Located in the middle of Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village (Cai Be commune, Dong Thap - formerly Cai Be district, Tien Giang ), Ba Duc ancient house bears the mark of a hundred years, is one of seven ancient houses from 150 - 200 years old in Dong Hoa Hiep that still stand the test of time.
This 175-year-old house was built in 1850 and restored in 1938, and has been home to eight generations of the Phan family. The house is a sophisticated blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and French architecture from the late 19th century. In recent years, the house has become a favorite stop for many tourists.
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The house is currently managed by Mr. Phan Van Duc, 79 years old, the 6th generation of the Phan family. Mr. Duc (commonly known as Ba Duc) said that the house is located on a land area of about 2 hectares.
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The front yard is covered with green grass, trees and flowers. The house is divided into two blocks: the upper house and the lower house, separated by a small yard that plays the role of catching light and regulating the air. The upper house is for worship and receiving guests, the lower house is the family's living space.
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During the renovation in 1938, Mr. Phan Van Cuong skillfully incorporated Western architectural elements. Looking from the facade, it is easy to see the round pillars, curved domes and sophisticated European-style sculptures, while the yin-yang tiled roof and the system of rafters and large wooden pillars still retain the appearance of an ancient Southern house.
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Inside the main shrine, the 175-year-old Laotian rosewood pillars are still sturdy and shiny. The ancestral altar is solemnly placed in the center, with parallel sentences on both sides advising descendants: “Accumulating virtue is more precious than keeping gold, doing good deeds is like storing up treasures.”
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Behind the altar is a small room containing a wooden cabinet storing bowls, ancient blue-glazed ceramic teapots, and many family memorabilia photos.
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The wooden table and chairs in the middle of the house are more than a century old, along with ceramic vases, oil lamps, and antique decorative lamps that have been preserved for many generations.
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The three walls of the living room are decorated with nine paintings of riverside villages, symbolizing the nine branches of the Mekong River. The entire wall decoration pattern remains the same since the restoration in 1938. When the wall color faded, the owner only repainted a layer of white paint without touching the original pattern.
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In 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ranked Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village as a national cultural relic. Since that milestone, the hundred-year-old village has attracted more and more visitors. In 2023 alone, the journey to visit the ancient house system in Dong Hoa Hiep was selected into the list of 20 most unique tours in Vietnam, voted by the Vietnam Record Organization.
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Today, Ba Duc ancient house is open to visitors. Besides this house, Dong Hoa Hiep also has many other ancient houses such as Mr. Xoat's, Mr. Tong's... Formed and flourishing since the 19th century, Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village (now in Cai Be commune, Dong Thap ) is currently one of three ancient villages in Vietnam chosen by the Tourism Department and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to invest in developing a rural tourism model.
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To visit the ancient village, visitors can follow National Highway 1 to Cai Be intersection, turn onto Provincial Road 875, go about 6 km to Bridge No. 2 and you will see signs to ancient houses such as Ba Duc, Ong Xoat, Ong Tong... Another interesting option is to travel by motorboat or tourist boat, combined with river tours such as Cai Be Princess or Song Xanh...
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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ben-trong-nha-co-gan-200-nam-tuoi-cua-8-the-he-o-dong-thap-185250730145813816.htm
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