The courtyard where we sat was filled with spring sunshine and the lingering scent of incense...
Sky yard - open space
The place we went to was the house at 80 Tran Phu (Hoi An). Built around the beginning of the 20th century, the house was originally a shop, used both as a residence and a place of business. The architectural features of this old house are typical of houses in ancient Hoi An.
With two floors and balconies at the front and back, the house has the best structure among traditional ancient houses. The pillars are placed on marble stones and the column capitals rise up to support the rafters on the roof, in addition, the rafters are also separate between the pillars.
In particular, the architectural style leaves a large open courtyard in the middle of the house, making a strong impression on visitors. Stepping through the front of the house, the wooden door opens to a stone-paved courtyard. A tea table is placed next to a small fish pond.
On the wall, there is still a relief painting with the typical architecture of the courtyards inside the ancient houses of Hoi An. Many tourists are sitting there resting. The sunlight penetrates into the middle of the courtyard, shining golden on the small bonsai trees by the lake.
Painter Truong Bach Tuong, a resident of the old town, said that the skylight has become a characteristic of the houses in the old town. In normal houses, there is also a space called a skylight, but in the old houses of Hoi An, this space is very large, it must be called a skylight.
Artist Truong Bach Tuong said that the common point of the houses in the old town, all designed in the Cantonese style, is that they are very long tube houses. There are long houses from Tran Phu street to Nguyen Thai Hoc street, or from Nguyen Thai Hoc street to Bach Dang street, with a length of about 50 meters.
“With such a length, it is necessary to have a skylight to solve the problem of ventilation, according to the rules of feng shui. Without a skylight, the house will be stuffy and lack light. The skylight is usually located in the middle of the house. Many houses have two large spaces dedicated to arranging two skylights in the middle of the house” - said artist Truong Bach Tuong.
We followed artist Truong Bach Tuong to visit many old houses. His heels stepped on the brick floor, and flashed through Tuong's memories were the times he visited his friends' houses in the city to enjoy tea, play music, talk about music and painting, and the elegant hobbies of the people of the old town, right in the open courtyards.
Many exhibitions have also been held in some courtyards, marking beautiful memories of the unique spiritual and cultural life of the old town's residents.
Philosophy of life of old town residents
Mr. Nguyen Su - former Secretary of Hoi An City Party Committee, said that the sky yard designed in the ancient house represents the philosophy of life of Hoi An residents.
“Out of ten houses, there must be at least eight sky courtyards. Some houses have two sky courtyards. This architectural style reflects the lifestyle and spirit of the ancient town’s residents. They built their houses to live and do business, but they did not want their houses to be closed to nature.
They want to converse with nature, want their house to talk to the sun and wind. That is the attitude of Hoi An residents, living privately but not closed.
Nowadays, people talk a lot about the utility and convenience of the courtyard. But we must see the philosophy of life of the residents in it. The ancients may have had difficulties and shortages, but they never destroyed the courtyard, but put in green trees, fish ponds, and miniature landscapes to make it more beautiful. The courtyard at house number 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc, which is 40 square meters wide, is a typical example," said Mr. Su.
As someone who has been attached to the city for many years, Mr. Su said that somewhere in every line, architectural detail, culture, and custom in the old town, there are simple but profound things shining. And the sky yard is a piece of that puzzle.
“People can sit and talk endlessly about the old town, but they cannot fully understand and say everything. That is Hoi An. Not only the architecture, the streets, Hoi An contains many generations, cultural sediments in its history” - Mr. Su thoughtfully.
However, a common reality in the old quarter is that most of the owners do not live in the houses. The old houses are rented out and the tenants use them for the “ultimate” purpose of doing business.
The skylight takes up too much space, and rain and wind can affect business, so many owners try to cover the skylight. The landscape and architecture are somehow silently destroyed, right inside the house.
“Life has improved, people are no longer there, old houses are rented out, and the conveniences before our eyes have changed many things. At that time, we have to tighten up the management of heritage. We can exploit the functions, but we cannot destroy or deform the relics.
The same goes for the skylight, it can be covered, find ways to withstand the rain and wind, exploit the utilities but it cannot be covered or filled, because that is the characteristic of houses in Hoi An. That is something to ponder, think about and preserve" - Mr. Su said.
There are silent movements in the houses that you have to live with, have to blend in with the life there, to be aware of. People cover the skylights, in terms of preservation, the architecture and culture are lost, are depleted.
Although it only accounts for a very small proportion, it is still a regrettable change. The house loses its connection with nature, through the sunlight and wind coming from the skylights. A few words from artist Truong Bach Tuong, sounding like a sigh on the first day of spring...
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