Hundred-pillar ancient house in Long An

      Tourists going to the southern province of Long An should visit an ancient structure in Long Huu Dong Commune, Can Duoc District, which is called hundred-pillar house by locals.
From HCMC, down National Highway 50 to Long An Province, past Kinh Nuoc Man Ferry around 3km, you will stand in front of a wood-made ancient house which has over 100 pillars.
With a total area of 888m², the house is located on grounds of nearly 5,000m². The house consists of three compartments and two lean-tos, with 120 pillars, including 68 round and 52 square pillars. This house was built in five years, 1898-1903, with rare wood and set on a stone foundation of 0.9m high.
The house is paved by brown, hexagonal bricks and roofed with double tiles. The house is preserved in its initial architecture, with original furniture. Entering the house, visitors will feel the living space of southern people one century ago.
The house’s structure is similar to nha ruong in Hue. It consists of two parts, the front apartment is for worship and reception, and is connected with two rows of houses and then a rice warehouse. In the middle is a square yard, with 6m sides.
The system of beams is carved meticulously with dragon heads. Decoration art inside the house reveals the high skills of old craftsmen. Popular patterns are four supernatural creatures (dragon, unicorn, tortoise and phoenix), four seasons (apricot, orchid, daisy, bamboo), and happiness, wealth and longevity symbols as well as western patterns as roses, grapes, squirrels. Wood furniture is also carved with patterns that reflect the well-off southern region, with typical fruit trees like custard-apple, mangosteen, lotus, etc.
Horizontal lacquered boards and parallel sentences hung around the house are very unique and lively. The characteristic in carving arts of the house is the preciseness, details, bearing the style of the central region because the house was built by 15 craftsmen from Hue. However, the house owner is a southern man so the house style is a mixture of central and southern architecture.
The third-generation owner of this special house, Tran Van Ngo, over 60, said his paternal grandfather built this house at the age of 22. The house is different from all other houses in the region. After nearly one century, the house is nearly complete. In 1997, the Ministry of Culture and Information recognised the hundred-pillar house as a national relic.
This house has attracted many foreign visitors for its unique architecture, especially visitors from France, the US, Canada, Japan, Singapore and China.