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Tan Ky ancient house is one of the most beautiful ancient houses in Hoi An, built in the late 18th century and is more than 200 years old. The house is home to 7 generations of the Le family and has witnessed the ups and downs of Hoi An International Trading Port. When visiting this house, we can learn partly the life of Hoi An local people in the past and understand more about traditional Asian cultural features.

1. Where is Tan Ky ancient house?

• Address: 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An.
• Opening hours: 08:30 – 17:45
• Ticket price: 60.000 VND / 1 ticket / 5 places
• When you buy a ticket, it will include 5 places, Tan Ky ancient house is one of them.

2. Structure and architecture of Tan Ky ancient house

Tan Ky ancient house was built in a 2-story structure. This is a feature of the housing architecture in Hoi An because Hoi An is a commercial port near the river, where floods happen every year. The 2-story structure will help people be safer in the flood season and protect their property.

Outside the house, right at the door is a pair of door eyes, which is the soul of the house, helping the owner to protect the house from the evil spirits. The roof is covered with Yin-Yang tiles, which is a traditional Vietnamese style, giving the house an ancient beauty, while contributing to climate regulation, making the weather cooler in summers and warmer in winters.

– Horizontally, the house is divided into 3 compartments, this is the typical architectural feature of Vietnam’s traditional housing.

– Vertically, the house is divided into spaces serving different purposes.

+ The outermost space, close to the door, is the space that the owner uses to sell goods

+ Next will be the space the owner uses to worship. This is the most important and spiritual space of the house. In front of the altar, family members, as well as guests absolutely, must not say or act disrespectfully to the ancestors.

+ In the middle, there is a large space with wooden tables and chairs that have a sophisticated design. The owner uses them to welcome guests as well as hold important family meetings.

+ Next is the open space, without a roof, also known as the skylight. This is a quite unique Chinese architectural style that helps the house bright and cool.

+ The next part of the space is where family members live. All family activities are taken place here except the important ones.

+ The back part of the house is near the river, where goods are received and transferred.

 3. Precious relics

In addition to the unique architecture, Tan Ky ancient house also surprises visitors with precious relics right inside the house, preserved and protected carefully by the members of the house for generations. The most precious one could be the “Confucius Cup”, a cup with a unique design where there is a small hole in the bottom, as long as the cup is full, the water will automatically escape.

This is a cup that simulates Confucious’s teaching, it advises people to always keep balance, and not to be excessive, as too much of anything may cause disasters.

4. Conclusion

Tan Ky ancient house dating back more than 200 years, preserved almost intact is a place not to be missed in Hoi An. This old house will help you visualize a part of the life of Hoi An people in the past and understand more about Vietnamese culture as well as the East Asian cultural sphere.