an ancient house with a garden has stood for nearly 100 years and is a
popular destination with visitors when they visit the 1,000
year-old-city.
The house has been home to five generations of the Pham family.
According to the owner of the house, 96-year-old Pham Thi Te, her family
moved from Chau Khe village in northern Hai Duong province to settle in
Hanoi in 1890, to make jewellery.
In 1920, her family bought
over 500 m2 of land and built a two-storey house with 16 rooms, which
has two gates, one in Hang Bac street and another in Dinh Liet
street .
The house was built in a French architectural style
with wooden staircases, high pillars and many windows. The roof is tiled
and curves out at the ends, making the house look very elegant.
Vietnamese
culture is reflected by four dragon heads attached to the four roof
ends. The balcony is decorated with intricate designs. In the spacious
front yard there are pots of ornamental plants, stone miniatures and a
big fish tank.
The house has a large garden with traditional
ornamental plants such as the Barringtonia angusta Kurj, little bamboo
trees and rows of green arecas a dozen metres high and as old as the
house.
Through the ups and downs of history, for nearly a
century, the house has retained its style with wooden tables and chairs
and paintings inside.
The house, particularly the
garden, has attracted a lot of attention from domestic and foreign
experts and is listed in the book “The 36 guild streets area in Hanoi
’s Ancient Quarter”, by Japanese experts.
Visitors see the house to contemplate it’s ancient architecture amid the bustling streets.
The Hanoi People’s Committee, has approved a project to preserve the
house, which is the only garden house remaining in the Old Quarter.
Pham
Tuan Long, the Deputy head of Hanoi ’s Ancient Houses Management Board
said that after preservation, the house will be developed as a tourist
destination and is expected to give visitors a glimpse of Vietnam ’s
old architecture and culture. It will also give tourists a still and
peaceful environment so they can escape from the bustle of urban life./.
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