Houses that retain 'old soul, old customs' in Hanoi

Eternal beauty

Hanoi Old Quarter with 36 streets, a space preserving the golden cultural values ​​of the Capital. Walking through the quiet streets, moss-covered tiled roofs, winding alleys, people can easily feel the simple, familiar beauty of the old Hanoi in the heart of the modern city.

Each street has its own name and story, closely linked to the traditional occupations and lives of the people of Trang An. From Hang Dao, Hang Bac to Hang Gai, Hang Ma, Hang Dong, each step through the streets is like turning over pages of memories, bringing us back to the time when Hanoians diligently carved, wove silk or sold goods on rustic wooden stalls, next to mossy tiled-roof houses, exuding a historical breath.

Although modern society is constantly changing, Hanoi's Old Quarter still preserves many cultural and traditional features through its ancient houses. These houses have become "symbols" of Hang Street, representing a historical period full of ups and downs of our nation.

Ma May Ancient House, located at 87 Ma May Street, is one of the rare ancient houses that still retains the typical architectural features of ancient Hanoi. Built in the late 19th century, Ma May Ancient House has the typical architectural features of ancient Hanoi. Ma May Ancient House was built around 1890, owned by a Hanoi merchant family. Over the course of more than a century, the house has changed owners many times and has been used for many different purposes, from housing to shops. The house has witnessed many changes in history and is now a cultural heritage.

The house was built for the owner of the family to both do business and live in. Ma May ancient house has changed owners many times, from a rice business to a traditional medicine business. Since the end of 1998, with the consent of the families living here, Ma May ancient house has entered the restoration phase and was officially completed on October 27, 1999 through the cooperation between Hanoi city and Toulouse city (France). All structures, construction materials, architecture and household items have been preserved and kept intact as they were. All architectural structures, construction materials made entirely of wood, and household items have been kept intact.

Another very famous house is No. 94 Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem District, Hang Buom Cultural Center (formerly the Cantonese Assembly Hall) is a unique ancient building. The house was built in the early 20th century, and was a cultural gathering place for merchants and the upper class, intellectuals of Chinese origin on an area of ​​1,800m2. After being renovated, the building still retains the typical style of a general assembly hall. The four rows of houses are arranged in the shape of the letter Khau with Thien Tinh in the middle to circulate air and light, making the space more airy.

Ancient houses have become unique "check-in" locations that attract young people.

In Hang Be, there is a very famous house located at 44 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, the villa is designed in ancient French architecture, 800m2 wide, located deep in alley 44. Built in 1926, the building stands out with its unique architecture, preserving many memories of a wealthy family in old Hanoi. The first owners of the house were Mr. Truong Trong Vong and Nguyen Thi Suu, famous wealthy merchants in Hanoi's Old Quarter in the early 20th century.

Although built nearly 100 years ago, the layout of the rooms and furniture in the house still fits the modern style. The house is rectangular, with a skylight in the middle, providing light for all the rooms. The highlight here is the 4 monolithic stone pillars, delicately carved with the motifs "Peach - Chrysanthemum - Bamboo - Apricot" with the meaning of bringing luck and prosperity.

In addition, there are many other famous ancient houses such as No. 42 Hang Can, designed in the "matchbox house" architectural style, which was very popular in Hanoi in the early 20th century. Or at 49 Tran Hung Dao Street, there is an ancient French villa that is over 100 years old, the building has a total area of ​​993m2, of which 400m2 is floor space, the rest is lawn and walkways. The villa has 2 floors painted in yellow and dark red.

Preserve, preserve

From 2022 to present, the Hanoi People's Committee has issued many mechanisms, policies and plans to achieve the goal of renovating about 20 villas, including many valuable architectural works built before 1945. The renovation of these architectural works not only enhances the urban landscape, preserves historical values, but also avoids wasting "golden land" in the capital. Hanoi City has been renovating and renovating villas and ancient architectural works, restoring and preserving the long-standing beauty of these works.

House number 94 Hang Buom is now an art exhibition center with a decorative style that blends modern and ancient.

It is known that Hoan Kiem district not only has Hanoi's Old Quarter, a national heritage, but also has an area with typical French architecture. The appearance of the old quarter is affected by time, climate, weather, urbanization, economic development, population growth... Many buildings are seriously degraded, at risk of collapse, posing a danger to users.

In order to concretize the preservation, restoration and promotion of the heritage value of the old street space, the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District has developed a plan and assigned the Management Board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter to carry out the restoration and renovation of a number of works with French architectural values ​​with the goal of trying to preserve precious heritages - the mark of the history of urban development of the Capital, improve the urban appearance, ensure safety for users, bring better living conditions to the community and contribute to the general economic and tourism development of the City. The principle of implementing the restoration of these heritages is to preserve the original elements to the maximum, restore valuable elements that have been changed or disappeared on a scientific basis.

Recently, two villas on Tran Hung Dao Street have completed the restoration and renovation, "reviving" the appearance of the old neighborhood as well as becoming an interesting destination for visitors. Specifically, implementing the program "Urban beautification, urban development and urban economy in the period of 2021 - 2025" and the cooperation agreement between the Ile-de-France region and the Hanoi People's Committee in the period of 2022 - 2026, the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District has restored and embellished the French villa at 49 Tran Hung Dao Street - 46 Hang Bai Street with technical support from the Ile-de-France region. The project started in April 2022 and has now been completed.

Or the house at 87 Ma May, which has received the patronage of the Toulouse City Council (France), has been preserved by the Old Quarter Management Board since 1999. The house was recognized as a National Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on February 16, 2004. The ancient house has now become a must-see tourist destination when coming to Hanoi. At the same time, it is also a place to display handicrafts from medicinal, tea, silk weaving or ceramic villages... The ancient house is also a place where cultural events and activities are regularly held, recreating the lifestyle and activities of our ancestors from the past.

In addition to preserving and maintaining old houses in Hanoi, these destinations need to continue to promote propaganda, promotion and raise public awareness in preserving and promoting the value of heritage which is still limited. For example, management work needs to promote commercial activities, tourism services to match the potential of the old quarter. In particular, it is necessary to preserve the landscape of the old quarter, avoid the situation of building houses in a messy manner, losing the traditional beauty. The management board needs to encourage people when renovating or building new ones, to design the facade in the style of traditional, artistic houses; construction materials such as lime, sand, cement must be suitable for the hot and humid climate; paint colors must be light such as yellow, white; do not use dark, hot colors; use fish scale tiles, Western tiles.

Huong Ngoc

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/nhung-ngoi-nha-giu-hon-xua-nep-cu-o-ha-noi-post543802.html