time, with the higher floor to avoid flooding. It is divided into 2 distinct parts: The first half is ancestor worshiping place & the latter includes kitchen, dining room and warehouse. Between two spaces is a courtyard, called Thien Tinh (sky well) with the purpose of bringing light into the house.
When visiting this Old house, visitors will be surprised at the antiquities which are decorated inside. Especially, there are nine beautiful paintings on three main walls, on each picture is a simple countryside village next to a charming river. It is known that these nine artworks represent the gentle Mekong River.
House of Bac Lieu Dude (Bac Lieu)
Located at 13, Dien Bien Phu, Ward 3, Bac Lieu City, Bac Lieu Province, the villa has attracted many visitors by its noble beauty. With harmonious architecture, it is considered the most beautiful street corner of Bac Lieu. Built in 1919, designed by a French engineer, “the gracious chateau” owns a modern and luxurious Western European look.
More than a century passed, but the house still has its beautiful basic features. With elaborate lines, the interior also looks luxurious and wonderful. The bright yellow light shines throughout the room and gives a warm and comfortable feeling to visitors. Not only beautiful in architecture, the house also has many rare antiques. The sophisticated details of the talented artist have adorned the tables, the seats here more beautiful and special.
When coming to Bac Lieu, please visit the House of Bac Lieu Dude to experience the luxury life and enjoy the relaxing moments.
Ancient House of Huynh Thuy Le (Dong Thap)
The old house was built in 1895 by a Chinese merchant (Fujian, China) in Sa Dec, Huynh Cam Thuan. Originally (1895), this is a traditional triple wooden cabin of the Southwest. In 1917, the residence was built by thick walls (one typical architectural style of the French villas)
After this large renovation, the house has a harmonious blend of three styles of French, Vietnamese and Chinese building. From outside, we can see is Romanesque construction in the 17th century. Inside, the house still retains the classical Vietnamese style. The layout is the theme of traditional Chinese art.
Besides the East-West combination, this antique place is also famous for the borderless relationship between the writer Marguerite Duras and Huynh Thuy Le (the owner of the house). That sad story was written into a book and adapted into the film ‘The Lover’.
Binh Thuy Ancient House (Can Tho)
Binh Thuy Ancient House in Can Tho or Binh Thuy Orchid Garden is a wooden house built by the Duong family in 1870. From the exterior, Binh Thuy ancient house owns the style of French architecture, but the interior is built in the Vietnamese traditional mode. All furniture is made of rare woods with delicate carvings. It is conserved many valuable antiques for more than 140 years. In the house, Duong family grows many species of orchids, this creates the highlight and unique feature for this place.
Binh Thuy ancient house is also famous in Viet Nam and aboard because of the context of famous films such as “Nhung neo duong phu sa”, “Nguoi dep Tay Do”. In particular, the French director, JJ Annaud used to stay in the house for a week to shoot the movie “The Lover”