Wooden house with hundred-year-old murals

Hundred-year-old mural on wooden house wall

"The most beautiful and unique old house in Soc Trang" is the beautiful name given by tourists to the rare old wooden house of the Lai family, which is nearly a hundred years old. The house is built with 5 rooms, the walls, pillars, and doors are made of rosewood, the roof is tiled, the floor is paved with Chinese bricks with traditional Chinese architecture. The furniture and household items are made of red wood.

The house was built in 1925 and took a whole year to complete.

Mr. Lai Van Tia (59 years old), the fourth generation descendant of the Lai family's wooden house builder, is currently the one taking care of the ancestral altar. Mr. Tia said that his great-grandmother built this house in 1925 and completed it in 1926. In 2014, the house was renovated with financial contributions from descendants but still kept in its original state. Currently, the two side rooms in the house are still used by generations of descendants.

The house is nearly 20 meters wide with 36 columns made of rosewood.

"My great-grandfather passed away early, and my great-grandmother worked hard to raise five children by herself. At that time, she worked as a farmer and saved money to build a big, beautiful house for her children and grandchildren to live together. Therefore, the next generation always tries to preserve it," said Mr. Tia.

The mural on the wall shows the longan growing profession of the Lai family.

The house is nearly 20 meters wide, with 36 pillars made of rosewood and planks made of red wood. On both sides of the house are ancestral altars and two large planks recording the history of the Lai family.

The jobs that the Lai family did when they came to live in Vinh Chau are vividly recreated.

Although he does not know clearly about the house's construction process and family life in the past, through the murals on the wall, Mr. Tia and his descendants clearly imagine the life and career of their grandparents.

Mural depicting rice cultivation

Tourist destination

Taking us to the front wall of the house, Mr. Tia explained about the mural paintings with the theme of local occupations and family life such as: rice farming, onion farming, longan farming, salt farming, fishing... In particular, the front wall of the house is decorated with murals with the theme of "birds and animals", birds from phoenix, peacock, pheasant, crane, mandarin duck, parrot, chicken, duck... vivid in every line.

Moss-covered yin-yang tile roof

"These murals are almost as old as the house; one depicts the longan growing profession. That's why I followed my family's longan growing profession and succeeded. Currently, I own over 1 hectare of land growing longan and longan, with a very good income," Mr. Tia shared.

Mr. Tia welcomes guests to visit the ancient house of the Lai family.

When Mr. Tia was young, this old house was the place where the whole family lived, so it was very crowded. Now, most of the descendants of the Lai family work far away, some live abroad, so the house has become quiet. The descendants of the Lai family choose January 16 every year as the anniversary and gather in large numbers at the ancestral shrine.

Image of Lai family meal on mural

Recently, the Lai family's ancestral house has become a tourist attraction. Mr. Tia is always willing to open the door to welcome visitors.

Old Lai family photo

Visiting the wooden house of the Lai family, Ms. Le Thi Thuy Diem (33 years old, living in Hau Giang) could not help but admire the beautiful architecture that was preserved almost intact. Each architectural work demonstrated the skillful and talented hands of ancient artisans, creating many beautiful works of art.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-ngoi-nha-doc-nhat-mien-tay-nha-go-voi-nhung-buc-tranh-bich-hoa-tram-nam-185241010174043047.htm