Vietnam Style. Bertrand De Hartingh

the Chinese style.

      The Tran family house was built as much to house a temple as a home. Erected in 1802 by a civil service mandarin, Tran Tu Nhuc, it contains two main areas: one for worship and the other for the family to reside in.

      The sign above the family ancestral altar reads Tran Temple. Behind it, small boxes contain relics and a biography of the deceased.

      Along the sitting room walls are three entrances with sliding doors: the left is for men to use, the right for women, while the central doorway is only opened on special occasions to welcome home dead ancestors.

      The Diep Dong Nguyen house, built in the nineteenth century by a Chinese merchant, an ancestor of the present inhabitants, is beautifully preserved with an impressive collection of ceramics, including a blue-and-white plate purchased by Emperor Khai Dai. The living room is decorated with colonial-era lamps and traditional gu furniture.