200-year-old ancient house in Thanh Hoa is preserved as a treasure

(Dan Tri) - Near the West Gate of the Ho Dynasty Citadel, there is an ancient house that is over 200 years old. The house has been preserved as a treasure by Mr. Pham Ngoc Tung's family for many generations.

About 200m from the West Gate of Ho Dynasty Citadel, the ancient house in Tay Giai village, Vinh Tien commune, Vinh Loc district, Thanh Hoa province is one of 6 ancient houses in our country preserved by the Asia- Pacific Heritage Organization.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Tung, the owner of the house, said he is the 7th generation of the Pham family. His whole family is living in this old house.

According to Mr. Tung, the house was built in 1810. The first owner of the house was Mr. Bat (Mr. Tung's great-grandfather), an eighth-rank mandarin of the Nguyen Dynasty. To build the house, Mr. Bat hired the best craftsmen from the old Nam Ha province (now Ha Nam province) to build the house.

The house is built mainly of wood, has an area of ​​9.8m wide, 21.5m long, 5m high, and consists of 7 rooms.

There are 3 main rooms and 4 side rooms, the 3 middle rooms are for worship and common activities.

The house has 27 large and small pillars and 3 main doors with 12 panels. Although it was built more than 2 centuries ago, the doors are still extremely solid. According to Mr. Tung, with its unique architecture, the house is always cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The rafters, rafters, and gong stands of the house are intricately carved with decorative motifs including the four sacred animals (dragon, unicorn, turtle, phoenix) and the four noble plants (pine, bamboo, chrysanthemum, apricot).

Over time, the floor tiles are still solid. In September 2002, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) coordinated to carry out the restoration on the principle of ensuring originality, lasting 7 months.

After restoration, the house was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO as one of the 10 most typical ancient folk houses in Vietnam.

There are still some large wooden pillars in the house that show signs of termite damage on the outside.

The porch is designed with a long stone slab. This is also a unique detail that creates the ancient value of the house.

In the altar inside the house, Mr. Tung's family still preserves many precious worship items from ancient times. Mr. Tung said that over the years, he has always advised his children and grandchildren to raise their awareness and understanding to preserve the inherent beauty of the house.

Dantri.com.vn Source