The house is covered with fireworks, attracting visitors. Video: Ha Nguyen

The Orange House

In the first days of the new year, when traveling on Highway 20 from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat City, in Gia Hiep Commune (Di Linh District, Lam Dong Province), visitors will encounter a house that stands out with a unique orange "shell".

The house is a grocery store owned by Mr. Huu Thang’s family (64 years old, Gia Hiep commune). These days, the house is covered with thousands of orange firecracker flowers in full bloom.

The house used as a grocery store by Mr. Thang's family stands out with the orange color of the firecracker flowers. Photo: Ha Nguyen

From a vine at first, after many years of care, Mr. Thang's family's firecracker flower plant has almost covered the entire house.

Ms. Ha Thi Lanh (61 years old, Mr. Thang's wife) said that she planted the firecracker flower tree 16 years ago.

Mrs. Lanh was a flower lover. One time, she saw her friend intending to abandon the firecracker flower plant she was growing. Feeling sorry, she asked to bring it back and plant it in front of her house. When the plant began to take root and grow branches, she let it climb and cover the roof.

The entire house is covered with clusters of firecracker flowers. Photo: Ha Nguyen

Mrs. Lanh shared: “The firecracker flower is also called chili flower, dawn… The plant is easy to grow and easy to care for. For the past 16 years, my family has never spent a single grain of fertilizer.

Only when the sun is too strong and the leaves of the tree start to wilt, do the family water them. When the tree is big and covers the grocery store, we trim it neatly, removing dry branches and pests.

Many people say that leaving trees covering the roof and walls like that will attract snakes, insects, and ants to live there. However, in the past 16 years, the family has not seen any snakes, insects, or ants living there.

Perhaps during the flowering season, the tree attracts bees to collect nectar and pollen... However, the family has not recorded any cases of relatives, friends, or visitors being stung by bees.

W-3.3.JPG.jpg
The clusters of firecracker flowers have a beautiful orange color. Photo: Ha Nguyen

Suddenly famous

After 16 years, the base of the firecracker tree that Mrs. Lanh planted herself has divided into many branches larger than an adult’s arm. These branches twist and wrap around each other to form a large trunk that stretches out and covers the roof.

On the roof, the trunks continued to divide into thousands of small branches. These branches intertwined, covering the entire house.

After 16 years, the flower roots split into many large, winding, intertwined trunks and the owner made a trellis for the tree to climb and cover the roof. Photo: Ha Nguyen

During the flowering season, the trees simultaneously bloom with clusters of bright, glossy orange flowers that catch the eye. The branches of flowers hanging down in front of the porch are neatly trimmed by Mrs. Lanh’s family, forming an archway leading to the grocery store.

Since the firecracker flower trellis covered her house, Mrs. Lanh’s grocery store suddenly became famous. In addition to locals, tourists passing by also stopped their vehicles, stopped at her grocery store to rest, admire the flowers, and take photos.

The house attracts many visitors, who stop by to see the flowers and take pictures. Photo: Ha Nguyen

Many young people also choose Ms. Lanh's grocery store as a "virtual living" spot, taking souvenir photos. Ms. Lanh affirmed: "My family's firecracker flower trellis blooms from November to April every year. The time at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year is when the flowers are most beautiful and brilliant."

Every time the flowers bloom, the grocery store receives many visitors and photographers. Thanks to that, Mrs. Lanh gets to meet and talk to many people, and her business is more favorable than before.

Realizing that the house attracts many visitors, Ms. Lanh's family planted more flowers, equipped it with chairs and swings for visitors to take photos and record videos for free.

Many young people choose the house as a place to take souvenir photos. Photo: Ha Nguyen

“My husband is not a flower lover. However, seeing that his wife loves the flower trellis, he has happily taken care of it and trimmed it for the past 16 years to make me happy.

I had no intention of planting this flower to attract tourists. So, I was very surprised when the big tree with beautiful flowers was loved and sought after by so many people,” Ms. Lanh confided.

W-6.6.JPG.jpg
Everyone was eager to capture beautiful moments of the house nestled in the heart of the unique firecracker flower. Photo: Ha Nguyen
Houses with 'blankets' on the roof, keeping summer cool and winter warm in Ha Giang

Houses with 'blankets' on the roof, keeping summer cool and winter warm in Ha Giang

Over time, the traditional thatched-roof stilt houses in Xa Phin village (Vi Xuyen district, Ha Giang province) have gradually been covered with lush moss layers, like a giant blanket, helping the living space stay cool in the summer but warm in the winter.
'Time travel' to visit a 300-year-old house with unique architecture in the suburbs of Hanoi

'Time travel' to visit a 300-year-old house with unique architecture in the suburbs of Hanoi

Located 55km from the center of Hanoi, Duong Lam ancient village is a popular tourist destination during the Lunar New Year. Here, there are still ancient houses that are hundreds of years old, imbued with the culture of the Northern countryside, with great cultural value.
Tourists 'time travel' to a 173-year-old riverside house in Tien Giang

Tourists 'time travel' to a 173-year-old riverside house in Tien Giang

Ba Duc ancient house is located on a small road, adjacent to the river bank, about 3km from the center of Cai Be district (Tien Giang), in Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village.