Coming to Nha Xa village in Duy Tan commune, Ninh Binh province; we asked if Ms. Pham Thi Ngan's (born in 1954) had an ancient house, which no one knew about.
Still retaining its ancient features, Mrs. Ngan's family's house is dyed with the colors of time, standing out in the shade of peaceful trees.
Ms. Ngan said: "Previously, her father-in-law was merchant Le Cao Cham - a prominent and rich man in the village. In 2006, my father-in-law started construction of a garden villa on a total land area of about 300 square meters. The construction materials are all made of sugarcane".
Over time, the ancient villa of that time still retains its ancient architectural style with 3 compartments, 4.2m high and roofed with yin-yang tiles and wooden ceilings.
That day, when building Mr. Cham's house, he also focused on feng shui, the harmony of natural light, and the air flow in each room to always ensure a breathable house. That is why, up to now, in the hot summer, the house is always cool.
Ms. Ngan shared that this house was previously built with a basement about 6m deep underground, 40m2 wide. To ensure the tunnel has large iron bars to support it, then pour concrete on it.
"According to the elders in my family, during the French colonial period, the basement was a military shelter for the people in the area, especially families with beautiful daughters. During the time the US attacked the North, the tunnel also became a shelter, avoiding bombs whenever it heard the sound of an alarm. Only when the situation is stable, will people dare to go up. Due to not being used for a long time, my family demolished the basement and built a level four house," said Ms. Ngan.
After many years of use, Mrs. Ngan's family's house still retains the architecture built more than 80 years ago and has become an interesting destination for visitors who love history.
