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Huynh Thuy Le's ancient house is located at 255A, Nguyen Hue Street, Ward 2, Sa Dec City, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam. In addition to the combination of East and West architectural styles, the ancient house is also famous for its connection to the borderless love affair of a French writer Marguerite Duras, and a wealthy Chinese-Vietnamese gentleman Huynh Thuy Le in the early 20th century.
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History of the House
The house was originally the residence of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le's family - the first lover of the French female writer, Marguerite Duras. This love affair later became a memoir for her to write the famous novel The Lover in 1984. This work was adapted into the film L'Amant in 1992 by French director Jean-Jaques Annaud.
The ancient house was built in 1895 by Mr. Huynh Cam Thuan (father of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le), a famous and wealthy man Chinese businessman in Sa Dec. The building is located in the middle of the bustling shopping district along the Sa Dec River.
Initially, this was a traditional three-room house of the Southwest region, 258 m2 wide with the main materials being precious wood, and a boat-shaped roof covered with yin and yang tiles.
In 1917, the owner restored the house with solid bricks covering the wooden frame inside. Therefore, on the outside, it looks like a French-style villa, but inside, you see an architectural style with bold Chinese grace.
Unique architecture of Huynh Thuy Le ancient house
The architecture of the house is a harmonious combination of Eastern and Western architecture. The entire house is built on an area of 258 square meters and is shaped in the style of a traditional Vietnamese house, with a yin-yang tiled roof and two curved boat-shaped gables in the style of a Northern pagoda. The space inside the house is tall and airy, the walls are built of very thick solid bricks from 30-40cm covering the wooden frame structure to increase the load-bearing capacity.
The house has three rooms, decorated in Chinese style. The outer part is for worshiping and welcoming guests, the back part has two bedrooms on both sides creating a wide hallway leading to the lower house. The balconies and railings are painted with gold and carved very similar to Chinese pagodas. The middle balcony frame has a Phoenix couple carving representing eternal happiness. The frames on both sides are carved with birds, flowers, and leaves, representing the family's prosperity.
Western architecture is clearly shown in the facade, ceiling, and window frames..., all decorated with Renaissance-style reliefs. The curved arch has the touch of Roman architecture. The Eastern architecture is seen through very sharp carved lines and gilded lacquer-like images of birds, fruit trees, and the four precious plants. The exterior of the old house has Western architecture mixed with Chinese style.
The building materials such as bricks and glass are imported from France. Floor tiles measuring 30x40cm were imported from France in 1917, the back of the brick clearly states the place and year of manufacture. In particular, the brick floor in the middle of the house is sunken down because Mr. Huynh Cam Thuan believes that "water flows to a low place", which means money will flow to his house.
Right at the main door of the house, there is a door frame with horizontal parallel round wooden bars that can be pulled back and forth. At noon, the house does not close the main door but pulls this door frame shut.
The door handle is shaped like a lion, a mascot that guards the house according to traditional Chinese beliefs. The middle space of the house is the altar to worship Quan Yu, a traditional belief that shows the strength and prosperity in the homeowner's life. The walls and walls are made of precious wood, painted with gold, and elaborately carved, showing the nobility of wealthy families in the past.
The wooden doors, cabinets, beds, and altars are all meticulously carved. Household items such as wine cabinets, bookshelves or kettles, vases, lamps, and gramophones are still preserved today.
The Sad Love Story
The old house has been known to many people since the novel L'Amant by the French writer Marguerite Duras was made into a movie by director Jean-Jacques Annaud. The details in the movie have brought tears to many people's eyes. Huynh Thuy Le is the main character and this French female writer was also Mr. Huynh Thuy Le's lover.
The two met by chance on the My Thuan ferry in 1929, when she was just under 16 and he was 32. They had a beautiful relationship until they faced strong opposition from Mr. Huynh Cam Thuan.
When his father found out about it, Mr. Le begged his father to let him live with the girl for whom he felt a strong love that could only come once in a lifetime. But because of the cultural differences between East and West and the difference between the two families, the two lovers could not be together. The relationship only lasted 18 months. Not long after that, he married a young Chinese woman.
Mrs. Margueritte Duras then wrote a famous love story, recounting a love story more than 50 years ago. In 1984, the novel Lover was published, made a big splash, was translated into 43 languages and won the Goncourt Award (France's most prestigious literary award). In 1986, the novel was made into a film of the same name and was released in Vietnam for the first time in 1991.
Current status of Huynh Thuy Le ancient house
After Mr. Huynh Thuy Le passed away, his children all settled abroad. The house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le's family was requisitioned by the State as the headquarters of the Economic Police Team of Sa Dec Town Police. By 2007, the tourism industry in Dong Thap officially used the ancient house to serve both domestic and foreign visitors.
In 2008, the ancient house was certified as a provincial-level relic and was recognized as a national-level relic in 2009. After many efforts to improve the quality of tourist services, the number of visitors to the house has increased. This old house is getting more and more crowded.
Most foreign tourists coming here know the house through the famous novel The Lover. They want to come and feel the intense breath from that short but eternal love story.
Other information about Huynh Thuy Le's ancient house
The entrance fee for both Vietnamese and foreigners is 20,000 VND (including an English, French, or Vietnamese-speaking guide). Visitors can have lunch or dinner here at the price of 100,000 VND/person.
There are two rooms for four people, if tourists want to stay overnight here, the price is 550,000-1,000,000 VND/night (including lunch and breakfast).
Address: 255A Nguyen Hue, Ward 2, Sa Dec Town, Dong Thap
Opening hours: 8:30 AM- 5:30 PM
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