Ancient house very popular with tourists

At Number 115 Hang Bac (Silver) Street in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi , 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.